How to: The Comprehensive Brown Wire Mod Thread

[larryc1977]

live axle just means the front end is engaged all the time. i.e. there are no hubs to disengage the front axle. everything from the tires to the transfer-case is spinning if your moving

 

[larryc1977]

why cant you tie both senor wires together not the sensors themselves, only use one sensor the (rear drive line) but feed both signal wires to the GCM from it? the other sensor would still have the other 2 wires hooked to it but really it would just plug the hole in the transfer case . and you would still be able you manually turn 4 wheel and 4 low on with the switch. the sensors just activate "auto" mode that you cant otherwise turn off

 

[kythri]

live axle just means the front end is engaged all the time. i.e. there are no hubs to disengage the front axle. everything from the tires to the transfer-case is spinning if your moving

So the hubs in these things aren't "auto-hubs" or something crazy like that?

What's the wiring into them? Is that just ABS stuff?

 

[Dono]

Correct!

 

[kythri]

Cool, good to know/learn.

Thanks!

 

[Sheepdogg]

Thank You

Thanks to the very detailed info i did the mod in 20min including replacing the light in my 4x4 switch and a heater control bulb. Everything works like a charm.

Side note the light in the 4x4 switch is removable but you cannot buy it from Ford. You must buy the whole switch $50. a $.99 12v green LED from Fry's fixed that.

Happy Happy Happy

 

[Sexploder]

binding up CV's when in full 4wd

So I have a question. I was successfully able to do the BWM using a 3 position on-off-on lighted SPDT rocker switch. It was quite a pain in the a** but I would say it was worth it in the end to be able to have full control over my 4wd functions. I have a 96 explorer XLT with the control trac 4wd. When I engage into full time 4wd drive high (100% duty cycle), and I turn my wheels either way and then back up/go forward, it feels like my CV axle half shaft (or something else) is twisting itself up/binding up. As I slowly accelerate, I can feel a slow increase in resistance. (were talking about barely any acceleration here. Im barely pushing on the gas pedal). My question is, is it bad for my IFS in any way when I put it into full time 4wd? Should I not drive it a certain way? (eg: avoid sharp turns or aggressive angles on the CV's)
I just want to be aware of potentials damage I could unknowingly cause to my beloved ex so that I can stay away from it.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[Warrant]

why cant you tie both senor wires together not the sensors themselves, only use one sensor the (rear drive line) but feed both signal wires to the GCM from it? the other sensor would still have the other 2 wires hooked to it but really it would just plug the hole in the transfer case . and you would still be able you manually turn 4 wheel and 4 low on with the switch. the sensors just activate "auto" mode that you cant otherwise turn off

This.

Does anyone know if the signal is the same from front to rear, if so this should work fine.

And what you could do is have a switch that would flip flop the front signal from either the front sensor, or the rear sensor (normal operation, or control trac disabled, since it would receive the same signal from the rear, detecting no wheel spin)

Dash switch would work as normal too, and there would be no potential problems like having to restart the car to reengage the front axle...

Might have to make a new thread on this so the experts see our question.

 

[Warrant]

Scratch that idea.

Did a little research and the GEM also uses the ABS system to help determine speeds of the driveshafts. Discrepancy from the one driveshaft sensor and ABS system would like result in a fault and put the system in liimp mode.

 

[Explorer0204]

So I have a question. I was successfully able to do the BWM using a 3 position on-off-on lighted SPDT rocker switch. It was quite a pain in the a** but I would say it was worth it in the end to be able to have full control over my 4wd functions. I have a 96 explorer XLT with the control trac 4wd. When I engage into full time 4wd drive high (100% duty cycle), and I turn my wheels either way and then back up/go forward, it feels like my CV axle half shaft (or something else) is twisting itself up/binding up. As I slowly accelerate, I can feel a slow increase in resistance. (were talking about barely any acceleration here. Im barely pushing on the gas pedal). My question is, is it bad for my IFS in any way when I put it into full time 4wd? Should I not drive it a certain way? (eg: avoid sharp turns or aggressive angles on the CV's)
I just want to be aware of potentials damage I could unknowingly cause to my beloved ex so that I can stay away from it.



Thanks for the help guys!

In full 4WD as in 4x4 high or low you should NEVER turn the tires on pavement or any grippy surface. What you are feeling is the front wheels trying to turn faster than the rear wheels but they can't, because the 4x4 has them locked. Whenever you tun in any 4 wheeled vehicle your front tires turn faster than the rear tires. the inside tires in respect to the direction you are turning also turn slower than the outside tires.

