4x4 not engaging

[adam gies]

my girl friends 93 explorer won,t engage into 4x4 it has to do with the switch i think because the light won,t come on when you hit the button there,s power going to the plug for the 4x4 button but the button doesn't light and the 4x4 doesn,t engage is this a common problem or is it something else? thanks for the help!!!

 

[MrShorty]

Shift motor is the most common cause of those symptoms. See the shift motor rebuild thread in the transmission forum and the singleton pages in the useful threads forum.

 

[adam gies]

thanks MR.shorty but the 4x4 button isn,t lighting up when you push it wouldn,t that be the button it,s self or not?

 

[924dr4x4]

before you go buy a shift motor...on the 1st gen's..alot of times they stick..get under the truck with a hammer and tap on the shift motor for the 4wd,its on the back of the t-case,tap it a few times and then try to put it in 4wd,i did it to mine,cause mine stopped working,and after i hit it with the hammer,it worked,you may have to do it a couple of times,or have someone hit the switch as your hitting the t-case motor

 

[shadowless127]

this is good to know because my wife's 93 is having the same issue and i'd like to get it fixed before winter.

 

[MrShorty]

thanks MR.shorty but the 4x4 button isn,t lighting up when you push it wouldn,t that be the button it,s self or not?

This is usually because of a stuck shift motor (as noted, it can usually be cleaned/rebuilt inexpensively). The lights don't come on until the shift motor sends a signal back indicating the shift was completed.

 

[adam gies]

thanks MR.SHORTY i,ll try that and thanks every body else for the help i,ll get back with you guys after i try that again thanks!!!!

 

[DeRocha]

Did you take a peek at the sticky thread Troubleshooting 4x4 issues? Lots of good info on diagnosing common issues such as ever so common broken stop bumper within the shift motor housing..

 

[ernzo]

Same issue with me. Light would not come on. I pulled the rear drivers side panel (read it here) and did the test, circuit board good.

I crawled under and did the hammer fix. Now the 4x4 works, and the light comes on. The light is NOT a test, it will not illuminate until the unit is actually in 4x4.

I suspect that the 4x4 had not been used often, or at all, for some years. My experience is that 4x4's want to be run and shifted in and out from time to time. I do that now.

btw. I am not real confident with shift-on-the-fly. I do it, and the hubs seem to clunk too much for my liking, so I am thinking that I ought to just forget that feature??

 

[SwaintaN]

my 93 4x4 light is ALWAYS ON, how do I really test to see if its in 4x4 mode though?

 

[adam gies]

thanks ernzo!!!

 

[ernzo]

my 93 4x4 light is ALWAYS ON, how do I really test to see if its in 4x4 mode though?

A good question! The old joke is;
1) Put it in 4 on a dirt lot
2) Have a friend stand off about 30 feet away
3) Floor it in a tight circle
4) If your friend is laughing, it is in 4x4

Actually, I just looked under the car while my wife slowly crept forward and backward. In 4x4, of course, the front drive shaft will turn. Now this does not mean the front hubs are good, that is another deal. But if the front drive shaft is turning, I believe it is in 4, if not, it is not.

 

[DeRocha]

my 93 4x4 light is ALWAYS ON, how do I really test to see if its in 4x4 mode though?

Which 4x4 light? There are 2.. one on dash and one next to the button. It is common to have a slight stray signal on the button light which causes it to be slightly illuminated.

Are you able to engage 4x4? If so The easiest test would be to press the button and engage 4x4, there will be a noticeable difference..

 

[SwaintaN]

The "4x4" button, the little round light beside that (the buttons above the radio beside the vents...) but the lil round light stays lit almost all of the time, no matter if i press 4x4 or low range, the 4x4 will stay lit, dont think it is engaging.

 

[DeRocha]

The "4x4" button, the little round light beside that (the buttons above the radio beside the vents...) but the lil round light stays lit almost all of the time, no matter if i press 4x4 or low range, the 4x4 will stay lit, dont think it is engaging.

Its not engaging.. As mentioned the round light next to the 4x4 button may get a stray signal causing it to be partially illuminated. On the dash (Lower right) next to the ABS light there are two lights (4x4) and (4x4 Low). In a working system if you press the 4x4 button you will hear a slight noise as the shift motor moves from 2H to 4H and the electromagnetic clutch brings the front drive shaft up to speed. The "4x4" Dash light will then illuminate along with the round light next to the 4x4 button. If both lights are not on then you are not in 4x4..

 

[SwaintaN]

that shows you how long it hasnt been working, lol, never seen the light besie the ABS light

 

[fixxxer]

The 4x4 switch on the dash is RARELY the issue, when you tap on the shift motor with a soft-faced hammer, all you are doing is getting the actuator to move a little bit and make the connection at the switch inside the shift-motor.
On a 1st Gen X, I'll bet you that 9 out of 10 times, the little stop bumper inside the shift motor has disintegrated, or at least flattened out on one side letting the motor turn past the internal switch contacts.