99 explorer stuck in 4wd Low, blinking 4wd lights and o/d light

[FetchThis]

...Happy new Year! ...i have auto/4hi/lo switch, ...was driving with bigger tires in the back than front till i got new tires. have new tires - General Grabber AT2 - 265/70/16. tried 4wd after and went in and out of both fine. this month, yesterday i had to put it in 4lo to get upp a hill and out of snow; went in 4wd fine, but now wont disengage, 4wd lights blink 6 times, o/d blinks constantly, cant go faster than 30mph at 3k rpm and have search forums...took of neg cable today for half hour, still no change? cant hear any noise from 4wd motor...any ideas?? thanks!

 

[71cutty455]

This is completely unrelated to your problem and I'm certainly sorry I can't help with it but do me a favor and post a pic or two of the new tires, I have been thinking about getting those same tires in that same size and would love to see how they look on an Explorer...

 

[vroomzoomboom]

check your fuses first if you havent already. if they are fine, crawl under the truck, and unbolt your shifter motor, and mark where it is "parked", then turn the switch to see if the motor turns. if it does, you have a problem with the case.

 

[FetchThis]

yea will do...i love em, my b inlaw has got em too and we are impressed with em...they are awesome in mud and snow...rarely have to lock in 4wheel. they throw rocks a bit, but with the flare sides it doesnt bother. i has to shave the inner corner of my front bumper in the wheelbase but just plastic so very easy with sawzaw..

 

[FetchThis]

check your fuses first if you havent already. if they are fine, crawl under the truck, and unbolt your shifter motor, and mark where it is "parked", then turn the switch to see if the motor turns. if it does, you have a problem with the case.

thank you - checked fuses all fine. only had one 20a under hood, manual didnt include a relay. ive read lots of thread on this, so sorry if redudndant but need to clarify? what do I mark exactly? the outside of the cap to the outside of the case?? or something on the inside? if i move the shifter knob selecter down below, will that mess something up? could any other relay or sensore cause it not to shift or try to shift back because the compnuter is "lost" and wont tell it to move OR i mentioned before i havd bigger tires on the back than the front? could that have affected this rear speed sensor ive read about? just trying to understand? SO my next step should be take the motor cap off and try the switch?? thats in neutral and running, correct?

 

[FetchThis]

UPDATE: i took neg battery cable off- no change, checked fuses-nothing blown, shut truk off with doors closed and windows/moonroof still worked, have on jackstands WITH ALL TIRES OFF GROUND TURNING FREELY and all tires turn, still locked in and tried cycling dash switch with no effect or noises and still wont disengage. all wires seem to be connected(including brown wire) to TC...if i take shift motor off, where and what do i mark?? - still reading threads that have lots of ideas but dont want to take TC motor off if im going to mess something off?? HELP!

 

[drdoom]

Mark the shaft inside after you pull it...there should be a triangular hole in the end of the shaft. It mates to the triangular end of the shift shaft going into the case. The case is marked umm not sure on your year but something like: L-N-H...you should see yours pointing to L since your stuck in low range. If you have it racked still you can jiggle the rear drive shaft and see if you can shift ranges with your fingers.

 

[FetchThis]

im a 99ex sport awd...if i move the triangle out of lo to 2hi? when i put the cover back on, how will that effect the markings or will i mees up an order of some kind..will the cap go back on right? should i try unplugging the tc plug first?

 

[vroomzoomboom]

what drdoom said. put a mark on the triangle, and on the body of the motor. all you are trying to do at this point is to see if that triangle moves when you turn your 4x4 switch. mark it, turn the switch to 4hi like you would normally, but leave it there, then go back under to see if the mark has moved. if it hasnt moved, you more then likely have a bad shifter motor.

 

[FetchThis]

Thank you guys for your response. I understand now about the triangle marking. so check this out though. After reading more threads, and after everythign I tried today, i thought maybe i should go through some steps again: Heres what i did...after returning from my unsuccessful drive with the shift motor unplugged, i left it unplugged, took BOTH battery cables off(i just removed the negative prior) and let it set for a bout 20-30 minutes. Went back out, GENTLY tapped around on the worm drive and shift motor, plugged the shift motor plug back together(i made sure earlier it was the one with the infamous brown wire), hooked the battery cables back up, turn the ignition to ON, put the truck in neutral, foot on the brake and TADAA! I heard the shift motor noise and the 4 wheel low disengaging!!! Put it in reverse a few feet, back in drive (felt no torque clinch) and it drove like normal. when i got back i hit the snowy field by the house to see if the AWD would kick in and i couldnt do any real sliding around so i believe all is well now - I AM DEFINITELY NOT IN 4WD. NEXT QUESTION IS: is there a brown wire mod for my 99 ex sport that will not freak the computer out AND leave my system in tact when I need it? i have only had this truck for a few months, and from the looks of the skid plates inderneath(they look like new, no scratches etc) i dont believ the 4wd has been used much if at all. Could the shift motor just be stiff, and/or if i so with no evidence of fluid leaks, could my fluids need replenishing or changing? Truck has 200k on it, but in 4wd lo it seems to almost pull wheelies it feels so strong...thank you again for your help and for this awesome forum!

 

[sativatripp]

stuck in 4low

I just want to thank you guys. I had the same exact problem. I followed your instructions and BAM... Works fine again!!!