AWD not working

[BuschWacker]

I apologize in advance if this has been covered bfore, but after searching 70+ pages i still couldnt find an answer remotely close to my question.

I have a 97 EB explorer. 5.0 AWD. 167000kms. we bought it in July with a supposedly clean bill of health. Now that the snow is flying and its -20degrees out during the day, i find out the hard way that the AWD system does not seem to work. i havent got stuck anywhere yet. but if im on a slippery snow covered road, and i floor it just the rears spin and i fishtail. or i can do donuts at the end of my street. so im fairly certain its not working. Ive checked the fuses in dash, and under hood, and all seem to be ok. is there anyhing else i should be looking into? or is this something that im gonna have to take to the shop to figure out? any help is appreciated.

 

[96limitedX]

have you leaned your head out the window to see if the front tires spin at all?

the AWD system in the V8s sends 65% of the power to the rear and 35% to the front. so some people notice the rear end alittle more likely to "step out" then a regular 4x4.
that being said our '97 AWD will spin all 4 tires and spin donuts..and all 4 tires are spinning...heck i can do some pretty cool ones in my 4x4.

 

[BuschWacker]

thank you for your quick responce and suggestion. That was something that was in the back of my mind. I just kind of found it odd that i havent been stuck at any icey intersections when accellerating when people around me are spinning their tires. but it will let loose going around a corner and send me sideways like a typical RWD would. ive driven many different 4x4s, and cant really remember any behaving this way.

 

[celly]

Given that I', experiencing the same climatic conditions you are right now, and given that m7 '99' EB has the same setup as you (AWD), I can assure you I haven't been able to do donuts! Maybe I should go try.

Seriously though, I just replaced my '99 Sport with SOHC V6 and Control Trac 4WD with this Explorer and so far I much prefer to the AWD. Control Trac always felt a bit sketchy in icy conditions, but AWD feels much more stable on our icy streets. Mind you, I also have real winter tires for the first time as well.

 

[boominXplorer]

Just to add: The transfer case is all mechanical so dont waste your time checking fuses and wires. Your front end is open diff so if your rear are spinning then only 1 of your front is spinning so have someone else watch wile you drive if your that concerned. You would have to break a chain VERY UNLIKELY and if you did you would know it, to dissable power to the front wheels.

 

[justin146]

Check and see if you have a front driveshaft And if you do(I hope you do) ,make sure that the U-joints arent broken.