Controltrac will not disengage

[Squirrels]

The other night, while driving at highway speeds in the rain, my 97 XLT must have slipped/hydroplaned. The controltrac system kicked in and put me in 4WD. Fine and dandy.But, isn't it supposed to disengage once slipping is not detected anymore??? I have tried, while in park, switching to 4high, then back to auto, and while in neutral, going as far as 4lo back to 4high then 4auto. Nothing. Truck is still in 4wd (hard binding while turning). There are no lights flashing, and if I switch to 4low, I can hear a slight noise followed by a click. This happened to me once before, I disconnected the battery for about 10 minutes, reconnected started it up, put it in drive, and after a slight hesitation and a bit of a "clunk", the truck was back in 4Auto (2wd).

Will the Brown Wire Mod correct this issue? Or is there an actuator on the transfercase that may be stuck?

-Jay

 

[yavapaires]

I don't think you have control track 4x4. My 96 is Control track, and you have to shift it to 4x4 with the dash switch. It is marked 2WD, 4wd hi, and 4wd lo. I do have the brown wire mod on mine, but have not used 4wd enough to comment on it. I am not sure what system you do have.

 

[Squirrels]

I have a 97 XLT. There is no 2WD option (short of the brown wire mod). 4Auto, 4High, and 4Low.

 

[joecrna]

The brown wire mod will stop the front output from engaging but you need a little transfer case work..

 

[yavapaires]

The brown wire mod will stop the front output from engaging but you need a little transfer case work..

From what I have read, you can not do a brown wire mod on an all wheel drive. If he does not have a two wheel drive selector,he does not have Control Track, he has all wheel drive. You would have to pull the front driveshaft. I am sure that would cause some problems. But I have read on here that it has been done. I have NO experience with AWD.

 

[snoranger]

From what I have read, you can not do a brown wire mod on an all wheel drive. If he does not have a two wheel drive selector,he does not have Control Track, he has all wheel drive. You would have to pull the front driveshaft. I am sure that would cause some problems. But I have read on here that it has been done. I have NO experience with AWD.

Youre a little confused.

95-96 ... 2WD, A4WD, 4LOW.

97+ ... A4wd, 4HIGH, 4LOW.

As long as they are "4 wheel drive" v6s then thats what they have on the selector switch. They are both called control trac systems. They both use exactly the same parts, they just have different programming in the GEM. AWD was only available on the v8s.

The BWM on the 95-96 allows you to have 4HIGH.
The BWM on the 97+ allows you to have 2WD.

 

[yavapaires]

Youre a little confused.

95-96 ... 2WD, A4WD, 4LOW.

97+ ... A4wd, 4HIGH, 4LOW.

As long as they are "4 wheel drive" v6s then thats what they have on the selector switch. They are both called control trac systems. They both use exactly the same parts, they just have different programming in the GEM. AWD was only available on the v8s.

The BWM on the 95-96 allows you to have 4HIGH.
The BWM on the 97+ allows you to have 2WD.

OK. But my 96 is marked 2wd, 4wd high, 4wd low. I don't know how the 97's are marked. And you are probably right about me being confused. I just go by what I have read. I really prefer to have the old fashioned manual lever. I miss my old 67 Scout with 4 speed and two lever transfer case. Of course I miss the old trucks with 5 and 4 transmissions too. Now, you can figure out how old I am.

 

[Squirrels]

snoranger is correct.

My 96 had the 2wd,4hi,4lo options

My 97 has the 4auto,4hi,4lo options

From what I gather, in 4 auto, the power is dispersed at approximately 96% to the rear, 4% to the front. The BWM will still run it at this ratio, but prevent the Control Trac traction control system from activating, unless of course you have the BWM switch in the position to allow it.

Regardless, I somehow managed to fix it by flipping the switch from 4auto to 4hi, while moving in reverse, heard a click underneath, put it back into drive, then switched back to 4auto. And, voila, back into "2wd". BWM coming in the morning to further prevent this from happening.

