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4X4 Problem

riverposie

Member
Joined
July 15, 2004
Messages
21
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City, State
nescopeck pa.
Year, Model & Trim Level
'93 XLT
i have a 1993 explorer. I owned it from brand new. It has 180k on it and was well maintained all the time. I live in Pa. The 4x4 seldom gets used ( maybe 3 times a year since new) Last year I noticed that i had to hit the dash button several times till the dash light and switch light came on and the 4x4 engaged. This year the dash light or the switch light wont come on and the 4x4 doesnt work..I tried the switch button tons of times and nothing.I checked the fuse and it is o.k. i checked the switch connection and it is connected.Where do i go from here? Thanks Bob
 



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It's possible it's the switch itself, and in the past, you having to hit it several times jiggled a connection till it worked. Personally, the next step I'd recommend, is go down to you local salvage yard, and find another switch or two to try.

gl
 






Before spending any money i'd do a search for the shift motor. VERY common problem, and it's free to clean!
 






CodePoet said:
Before spending any money i'd do a search for the shift motor. VERY common problem, and it's free to clean!
i dont understand...what do you mean it is free to clean?
 






happeneds everytime, i don't use the 4x4 much over summer but when winter hits its hard to get the 4x4 to start working again, so i take a day or 2 toying with it, try it on the fly, hit 45 and press the botton, try it while going about 2 MPH, try it while stopped in N eventually you hear a clicking noise comming from the back and it will start again, just use it atleast once a month to avoid the problem
 






well whats next? i tried that and nothing happened...i probably hit the swirch hundreds of times...
 












It is very common for a 1st gen ('91-94) Explorer to have problems engaging 4x4... Part of the problem is lack of use where the shift motor can become bound up over time from lack of use (so it is recommended you engage 4x4 @ least once per month to keep things moving). That being said the #1 problem is related to the shift motor.. Check out Brain's Shift Motor rebuild thread for lots of info and pics..

Basically if you hit the switch and can hear relays clicking in the rear hatch area it means the 4x4 computer received your dash board switch press to engage 4x4, but some problem within the shift circuit is telling the 4x4 computer a problem exists (it therefore does nothing).. The biggest culprit is that a pastic stop bumper part of the geared position sensor deteriorates and falls apart allowing the sensor to move outside of its operating range.. When this happens the 4x4 computer has no idea what postion the T-case selector is in and will therefore default to doing nothing.

As suggested by others this is a free fix since you basically just need to remove the geared position sensor cover (mark the cover and case first) and replace the brocken stop with a small piec of 5/16 or similar diameter fuel line.
 






DeRocha said:
It is very common for a 1st gen ('91-94) Explorer to have problems engaging 4x4... Part of the problem is lack of use where the shift motor can become bound up over time from lack of use (so it is recommended you engage 4x4 @ least once per month to keep things moving). That being said the #1 problem is related to the shift motor.. Check out Brain's Shift Motor rebuild thread for lots of info and pics..

Basically if you hit the switch and can hear relays clicking in the rear hatch area it means the 4x4 computer received your dash board switch press to engage 4x4, but some problem within the shift circuit is telling the 4x4 computer a problem exists (it therefore does nothing).. The biggest culprit is that a pastic stop bumper part of the geared position sensor deteriorates and falls apart allowing the sensor to move outside of its operating range.. When this happens the 4x4 computer has no idea what postion the T-case selector is in and will therefore default to doing nothing.

As suggested by others this is a free fix since you basically just need to remove the geared position sensor cover (mark the cover and case first) and replace the brocken stop with a small piec of 5/16 or similar diameter fuel line.


Thanks for the great information...I can say that when i hit the switch , there is no clicking in the rear...there is no clicking at all....all i hear is me hitting the switch, nothing else and nothing happens at all....
 






have someone sit in the back and listen for the click
or take off the cover where your jack and rear wiper fluid are located...
the click in the back was really faint on my car.

if there is still no click then theres a problem with the switch or the relays
 






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