2008 explorer stuck in 4x4 high?

[relentless85]

Is there a way I can see if our 2008 explorer is stuck in 4x4 high? It has the 4x4 auto option but It feels like it is always in 4 high.

I have confirmed that it will go into and come out of 4x4 low, I just can’t figure out if it will come out of 4 hi. When I press the 4 high button, I don’t hear any sort of click or feel the transfer case shift. I can definitely feel and hear when it goes in to 4 low.

I worry if it is stuck in 4 high, it will tear up something especially at highway speeds.

 

[Zorin]

I would think if it stuck in 4H, you would get some tire barking and popping from the front axle.

Tim

 

[relentless85]

I would think if it stuck in 4H, you would get some tire barking and popping from the front axle.

Tim

Sometimes I hear the grinding sound from the hubs if I crank the steering wheel fully to the left or right and make a turn when it is supposed to be in auto mode. It’s more pronounced when it’s in 4 low, but I know that is to be expected while in 4 low.


It is difficult to explain. At highway speeds it feels like it’s in 4 hi. I get a whirring sound like it’s in 4 hi, Like the front drive shaft is spinning very fast. Also when I put it in reverse, it feels like the front wheels are pushing the vehicle back, instead of just the rear wheels pulling the vehicle back.

 

[07EddyB]

That's because your front driveshaft is spinning very fast if you are going very fast. There are no lock out hubs on these vehicles - everything is 'on' all the time. The transfer case decides how much power to provide to the front wheels but even in auto everything is still spinning. You can try removing the front driveshaft - that will certainly disconnect everything in the front from the transfer case and see if it seems any better. You can drive the vehicle with the front driveshaft removed.

 

[Explorer_PL]

Last year I had my transfer case rebuilt. When I install it back on my truck it was stuck in 4x4 high and i could only drive straight and could not make a turn without the wheels popping and jumping, so I do not think you are stuck in 4 high. The grinding and whining may be caused by number of things; hubs, bearings, driveshaft u joint, cv shafts, but also by the viscous coupling in the TC. So have it diagnosed well before you do anything.

PS: I unstuck mine by driving back and forth straight and do sudden breaking while I was pressing 4x4 auto.

 

[boominXplorer]

Are all of your tires the same size, brand and treadwear? If your off just a touch it will shudder under low speeds.

 

[relentless85]

Are all of your tires the same size, brand and treadwear? If your off just a touch it will shudder under low speeds.

All of the tires are the same. I don’t see any abnormal wear of the tires. The tires are fairly new and I keep them rotated. When I had new tires put on, I had it aligned also.

So, since it is in auto all the time, how does it sense when to engage the front wheels? Wouldn’t that be hard on the transfer case if it were to sense the rear wheels loosing traction and then jerking it in to 4x4?

 

[michael loibl]

As soon as system detects rear wheels spinning faster than the front wheels, it engages drive to the front axle instantly. I have experimented with mine a lot in the past 11 years, and at low speed around town on snow it usually engages before the back tires even get 1 full revolution of slip. It reacts so fast that there really isn’t any sensation of slamming in like you would get if you were to engage drive while stopped with engine at 2,000rpm.
The question I have always wondered is how the system decides to disengage the automatic engagement. Does it simply stay engaged for 30 seconds to a minute and then disengage? Once all four wheels Are providing drive for us it will be very difficult for the system to determine if it was still needed.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

at highway speeds my sounds do not change while pressing 4x4 and 4 auto but at low speed turns with 4x4 on it sounds horrible... I also do not think you are stuck in 4hi...... probably not a test you can do but what I do is wait until a parking lot is covered in snow and turn off TC..... if its in auto you can make it over a 90 degree slide but in 4 hi you cant do any kind of slide turn

 

[relentless85]

Stupid auto option. Just let me decide when I need 4x4 and when I don’t need it.

Another question, when does the fluid need to be serviced in the transfer case? What type of fluid does it need if it can be serviced?

 

[michael loibl]

I like having the option of automatic engagement, because my wife can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, And I know if she ever engaged 4 Wheel Dr. in December it would probably still be on sometime in the spring unless I checked it daily.
I do wish it also had setting for 2WD, as well as AUTO and 4WD HI and LOW, like Chevy Tahoe‘s and suburbans have .
As for fluid I have not change mine yet, but according to the book it calls for the traditional Merricon trans fluid, but has been superseded in recent years. There was a thread on here not too long ago about it. Some kind of Motorcraft transfer case fluid that many believe is simply the old Merricon in a different bottle. Most people agree DO NOT Use the new were Merricon varieties in a transfer case and it probably even says not to on the bottle