4WD help...

[mollyvrsix]

Hey everyone, first post!
I have a 99 Mountaineer, auto with like 167k...
We've been getting a ton of snow up in New England, and on the 12th, I let my brother drive my car which resulted in him getting stuck in a snow bank... 4wd low was engaged while the car was in park, and eventually he got out. After that, he said it was making a rumbling >35mph, but it went away. Then the 4wd high and low lights started flashing, randomly. Took it to a mechanic when the front end started clunking HARD two days ago, and he told me my 4wd was stuck on, and the clunking was a lower ball joint. I had my ball joints all done 2 years ago though... now the car is making the same clunking noise randomly, as well as a growling/ humming, and the 4wd lights are still coming on. Does anyone know what my issue is, or if it is my 4wd stuck on? How would I be able to manually disengage it? I'm used to VWs, and I honestly have no clue what's going on with this thing, but I love my SUV and don't want to make this worse, so any help is appreciated!!

 

[Joe Dirt]

I'm wondering how he got it into 4Low in park, usually it needs to be in neutral with the brake pressed down... If the switch wasn't flipped back when the truck was in neutral with the brake on, it's probably still in 4Low but there may be more going on now.

Have pulled or pull the diagnostic codes and bring them back here, as the flashing lights are indications of a fault/multiple faults...