97 sport. 4x4 hi works. but no low?

[Stolle]

heres my issue. my 4wd light comes on no prob. my auto 4wd works. i tested it in a gravel lot :


but. when i go to switch to 4wd low. the light sometimes comes on. i hear the clicking of the relays or w/e. but the actually mechanical gear switch never happens...it says 4wd low on my dash but im still in 4wd hi....

but the last day or so now when i try to switch just to test it...it will switch to 4wd hi just fine still. but when i switch to low...nothing happens. at all. it just sits there.

im lost...think its a shifter motor?

 

[Stolle]

bump

 

[briwayjones]

Most likely it's the shift motor. I have no low on my 2000 and I think that's the culprit.

 

[Axial32]

Try putting the explorer in neutral first then see if it shifts into 4-low... mine won't unless it is in neutral, stupid safety features.

 

[briwayjones]

His is a manual trans. so all you have to do is push in the clutch.

 

[Axial32]

ok.. ru sure you still don't have to for sure have it in neutral... it was just a idea, i've done it with mine, but I totally didn't see that his a standard shift.. ok w.e. sry to get anyone confused

 

[briwayjones]

ok.. ru sure you still don't have to for sure have it in neutral... it was just a idea, i've done it with mine, but I totally didn't see that his a standard shift.. ok w.e. sry to get anyone confused

Hey that's alright, I've been know to miss stuff too. :

 

[Stolle]

yes. its a 5spd. and yes ive looked at the N saftey switch.

im gonna try the motor. its only 100$ from autozone. and mine looks really beat. i think i slammed it on some trees or something.... LOL

 

[briwayjones]

yes. its a 5spd. and yes ive looked at the N saftey switch.

im gonna try the motor. its only 100$ from autozone. and mine looks really beat. i think i slammed it on some trees or something.... LOL

I don't think the motor is certified as a skid plate.

 

[Stolle]

update.

i read that the ABS system is tied to the 4wd GEM.

would it matter that right about the time my 4wd low suddently wouldnt work...that sometimes rolling slowly about 2-3 to a stop my ABS would kick in...on dry pavement?

i got 35x12.5's on the truck...think the ABS system is going crazy? and that inturn is messing with my 4wd GEM?

 

[Stolle]

also ive heard you can override the part of the 4wd computer that senses when the truck is stopped. and that if you ground a red/white wire to the frame it will override the 0mph function for the shifts in and out of 4wd low.

 

[Stolle]

also. here how my 4wd system is functioning right now

auto - normal operation.

4wd hi - normal operation. front shaft spins. front hubs locked.

4wd low - stop on clutch and brake. no clicks. light switches from 4wd hi to 4wd low with no noise. and truck functions like its in 4wd hi and is stuck in "4wd low" on my dash. have to reset battary to get out of "4wd low".

im stumped...

 

[briwayjones]

Yeah it's sounding like have some other problem. On mine with the bad motor (I pretty sure that's what it is) when I try to switch to low I don't get any of the clicks or anything, but it never displays the 4low light on the dash either. It just stays in 4hi. I wonder if you have a bad 4wd gem module.

 

[Stolle]

i hope not. if i do...its time for an atlas II when i get back from afghan. lol

only thing is can i still use the stock 4wd switch to just lock my front hubs?

do they make manual hubs for a 2nd gen? is that even possible with the cv axle design?