4x4 dosnt work???

[9140]

ok i just got a 91 4.0 5speed 4x4 it still has the auto hubs.

when i push the 4x4 button on the dash nothing happens no light or anything but i can hear a relay in the back click but then it clicks again like its clicking on then off and the low range doesnt work but i think it would have to go into 4x4 to work any help would help

is there any way to test the auto hubs?

 

[9140]

the 4x4 lights do not come on when i start the truck

 

[Ranger Al]

Your shift motor onto the t-case is worn. You might may want to repair your old one or replace with another.

 

[9140]

i pushed the button on the processor board and it stayed on so i guess that means the processor board is bad. any one know where to get one

 

[nascar_intimid]

how did you know to push the button? and where is the button? is it a diagnostic button?

 

[9140]

it is under the 4x4 computer it is a white button and its next to the red led i was reading all about 4x4 problems on this forum and found out about the button

and yes it is a diagnostic button

this is what the page said and here is a link its about half way down the page http://www.explorerforum.com/Singleton/web/pages/tcase.html

Contributed by Richard F.

I was having some trouble with my 1991 Ford Explorer transfer case and talked with a service tech up hear in Alaska about it. He told me about a test you can perform to the processor board that is located in the rear left access panel next to the jack and rear windshield washer container. In has 2- wire harness pin connectors attached to it on the left side. If you remove the 2- wire harness pin connectors and turn on your ignition switch. Now you can push the white square button on the bottom edge of the processor board and it will turn on a red LED right next to the button. If the red light flashes this means you have a problem with your actuator motor assembly. If the red light stays bright this means you have a problem with the processor board. I found a problem with a the actuator motor assembly. I followed the instruction from your web page on Transfer case problems. I found it helpful but would like to add some info to it. I didn't need to remove the harmonic balancer nor drain the fluid. The 4 bolts that hold the actuator to the case were removed, the magnetic pickup sensor and I cut the one brown wire going into the case. I opened up the actuator and removed the armature. Cleaned it up with some 400 grit carborundom paper and washed it down with some CRC contact cleaner. I pull the brush holder springs out and put a little more tension on them because they seemed to only apply a little tension to the brushes that were worn to a length of about 1/4". I polished up the armature shaft where it comes in contact with the bronze oil impregnated bushing with the 400 grit carborundom paper. I install some graphite grease on the worm drive shaft and gear and bushing surfaces. I installed some RTV sealant on the cork gaskets before assembling. I removed the 3 -8/32 X1/2 " anti-theft screws on the gear cover and cleaned the face of the gear with the foil trace circuits on it and the 5 copper contact surfaces on the cover with CRC contact cleaner and 400 grit paper. I used some RTV sealant on the cork gasket before installing the cover. I also installed some RTV sealant on the 5 wires that go through the cover rubber grommets that don't do a good job at keeping out the fine dust that was found on the contact surfaces within. This I feel is the root of the problem! Now I cleaned up the transfer case and actuator surface where it meets the case and installed some ATV sealant on it and bolted it back together. I install a #14-16 pin connector male and female on the wire I cut and put some heat shrink tubing over it to seal it up. After 1 hour of tinkering I am back on the road. Wala- a simple push of the button and I was in 4 wheel drive again. The first snowfall in Alaska this year has now come and I am ready for it. With 4 studded tires I can drive on the glacier roads at 55MPH and feel safe.

 

[96 sportstick]

is this reset button on a 96' explorer also?

 

[Jacob Ruch]

98 Ranger good actuator motor still no 4x4

Everyone's postings are great! I've done it all, and it's been fun, but still no 4x4 for me. I've got a 98 Ranger and I want to try the processor board Richard F speaks of, but I can't find it! Please help.

it is under the 4x4 computer it is a white button and its next to the red led i was reading all about 4x4 problems on this forum and found out about the button

and yes it is a diagnostic button

this is what the page said and here is a link its about half way down the page http://www.explorerforum.com/Singleton/web/pages/tcase.html

Contributed by Richard F.

I was having some trouble with my 1991 Ford Explorer transfer case and talked with a service tech up hear in Alaska about it. He told me about a test you can perform to the processor board that is located in the rear left access panel next to the jack and rear windshield washer container. In has 2- wire harness pin connectors attached to it on the left side. If you remove the 2- wire harness pin connectors and turn on your ignition switch. Now you can push the white square button on the bottom edge of the processor board and it will turn on a red LED right next to the button. If the red light flashes this means you have a problem with your actuator motor assembly. If the red light stays bright this means you have a problem with the processor board. I found a problem with a the actuator motor assembly. I followed the instruction from your web page on Transfer case problems. I found it helpful but would like to add some info to it. I didn't need to remove the harmonic balancer nor drain the fluid. The 4 bolts that hold the actuator to the case were removed, the magnetic pickup sensor and I cut the one brown wire going into the case. I opened up the actuator and removed the armature. Cleaned it up with some 400 grit carborundom paper and washed it down with some CRC contact cleaner. I pull the brush holder springs out and put a little more tension on them because they seemed to only apply a little tension to the brushes that were worn to a length of about 1/4". I polished up the armature shaft where it comes in contact with the bronze oil impregnated bushing with the 400 grit carborundom paper. I install some graphite grease on the worm drive shaft and gear and bushing surfaces. I installed some RTV sealant on the cork gaskets before assembling. I removed the 3 -8/32 X1/2 " anti-theft screws on the gear cover and cleaned the face of the gear with the foil trace circuits on it and the 5 copper contact surfaces on the cover with CRC contact cleaner and 400 grit paper. I used some RTV sealant on the cork gasket before installing the cover. I also installed some RTV sealant on the 5 wires that go through the cover rubber grommets that don't do a good job at keeping out the fine dust that was found on the contact surfaces within. This I feel is the root of the problem! Now I cleaned up the transfer case and actuator surface where it meets the case and installed some ATV sealant on it and bolted it back together. I install a #14-16 pin connector male and female on the wire I cut and put some heat shrink tubing over it to seal it up. After 1 hour of tinkering I am back on the road. Wala- a simple push of the button and I was in 4 wheel drive again. The first snowfall in Alaska this year has now come and I am ready for it. With 4 studded tires I can drive on the glacier roads at 55MPH and feel safe.

