Stuck in 4low

[Jody Breeze]

Hello everyone. I see a lot of threads about stuck in 4 low. I'm having the same issue. I have 96 4.0 OHV 4WD and it has that axle disconnect on front axle that pulls a vacuum. 2 months ago I got stuck and tried to use 4WD but would not engage. Last year it worked all 3 times I used it but this year the one time I needed it I got nothing so I'm thinking I will look at it later as long as I have 2WD. Well before I could address the issue I was at car wash 5 days ago and I was leaving and crank the truck and it jumps into 4low on its own. I'm thinking I accidentally turned the 4WD switch because it was on the 4low selector but don't you have to have it in neutral with brake pressed before it will engage now it's hung up. I tried everything I read on here but still hung up. Please somebody help me out if you had this happen to you before.

 

[Jody Breeze]

I have tried the go forward and reverse and put in neutral and rock it. I disconnected battery cables. I unhooked the GEM module and plugged back in. I have tapped on transfer case and the CAD ( central axle disconnect). I checked vacuum lines that go to the vacuum solenoid below passenger headlight. I unhooked speed sensor and hall sensors and cleaned them. Now having said that the light does not work on my switch but shouldn't it be working if the 4wd engaged? One other thing I found was on the rear hall sensor next to speed sensor it appears those 3 wires may have corroded and the insulation off the wires was gone and it's possible those wires may have touched. Could it have shorted out and will that effect it by not disengaging the 4low. Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[Josh P]

It is possible to disconnect the electric shift motor and manually shift it into 2wd.

 

[Jody Breeze]

It is possible to disconnect the electric shift motor and manually shift it into 2wd.

It is possible to disconnect the electric shift motor and manually shift it into 2wd.

Thanks for responding Josh P. I read up on that and that was gonna be my next thing to try. Do I have to jack up rear end to get the tires off the ground for that to work?

 

[Josh P]

I'd try to move the range selector with the wheels on the ground and the transmission in neutral. If it refuses to move then try jacking wheels off the ground.

 

[RangerX]

You remove the shift motor from th back of the transfer case, and turn the exposed knob with pliers or vise grips back to the 2wd position. You would ne d to be in neutral. No jacking required unless you need the clearance to get under there.
This is currently how I shift my truck into and out of 4lo, and I do it with the engine running and all tires on the ground.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

im quite sure that it doesnt need to be jacked up, just cant be under any "load" to say, like in drive its not hard. these motors go out over time, and have had it get stuck in 4L before, but nothing some pliers cant fix

 

[Jody Breeze]

Thanks guys for the responses. I will try that in the morning. I'm hoping that will get me going again. Much appreciated!

 

[C420sailor]

Please chock your wheels and/or have a ‘brake rider’ in the left seat while you do this. Don’t trust the parking brake.

 

[Jody Breeze]

Ok guys so it's been raining and sleeting here in the dirty delta last couple days so I have not been able to try putting the truck in 2wd manually by taking the actuator motor off the transfer case and doing it that way but the truck is still jacked up with front tires off the ground so real quick I spun one tire and the other didn't spin. Walked around and spun other tire and the other tire didn't spin so obviously they are not connected and crawled under truck and was able to turn front drive shift with some resistance but it would turn all the way around and while turning it neither front tire would spin. I read where all the transfer case does on the 96 models does is lock both drive shafts together and the CAD locks them to the front axle. Why does it seem like it's still in 4low and I see 2 line going behind each front tire. I know one is brake line so is the other a vacuum line or abs line for the brakes? This is still confusing me!

 

[Mbrooks420]

The transfer case has an electromagnetic clutch in it. That’s how the automatic part of it functions. In low it just locks the clutch. The center axle disconnect is a vacuum actuator in the front axle that makes it live. With the truck off I wouldn’t expect the front to spin, no matter what setting you were in. The clutch isn’t powered with the truck off, either.

 

[Mbrooks420]

There is a brake line, and an abs sensor wire to each front wheel. There’s not a vacuum hub at each wheel.