BWM Brown Wire Mod 3rd Gen

[bel4_20]

Anyone else give this mod a go yet? I ordered my switch today online and i have my relay so as soon as the switch arrives ill do it.

 

[Cptl Punishment]

excellent work!

i have a question though. what is the purpose of the 30amp relay? why do you use that instead of just using a simple switch?

also, i heard in another thread that with these 3rd gen explorers, using the brown wire mod and spinning your tires would burn up the clutch in your transfer case since it would no longer engage into 4wd. is this true?

 

[Cptl Punishment]

is anyone alive on this forum or is it dead?

 

[Rick]

Echo....

 

[P. doggy]

Actually, I asked the same question of the switch and relay. To be honest I just wanted it to work, so I did it the way it was described to me. It would be interesting to see if it would work ok. I have heard the same "story" about the T-case clutch. I do not spin mine that often, but I have not had any problems since I did the mod 1.5 years ago.
Jared G.

 

[bel4_20]

i heard in another thread that with these 3rd gen explorers, using the brown wire mod and spinning your tires would burn up the clutch in your transfer case since it would no longer engage into 4wd. is this true?

Can anyone confirm this or shoot it down Im ready to do my mod but not willing to burn out my T-case; and besides by cutting the signal to the T case why would the clutch engage anyway?I thought this was the whole purpose to have the t case NOT engadge? If anyone has more technical info on this please feel free to post away.

 

[ghoster]

Can anyone confirm this or shoot it down Im ready to do my mod but not willing to burn out my T-case; and besides by cutting the signal to the T case why would the clutch engage anyway?I thought this was the whole purpose to have the t case NOT engadge? If anyone has more technical info on this please feel free to post away.

anyone?

 

[bel4_20]

I hope someone knows how the drive train works in a 02 any help here on this would be fantastic, as it's getting colder here and would like to do the mod before it's to cold out.


Thanks

 

[Curtis]

If its any help, this was posted from another "burn out" thread...

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197188

==
"unplugging it" from under the truck probably means disconnecting the transfer case's connectors (on the 4.0L engine, not the 4.8L) -- which disables 4wd. But doing a burnout is one way of increasing the likelyhood of transfer case failure because during a burnout, the clutch discs associated with the rear driveshaft is spinning very rapidly (exactly how rapid is calculated by the wheels rotation per minute multiplied by the gear ratio of the axle) while the clutches for the front driveshafts are not spinning at all. These two groups of clutch discs are in contact with each other and the only thing preventing them from burning each other out is the fluid in the transfer case. But as this fluid is heated up, it starts becoming varnish-like and its lubrication properties severely degrades.
==


This kind of makes sense as in normal drive the front and rear clutches in the Tcase would be spinning the same speed, but in the case of wheel slip, the rear would spin faster. Im sure these clutches are close enough to just touch each other but not engaged to turn the front wheels. In the case of a burn out, I think there would be considerable heat here.
Im not the type really to do burn outs on every corner, but I probably would try it out after the modification. My purpose for doing it would be for MGP increases.

 

[bel4_20]

"Im not the type really to do burn outs on every corner, but I probably would try it out after the modification. My purpose for doing it would be for MGP increases."

This is exactly what im in it for, so as long as your not lighting them up at every stop there should be 0 problems, it should work as normal minus the 4X4 kicking in. excellent! Thanks for that.

 

[middyko]

Ok so I took a peak at my wires on my 04 eddie, and they arent the same as the picture, There is the larger bundle of wires similar to the one in the pic then another smaller tape covered bundle. I opened the smaller one and there were three wires (none brown) and then a metallic tape covered bundle that when opened had 4 more wires, non brown, one uninsulated.

Anyway, has anyone else hit this wall with theirs?
are the wires different for mine?

 

[P. doggy]

Are you sure you have 4x4 and not AWD?
Jared G.

 

[middyko]

my buttons for transfer control are AUTO 4x4, High 4x4, and Low 4x4.....I have seen other X's with the tags that say like Advantrac AWD on the back, and mine doesn't have that. pretty sure its just 4x4..

 

[paulpud]

im new to the board and dieing to do this mod, i one have one big wire harness, the dark brown wire did nothing but kill my auto headlights. whats the deal how do i do it on an '04 4.0 xlt. ive tried searching and found nothing.

 

[P. doggy]

Not sure what the issue is on your guys' '04s. The only thing I can think of is, are you on the passenger's side?
Jared G.

 

[Matthew77]

one bundle

only one bundle of wires on the 04. I wanna do the mod. can somebody help please.

 

[Curtis]

I have an 04 too... I plan to look from the shift motor up looking for a brown wire... I find one Ill test this out and let you know... but for now, with a new born, its tough to find time to do anything

 

[Matthew77]

I havn't had a chance yet but I am going to check the drivers side door sill to see if it may be there on the '04 models. I think I will also get underneath and try to find to find it at the transfer case. Does anyone from the Ford garage know if maybe the wire color is different? I will repost when I know more.

 

[bex]

i have a question though. what is the purpose of the 30amp relay? why do you use that instead of just using a simple switch?

because the current running through the wire would fry a normal switch like the OP used.

you can get a 30amp switch but they are bulky and mostly ugly toggle type.

for looks reasons, the OP got a switch and connected it to the relay to through the relay open or closed in order for the current to pass through and the brown wire, the switch itself does not pass the brown wire current through it.

 

[jutgin]

New here guys, I just bought this 2002 4x4 Eddie Bauer. I guess I don't understand why the 4x4 auto button doesn't turn on and off from the factory. I mean it's a button that pushes, what does it do when you push it???? If you can't turn it off then why make it pushable??? HAHAHA! I'm all about saving gas mileage but how much does it really kick in when I'm just driving it to work and back?