4WD will not engage and only drives 1 wheel in auto and 4wd

[v8 jago]

Hi, I bought my explorer yesterday after wanting one for several months. I found a mint `98 and it drove like a dream so i bought it. I never checked to see if the 4wd was working until i got it home. I have now found out that when the 4x4 switch is on auto to only drives the back left wheel and when the vehicle looses traction the front wheels dont do anything. Then i tryed it in 4x4 and just the rear left wheel was spinning even though the 4x4 light was on the dash board. Then i tryed the low 4wd and it never went in low box and still only drove the one wheel and the light for the low 4x4 was on the dash and the overdrive light was flashing and i could not get the light back off either and the diff lock felt like it was on at the front wheels when i went round corners. When i was turning the dial on the dash i could not hear any solonoids clicking at any time. The diff lock eventually came off today on its own without any warning and the lights on the dash disapeared. Ive checked the fuses ans they are all ok in the cab which i belive are the correct ones for the 4wd. Can anyone please help me out or give me some advice on what they think it might be. It is getting to be the time where it might snow over here in england so i am hoping to get it sorted as soon as i can find the fault. Any help will be greatly apreciated.
Thanks..

 

[MountaineerGreen]

It sounds to me like you need a shift motor rebuild. Search for "shift motor rebuild" look for the stickies in the top of the forums. All the info you need is there.

 

[v8 jago]

Thanks for the reply Mountaineergree, I will start looking at that. Is there a way of testing it to see if it is working or not without buying one first ??
Also would that only make 1 wheel drive on the back (your drivers side it would be) or are they only suppose to drive 1 wheel on the back. It is leathel to drive in the wet. Ive had it sideways on a few occasions. I cant belive how well it goes for quite a big thing. If the motor has retired should i still hear the solonoids click or not. Thanks adam.(in rainy uk)

 

[DeRocha]

Thanks for the reply Mountaineergree, I will start looking at that. Is there a way of testing it to see if it is working or not without buying one first ??
Also would that only make 1 wheel drive on the back (your drivers side it would be) or are they only suppose to drive 1 wheel on the back. It is leathel to drive in the wet. Ive had it sideways on a few occasions. I cant belive how well it goes for quite a big thing. If the motor has retired should i still hear the solonoids click or not. Thanks adam.(in rainy uk)

Sounds like you need to read up on 4x4 drive systems (the search feature is great for this). If you read the the post Mountaineergree pointed you too you would have seen it has all the info your looking for.

In regards to only one wheel moving your 4x4 has open differentials (unless it has a Limited slip) which will send power to the front and rear drive shafts while in 4x4, but the power going to the front or rear will go to the wheel with least resistance.. Therefore if you put your truck on jackstands and engage 4x4 only 1 wheel in the rear and 1 in the front will rotate.. but if you where to hold the wheel which was rotating it would stop and the opposite wheel would begin to move... Anyway that is why people buy locking differentials.. when locked they send power to both wheels equally... Great for when you're off-road and need it, but not so great for street use...

 

[IZwack]

the diff lock felt like it was on at the front wheels when i went round corners.

Your 4wd is working. There is no diff lock on the front. What you felt was the bind in the transfer case as the front driveshaft was spinning at a different rate compared to the rear driveshaft when going around turns (which you should not do on dry pavement or else the transfer case chain will snap). This doesnt however mean the 4LO is working properly, it just means that 4wd is working properly. As the previous posters have suggested, take a few moments to read up on how the 4wd system works and how to properly engage and disengage it.

 

[v8 jago]

Cheers for the replys guys. I will have a good read at all of the post regarding 4wd. If i had it in 4wd on a wet tarmac road and floored the gas then i should grip and not spin i would of thought but it did the same as what auto did. Should you hear solonoids click when you put it in 4wd or can you not hear them! Thanks again.

 

[OLDSETTER]

i think you should hear the motor when you go from hi to low. Auto to high only engages the electric clutch in the T-case, which I did not hear on my '98. It sounds to me, you have more than one problem. My Explorer has limited slip on the rear. I was having binding on dry pavement in auto mode, so I disconnected the brown wire. I think I might have a speed sensor problem. Do you know if you have traction control or limited slip or anything else?
Good luck.

 

[v8 jago]

Do you know if you have traction control or limited slip or anything else?
Good luck.

Im not sure if it should have LSD or TC. Im new to these and i am just learning about them. The bloke who i bought it of said he did not use the 4wd and as he only had it for 5 months during the summer i think i belive him.

Is there any other inlet manifolds that you can buy for them, like alloy or cast ?? I want to put LPG on my explorer and if it back fired on lpg it might blow the manifold to pieces. Or has anyone put LPG on there truck. If i spent an extra £500 i can get a kit that will solve this problem but £500 is a lot if you dont need to spend it.

 

[chrisis]

if you want to know you gear ratio and if you have a limited slip open driver's door and it should be a tag on the door. on the bottom you should have an axle code:

Axle codes on the inside door panel:

41 - 3.27 non-limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)
45 - 3.55 non-limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)
46 - 3.73 non-limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)
42 - 4.10 non-limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)
D1 - 3.27 limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)
D4 - 3.73 limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)
D2 - 4.10 limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)

 

[Brian_B]

This may be a stuipd question, but....


Did you stop the vehicle, put it in park or neutral, then switch to 4 low? Thats the only way it will go as far as I know.

Just a thought on why the 4 low might not be working.

 

[DeRocha]

...Is there any other inlet manifolds that you can buy for them, like alloy or cast ?? I want to put LPG on my explorer and if it back fired on lpg it might blow the manifold to pieces. Or has anyone put LPG on there truck. If i spent an extra £500 i can get a kit that will solve this problem but £500 is a lot if you dont need to spend it.

I now see you're from the UK.. You should visit the UK Forum for lot of good info related to UK models. Once there click on the search forum button on the right, enter LPG and you'll find lots of info on lpg conversions..

 

[v8 jago]

if you want to know you gear ratio and if you have a limited slip open driver's door and it should be a tag on the door. on the bottom you should have an axle code:

Axle codes on the inside door panel:

41 - 3.27 non-limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)
45 - 3.55 non-limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)
46 - 3.73 non-limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)
42 - 4.10 non-limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)
D1 - 3.27 limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)
D4 - 3.73 limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)
D2 - 4.10 limited slip (Explorer/Mountaineer)

I opened both drivers door and the passenger door (mine is a right hand drive) and i looked on the door itself near hinges and near locks and underneath then i looked on the car where the door closes and along the top of the the sill and i couldnt find anything apart from 1991 on passanger door and 1195 on drivers door.

Ive just had a look and the wires going to the tranfer box were cut. We have joined them back together and the motor on the side of the transfer box is working but it seems that the transfer box is not working !! Is there a comon fault with these or is there a problem that seems to happen more than anything else.

The car goes into low box but no 4wd.

I think i have bought a lame horse here.