4x4 Won't Disengage

Hello,

Just bought an '02 4dr Ltd yesterday - I now think that it's not properly going into auto 4x4. I think this because on slow tight turns, the front wheels are making an awful fuse. Like they are being forced to rotate at the same rate.

I can put it in and out of Lo just fine and a little test run shows it's really in low. When I put it in Hi, the dash light indicates it, just like it does in Lo and when I push Auto the dash indicator goes out as it should.

I've read tons in this forum about the shift motor, but not sure if my situation fits the issues others had... Or does it?

Any advise would be appreciated.

im not sure what transfer case you have but im gonna say the shift motor isn't your problem cuz those are usually are the older borg warner 1354 transfer case's.

in auto the front tires shouldnt be engaged unless there is rear wheel slip.

im not to familiar with this year but iv said what i can to help and now ill wait for others to respond.

It seems with most of the related posts I've read on this forum, others are having trouble shifting into 4x - their indicator lights don't come on, etc.

With mine, everything seems normal - all indicator lights come on/off as they should and Low is clearly working (on/off). The issue is that I can tell the front wheels are still engaged when I'm in Auto. This just doesn't seem to fit the shift motor and control module posts I've been reading.

I'm sure hoping this is something simple, since I just bought the truck on Saturday.

check to make sure all 4 tires have within 1/32th of the same amount of tread on them. If they are different 4x4 will engage during turns because it senses wheel slip.

Wow, I wouldn't have thought of that. With just a quick look, they seem about the same, although it does need new tires all the way around.

However, I checked the air pressure yesterday and found the RF only had 17lb in it, which would have made the tire shorter. After correcting that, the problem persist.

Okay, I just pulled fuses 17 & 18 and took it out for a test and had no more issue (4x4 Low light stuck on). Then put the fuses back in and still good. Does it make sense to you guys that the front was stuck in engage for some reason and pulling the fuses has reset and fixed my issue?

One other question to see if this is normal... I have a long driveway (300 feet) with some tight curves in it. Even with the issue resolved I noticed that if I'm going around a tight curve and there is the smallest patch of ice, I get a momentary "chunk" from the front end. Is this because the auto 4x senses a slight slip and momentarily engages?

webwzrd said:

Okay, I just pulled fuses 17 & 18 and took it out for a test and had no more issue (4x4 Low light stuck on). Then put the fuses back in and still good. Does it make sense to you guys that the front was stuck in engage for some reason and pulling the fuses has reset and fixed my issue?

One other question to see if this is normal... I have a long driveway (300 feet) with some tight curves in it. Even with the issue resolved I noticed that if I'm going around a tight curve and there is the smallest patch of ice, I get a momentary "chunk" from the front end. Is this because the auto 4x senses a slight slip and momentarily engages?

Click to expand...

Part 1 - that's a bit odd, but when in doubt pull fuses lol.

Part 2 - Yes, the clunk is the front locking because it sensed slippage.

Also, as a note, in 02's the 4x4 control module is known to be a problem (black box behind glove box).

Thanks for your support shadowless. I'll keep a close ear on it over the next few days to make sure it's truly working correctly now.

There is a TSB on vibration/chatter/binding in the front end during low speed turns.. TSB 04-17-5
There are other TSB related to it.. Best thing to do is research them and then go to the dealership and ask them if your issue is related to the TSB

Here is the TSB

http://www.stangnet.com/images/stories/docs/s197_TSBs/04-24-20.pdf

Thank you - very good info.

Is a TSB like an unannounced recall? I can't tell from the TSB if I'd have to pay for the repair or not if it applies to me.

webwzrd said:

Thank you - very good info.

Is a TSB like an unannounced recall? I can't tell from the TSB if I'd have to pay for the repair or not if it applies to me.

Click to expand...

a TSB is a Technician Service Bulletin, which isn't a recall but more of a Corporate heads up to dealers/service centers basically saying "Yeah, we know about this, here's the fix for it."

TSB's are covered if your vehicle is still under the Factory Warranty, unless otherwise mentioned.

For example, all the rear end whine/noise threads on here are covered by a TSB that calls for an updated gear and pinion set to be installed. That IS NOT covered unless you have a warranty.

Since you just purchased this vehicle, I'm assuming u have some sort of short-term limited warranty? I know for NY all vehicles with less then 100K have to be covered for a minimum of 1,000mi or 30 days, with the mileage and time increasing as the mileage decreases.

Just want to confirm that the issue seems to be totally resolved just by pulling fuses 17-18 and then reinserting after a test spin.

Thanks for following up on that with the confirmation. Keep us posted on the outcome or if it acts up again. My truck is also new (to me) and I haven't had a chance to test the 4x4 yet (not enough snow/ice) and am unsure what to expect. I know I don't have the same symptoms when turning tight corners.

had the exact problem i pulled 17 and 18 no longer in 4x but it no longer has 4x because of it so my question is what is 17 and 18 controlling since that must be the problem since you isolate them

Both of those fuses are related to 4x4. After I took it for a test drive to make sure issue went away, I put the fuses back in and got my 4wd back and the issue was still gone.

Ya when i put the fuses back in the problem immediatly returned so whatever they control should be my problem thinking maybe 4x control module?