still more 4x4 pushbutton troubles

[stlc]

have a 91 explorer when i push the 4x4 button i get the usual gunting noises from underneath, but i dont get 4wd. the 4wd light comes on and i can put it in low range but only the rear weels will spin. earlier this fall i took it in to have have the front u joints replaced and havent tried 4wd till now so i suspect(hopefully) something wasnt hooked back up. any help would be greatly appreciated on what the problem could be and where to find what might be left unhooked thanks steve they are auto locking hubs

 

[Eneurb]

Sounds like hub problems.

 

[Tedman]

4x4 button?
Is that the button on the dash that says 4x4 but doesnt do a da.. thing when you press it?
If so than I have one of those buttons and would love toknow where to locate the problem and solve it so i can join on the next exploration

 

[mitch]

more than likely it is one of two things. one it is the t-case shift motor which, if you search you'll find a great thread on how to clean and rebuild it. Or it is the auto locking hubs, which if you own an explorer will eventually stop working for some reason. I had the same problem ie. 4x4 light comes on when I push the button, the clicks can be heard in the rear, rear tires spin ONLY no front spinning. So i asked some people on this site and did some searches and the problem seems to be the auto-locking hubs. So now with my Christmas money I'm going to buy some warn manual locking hubs and their conversion kit. Which can be troublesome, having to get out every time to lock them, but are far more reliable.

 

[Az_NavajoRob]

stlc-sounds like your hubs are shot. If the 4wd light comes on then the transfer case is shifting okay. The 4wd light will only come on if the shift motor has rotated the selector into the 4wd position. I suppose the shaft could be broken or the tranfer case is otherwise broken but that is unlikely. Fix the hubs or get manual ones and you'll be golden.

 

[Crankcase]

Look to see if the front driveshaft is rotating.

 

[TSTONE]

" if you search you'll find a great thread", "i ...did some searches"

I like this newbie already

 

[DeRocha]

Stlc - As the others have suggested it sounds like one or both of your front autohubs are broken. As Az_NavajoRob mentioned if your 4x4 panel and button lights come on the shift motor is working and has correctly moved the transfer case selector from 2H to 4H. If you engage 4x4 (and have an open front differential) you're really only in 4x2 if you have a broken hub. With an open diff power is sent to the wheel with the least resistance (the broken hub). The other wheel with the good hub will do nothing.

The hubs should NOT be packed with grease, but it is very common for some repair places to do so. Packing the hub with grease will force the spring assembly at the end of the hub (hidden from view) towards the disengage position.

If the 4x4 button does nothing then it is most likely a problem with the shift motor. This device contains electrical contacts on a geared selector that can become "Lost" if the stop bumper has deteriorated and broken apart (very common). Please see the Shift Motor rebuild thread ..lots of good info and pics.

 

[410Fortune]

one thing everyone fails to realize also is that when you are in 4wd only one wheel on the front and one wheel on the rear axle will spin, so if you are looking at the wrong side you may not see it.
However in this case it does sound like a hub problem, if indeed the light comes on when you engage low range, then most likely its the hubs, but to determine this you must see if the front d shaft rotates when in 4wd hi or low.....

 

[stlc]

took it in to a local shop for diagnosis, they found that the auto locking hubs are shot. he advised replacing with manual hubs, when i asked who the manufacturer of the hubs was that he wanted to put in, he said warn. from what i have seen on this site i was happy to hear that. parts were ordered and it will be done on mon. he quoted an estimate of about $500 parts and labor. sound about right to you guys? i didnt want to tackle the job myself as i am somewhat mechanically challanged. but it is sure good to know whats going on before i got there. thanks guys!

 

[410Fortune]

damn $500, I am in the wrong business

Parts are $160 max your cost for everything needed.
The spanner wrench needed is $10

Labor is about an hour , hour and a half total.


$500 is about $200 more then the average shop charges for tis job.

Make sure they check the brake pads, rotors, and re-grease the wheel bearings and provide you with new grease seals.

thats alot of $$$. Also get your old parts back, some guys here rebuild the auto's and will buy them from you. Also do NOT be surpirsed when they call you and suggest you need new tie rods, shocks, brakes, etc etc........thats just how it goes.

At least you will know that next time you need 4x4 it will be there...

 

[TSTONE]

A new complete kit from ebay with shipping is $196.00 that means they are charging you $300.00 for labor which sounds a little steep.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...tem=7944127076&category=33728&sspagename=WDVW

 

[stlc]

gee... what he told me was 300 for the hubs, im sure they tack some on from what the parts store charges them. then bout 80 bucks for an instalation kit he wasn,t sure if he needed it or not, and bout 75 labor for 455. musta rounded his estimate up to 500. whats a guy to do but pay the man.

 

[TSTONE]

Tell them you're going to supply your own hub kit and just have install it for $75.00 = total $271.00

 

[TAZZOUT]

4x4 button switch no lights

Hi, I have a 92 ford explorer the 4x4 stopped working. I have no lights on the button dash switch or any sounds. I looked at the rear mod next to the washer and noticed a led light and a reset button on it, so I pushed it and the light came on but goes off even if the truck is running or not.still nothing happens.So I tapped on the shift motor and pushed the button on the mod and dash switch again still nothing. No lights on dash or any sounds. Help

 

[DeRocha]

Check out the shift motor link in my sig line and the shift motor rebuild thread I added in post #8...

 

[russ56]

I got my hubs and installation kit from NAPA, it was 235.00 with tax and the local repair shop charged me 65.00 to install, best investment I have made on my 91 so far. 500 dollars installed sounds like way too much, check around.

Russ

 

[TAZZOUT]

Hi. I would call around on the Hubs for a better price. You might try doing it your self they are not that hard to do or ask around and find somebody that has done them before. Buy the socket that you will need to get the locking ring off. about $15.00. Question on shift motor, Can you remove it and still drive the truck for aday or two? and if you need to replace the screw and bushing on the gear can you buy it or whats the next best fix. So if it is the shift motor, doe's that mean the button switch wont work at all. Thanks

 

[Bwana Bob]

I got my hubs from Desert Rat. About $200 for the hubs, conversion kit, and shipping and another $ 25 for the 4 prongspindle nut socket. Very easy job to do. Warn's instructions are clear. You will need to borrow a couple of torque wrenches, unless you have a good feel for torque: finger tight for the inner nut, as tight as you can make it for the outer nut.


Bob

 

[TAZZOUT]

4x4 / Troubles

:exporange I took the shift motor off, put a pair of vise grips on the shaft and turned it to 4h and back to 2h cleaned off the sensor put motor back on and now I have 4x4 H. I put it in 4x4 Low and heard a clunk sound but could not get LOW to kick in or Light up on the dash. If you buy a new or used shift motor I guess you will need to cut that small wire and splice the new one on in order to replace your old one.