1997 Explorer Control-Trac 4wd not shifting out of 4low | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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1997 Explorer Control-Trac 4wd not shifting out of 4low

mjones97

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Salem, IN
I got a '97 Explorer with the Control-Trac 4wd. I had to use 4low yesterday and it wont shift out of it now. I tried tapping on the shift motor with no avail.

What are some other tips/tricks/suggestions that i should try? I think it is the shift motor, but am not for sure....
 



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A while back my 97 got stuck in 4high. I know thats different then your situation, but i think my problem was that the electrical connector on top of my transfer case was very dirty inside when i took it apart. I cleaned it with some WD40 and hooked it back up and I was good to go.

PS: With it unhooked, the control track becomes 2wd. I just drove around in 2wd for a few days until I had a chance to look at it. Obviously that wont work for you in 4low, but try cleaning the connector before doing anything else more expensive.
 






A while back my 97 got stuck in 4high. I know thats different then your situation, but i think my problem was that the electrical connector on top of my transfer case was very dirty inside when i took it apart. I cleaned it with some WD40 and hooked it back up and I was good to go.

PS: With it unhooked, the control track becomes 2wd. I just drove around in 2wd for a few days until I had a chance to look at it. Obviously that wont work for you in 4low, but try cleaning the connector before doing anything else more expensive.

so if i unhook it, the truck will be in 2wd again? huh.....that would have been easier than paying $160 to have it towed home.........:confused:
 






yes, but you still would of been in 2wd low. So you would not have wanted to drive home unless your were going sssllllllooooowwwww.
 






yes, but you still would of been in 2wd low. So you would not have wanted to drive home unless your were going sssllllllooooowwwww.
that wouldn't been as bad as the 2.5 hour wait for a wrecker, then the hour ride home in the $160 taxi!
 






Just to add to this, whenever you shift to or out of 4LO, ensure that the vehicle is in Neutral (and with your foot on the brake in case the vehicle starts rolling).
 






Just to add to this, whenever you shift to or out of 4LO, ensure that the vehicle is in Neutral (and with your foot on the brake in case the vehicle starts rolling).
tried that.......i have the same t-case in my truck, just not the auto 4wd....
 






Actually, you have a completely different case... the 44-05 in the Explorers is completely different than the 13-54 used in teh Rangers. They're nothing alike (aside from being made by Borg-Warner).

As for the problem with the Ex, it could be a bunch of things... tough to make the call without an NGS test stand. Disconnect the battery, unplug the t-case shift motor, remove the motor, and manually turn the shift shaft back to the 2wd position. Clean the connectors, and with the motor plugged in but not installed, cycle it through the 4high/4low switch positions and see what it does. It could be a sticking relay, or it could be getting a bad input from the switch on the dash (among numerous other possibilities).

-Joe

-Joe
 






thanks Joe....i will try that!
 






And here I am thinking the Ranger had the 4405 in '97 :D Woops!
 






And here I am thinking the Ranger had the 4405 in '97 :D Woops!
nope....the Ranger never has had the 4405.....it has always been either the 1350 (manual or electric) or the 1354 (manual or electric)......i think it was '94 or '95 when they went to the 1354 in Rangers.....and Ford hasn't looked back since.....even the '07s have the 1354 in them...
 






I have no clue what comes to Rangers (as we've witnessed) but did the Ranger ever come with the 4.0 SOHC engine (not the OHV)?
 






I have no clue what comes to Rangers (as we've witnessed) but did the Ranger ever come with the 4.0 SOHC engine (not the OHV)?

yea it was an option starting in '98 (but the OHV was standard) and in '00 or '01 the SOHC became standard and the OHV died.....today it is still the 4.0 SOHC....
 






took the T-case shift motor off........cleaning the connections didn't help, going right now to order a new 1 from O'Reilly Auto Parts....hopefully that fixes the problem.....

anyone know what a 4405 looks like without the shift motor on and what position the needle needs to be in?
 






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