Even your owners manual will say not to use 4x4 on grippy surfaces.


Good news: you didn't break anything. Just leave the 4x4 off on pavement and you will be fine. If you really want to feel something go in 4x4 with a pickup truck and turn it on pavement. They hop like crazy!

 

[chantrycw]

Worked like a charm! I was having some serious problems with clunking during acceleration while in "Auto" and was not sure what the issue was. I did this mod, and with the switch off the problem completely stopped. I guess I have a transfer case issue. 4High and Low are fine it's just in Auto. After ten-fifteen minutes of warm up the whole truck clunks while accelerating. It shook bad enough that the two clips holding the radio bexel broke completely off!

 

[Explorer0204]

Worked like a charm! I was having some serious problems with clunking during acceleration while in "Auto" and was not sure what the issue was. I did this mod, and with the switch off the problem completely stopped. I guess I have a transfer case issue. 4High and Low are fine it's just in Auto. After ten-fifteen minutes of warm up the whole truck clunks while accelerating. It shook bad enough that the two clips holding the radio bexel broke completely off!

Hmm.. Does your 4 high work OK though? Sounds like you may want to get that fixed anyway though you may just be band aiding it I dunno

 

[PopRichie77]

With the switch open 4 high will not work. Your TC maybe ok but it sounds like the gem is randomly applying the magnetic clutch.
One or both of the front and rear drive shaft sensors may be bad, they are located on the transfer case.

 

[Explorer0204]

With the switch open 4 high will not work. Your TC maybe ok but it sounds like the gem is randomly applying the magnetic clutch. Is the ABS system in good working condition?

I'd have to feel it, but I would argue that the viscous copper could he going bad in the t case...

 

[gijoecam]

With the switch open 4 high will not work. Your TC maybe ok but it sounds like the gem is randomly applying the magnetic clutch. Is the ABS system in good working condition?

ABS has nothing to do with it.

I'd have to feel it, but I would argue that the viscous copper could he going bad in the t case...

I assume you mean viscous coupler, and he he doesn't have one. Only the AWD V-8 second gens utilized a viscous coupling in the transfer case.

 

[Explorer0204]

ABS has nothing to do with it.

I assume you mean viscous coupler, and he he doesn't have one. Only the AWD V-8 second gens utilized a viscous coupling in the transfer case.

He has a third gen right? He has to to do this mod I think. I'm on my phone and can't see what model he has...

That being said I thought 4x4 auto third gens had viscous couplers and that the awd (like the mountaineer) has... Something else...

 

[Wilsonater]

Brown wire mod issue

Ok so I just did the brown wire mod to my 2000 explorer and when I have my switch open so it is in 2wd, when my rear tires spin there is a loud bang from my front end but I am in 2wd, just wondering if anybody else had this issue and how they fixed it?

 

[gijoecam]

He has a third gen right? He has to to do this mod I think. I'm on my phone and can't see what model he has...

That being said I thought 4x4 auto third gens had viscous couplers and that the awd (like the mountaineer) has... Something else...

He has a second gen.

Third gets are automatic 4wd, not all wheel drive.

Ok so I just did the brown wire mod to my 2000 explorer and when I have my switch open so it is in 2wd, when my rear tires spin there is a loud bang from my front end but I am in 2wd, just wondering if anybody else had this issue and how they fixed it?

Do not make it a habit of spinning the tires. See the note my original post regarding excessive spinning of the tires. While this mod wrestles control of the tcase any from the GEM, it does not redesign the internals of the case.

 

[Wilsonater]

Do not make it a habit of spinning the tires. See the note my original post regarding excessive spinning of the tires. While this mod wrestles control of the tcase any from the GEM, it does not redesign the internals of the case.[/QUOTE]

Ok well I wanted this mod so I could drift in the winter am I gonna do any serious damage or can I fix it so I dont do any damage

 

[chantrycw]

Hmm.. Does your 4 high work OK though? Sounds like you may want to get that fixed anyway though you may just be band aiding it I dunno

We had a dusting of two inches or so this morning and when I threw the mod switch closed, and switch it to 4High, everything works perfectly fine. It is only the auto that is giving me issues. I am assuming the Explorer is thinking the rear wheels are spinning for some reason and constantly engaging/disengaging the front. At least that is what it feels like to me...