 

[snoranger]

OK. But my 96 is marked 2wd, 4wd high, 4wd low. I don't know how the 97's are marked. And you are probably right about me being confused. I just go by what I have read. I really prefer to have the old fashioned manual lever. I miss my old 67 Scout with 4 speed and two lever transfer case. Of course I miss the old trucks with 5 and 4 transmissions too. Now, you can figure out how old I am.

You may have a bezel from a Ranger or a sport trac. They used the 13-54 and had a real 4 High. If you have a 44-05 transfer case, Whats labeled 4 high is really 4Auto.

snoranger is correct.

My 96 had the 2wd,4hi,4lo options

My 97 has the 4auto,4hi,4lo options

From what I gather, in 4 auto, the power is dispersed at approximately 96% to the rear, 4% to the front. The BWM will still run it at this ratio, but prevent the Control Trac traction control system from activating, unless of course you have the BWM switch in the position to allow it.

Regardless, I somehow managed to fix it by flipping the switch from 4auto to 4hi, while moving in reverse, heard a click underneath, put it back into drive, then switched back to 4auto. And, voila, back into "2wd". BWM coming in the morning to further prevent this from happening.

Congrats on fixing it.

 

[yavapaires]

You may have a bezel from a Ranger or a sport trac. They used the 13-54 and had a real 4 High. If you have a 44-05 transfer case, Whats labeled 4 high is really 4Auto.




Congrats on fixing it.

That may be so, but when in 2wd I have no power to the front wheels. When in 4wd high, the Control Track does not send power to the front wheels unless there is slippage. The amount of slippage seems to be the problem. When I first got the Ex, the front wheels would not pull when doing a short test in snow. That is why I did the BWM. With the BWM on auto I can still turn the front drive shaft by hand. With the BWM switch on manual, I cannot turn the front drive shaft by hand. I installed a SPDT toggle switch to have the ability to have some control of the 4wd. Positively engaged when I want it, and Control Track when not needed. Whether I have a bezel from something else or not, the system works as marked.

 

[snoranger]

That may be so, but when in 2wd I have no power to the front wheels. When in 4wd high, the Control Track does not send power to the front wheels unless there is slippage. The amount of slippage seems to be the problem. When I first got the Ex, the front wheels would not pull when doing a short test in snow. That is why I did the BWM. With the BWM on auto I can still turn the front drive shaft by hand. With the BWM switch on manual, I cannot turn the front drive shaft by hand. I installed a SPDT toggle switch to have the ability to have some control of the 4wd. Positively engaged when I want it, and Control Track when not needed. Whether I have a bezel from something else or not, the system works as marked.

You can turn the front driveshaft with the BWM switch off and the "4X4" switch in high?

 

[yavapaires]

You can turn the front driveshaft with the BWM switch off and the "4X4" switch in high?

Yes, with the front jacked up. The BWM switch in either off, or in auto,the dash switch in 4wd auto, or 4wd low, (by the way my apologies, the 4wd switch IS marked 4wd auto, not high, my mistake). The driveshaft will turn by rotating the left front tire. It will not turn if the BWM switch is thrown to manual. When I put the switch in manual, I can hear a click, as if something is engaging. I'll admit I am not real familiar with these newer vevicles. I still prefer to have manual control, not some damn computer telling me what I need.

 

[snoranger]

Yes, with the front jacked up. The BWM switch in either off, or in auto,the dash switch in 4wd auto, or 4wd low, (by the way my apologies, the 4wd switch IS marked 4wd auto, not high, my mistake). The driveshaft will turn by rotating the left front tire. It will not turn if the BWM switch is thrown to manual. When I put the switch in manual, I can hear a click, as if something is engaging. I'll admit I am not real familiar with these newer vevicles. I still prefer to have manual control, not some damn computer telling me what I need.

OK, with the front in the air. That make sense now.

With the switch in 4 auto, you engage the front axle disconnect. The T-case only engages when the front and rear wheel speed is different. With the BWM switch "on", you engage the T-case. Thats why it wont spin.