 

[Ranger Al]

Jacob,

Have you replace the shift motor on the transfer case? They are so prone to failure.

 

[jacob123]

The "shift motor" or actuator motor works fine. I took it off, cleaned it, operated it directly off the battery and it runs cleanly and smoothly. So, correct me if I'm wrong, either the switch that is mounted to the motor (where the wire harness connects) isn't doing its job, or the processor board that they are talking about above isn't functioning. If I could find it, I could try the diagnostics they're talking about, but everyone is referring to their Explorers, and mine's a 98' Ranger. The wiring goes through the body and into the cab, and I assume the processor board is somewhere inbetween there and the switch on the dash. Anyone know?

 

[DeRocha]

The "shift motor" or actuator motor works fine. I took it off, cleaned it, operated it directly off the battery and it runs cleanly and smoothly. So, correct me if I'm wrong, either the switch that is mounted to the motor (where the wire harness connects) isn't doing its job, or the processor board that they are talking about above isn't functioning. If I could find it, I could try the diagnostics they're talking about, but everyone is referring to their Explorers, and mine's a 98' Ranger. The wiring goes through the body and into the cab, and I assume the processor board is somewhere inbetween there and the switch on the dash. Anyone know?

Did you read the Shift motor rebuild Thread? it has lots of info and pics on this problem. In it you will learn the shift motor is made up of 2 components (an electric motor, and Geared sensor selector). If the geared sensor gets "lost" due to a faulty bump stop it will not supply any power to the motor thus it will not move in any direction.. BTW don't just supply power to the motor as the sensor can only move 3/4 of a turn one way before contacting the stop.

 

[El]

I had the same problem with my '91 Explorer. All the electronics worked fine but no 4X4. It turned out that one of my Axle shaft spacers was disintegrated and thus my axle wasn't held in place and thus not able to engage the tire so no 4X4. Try taking off your hubs and having a look in there, worked for me and only took getting a new spacer to fix my 4X4 problem.

 

[jacob123]

done it all, still no 4wd

:roll: Okay I'll try that. Thanks! But while I'm here, I just composed this entry for another thread and thought I'd paste it here in case it doesn't work:

I've been out of the loop for a awhile, but I still need to fix my four wheel drive. Here's a play by play of what I've done:

I've followed all of the above advice in this thread. I took the motor off, dissasembled, cleaned it, and connected it to the battery while off the truck. It seems to work fine. My Ranger is a 98, but it only has 68 K miles--mostly California and mostly city miles--so the actuator motor was considerably cleaner than those pictured in the above thread. I also powered it directly from the battery while it was installed on the transfer case and it seemed to shift the between 2 high and 4 low easily. All this leads me to believe I have and electrical problem between the dash witch and the switch on the actuator motor (the disc that recieves the wire harness). This points me to what Richard F wrote earlier in the thread about a processor board and a diagnostic procedure. But his "serious explorations" are on an Explorer and I can't find this processor board on my Ranger. Has anyone ever been down this road with a Ranger? Here's what Richard F wrote:

"I was having some trouble with my 1991 Ford Explorer transfer case and talked with a service tech up hear in Alaska about it. He told me about a test you can perform to the processor board that is located in the rear left access panel next to the jack and rear windshield washer container. In has 2- wire harness pin connectors attached to it on the left side. If you remove the 2- wire harness pin connectors and turn on your ignition switch. Now you can push the white square button on the bottom edge of the processor board and it will turn on a red LED right next to the button. If the red light flashes this means you have a problem with your actuator motor assembly. If the red light stays bright this means you have a problem with the processor board."

Additionally I did the ohmeter tests reccomended at the beginning of the thread. In both the 2wd and 4low positions there was one discrepancy, where it showed continuity and ,according to the following info, it shouldn't have. Does this point me towards the switch on the actuator motor? The Processor board? The switch at the dash? Here's the ohmeter tests from above:

"In 2WD position, pin 10 (yel/wht, circuit 762) should show continuity with pin 6 (violet, circuit 771) and continuity with pin 8 (brn/wht, circuit 764), and should show no continuity with pin 7 (white, circuit 770) and no continuity with pin 9 (org/wht, circuit 763)

In the 4WD/Low position, pin 10 (yel/wht, circuit 762) should show continuity with pin 6 (violet, circuit 771) and continuity with pin 7 (white, circuit 770), and show no continuity with pin 8 (brn/wht, circuit 764), and no continuity with pin 9 (org/wht, circuit 763)"

Finally, when I do try to use the dash switch it performs as the manual says a system that needs service should. There's a click from the dash. Then the 2high and 2low lights flash 6 or seven times every 5 or 10 minutes for probably, twelve hours of driving time. Since there's a click, and the lights are reacting to the dash dial switch, does this mean it's the processor that's confused? The switch on the actuator motor? Please help!!