95 Explorer XL 4x4 Problems PLEASE HELP

[stanley24538]

Hello All,
First off just let me say that I am new to this forum so if I am posting in the wrong place I am very sorry.
I will just start from my first problem. A few months ago I took my Explorer in to get inspected and it failed because the back up lights weren't working. I brought it home checked all fuses,bulbs,etc and all were good so I replaced the transmission range sensor (TRS). After further investigation I found that the pink/black wire that carries power to the TRS for the back up lights had no power to it so I just ran a new hot wire to it and that fixed the problem.
Now on to the current problem. When I turn the switch to 4wd auto the light on the dash lights up but the transfer case does not shift into 4wd. My first thought was the Transfer case shift motor so I removed the motor leaving the harness pluged in and had someone turn the switch as I watched to see if it turned and it did not. I got a new shift motor plugged it in did the same test to see if it turned and it did not turn either. Also the Overdrive off button on the shifter is not working either. From what I can tell the back up lights,overdrive, and 4wd system are all on the same circuit. this seems like more than just a coincedence. When I shift to 4wd the only sounds I hear is the 4x4 solenoid in the engine compartment click. A friend of mine said it sounded like the GEM module was messed up, is this right or is it something else. I just hope someone on this forum can help me out because winter is coming fast and I need to get my 4wd working. Thank in advance for any help I can get.
I almost forgot to mention when I shift to 4wd auto and drive down the road after getting up some speed I hear and feel a clunking noise in the front end.

 

[stanley24538]

Well I am fairly certain I have found the source of all my problems. I pulled the center of my dash out to just see if I saw any loose/bad wiring and boy did I ever. For some reason the rear left speaker wires have burned completlely up and melted several other wires together. I have traced the burnt portion from the stereo harness all the way through the dash harness and half way to the rear door. Honestly I cant believe I have not had more problems than I have. Now I guess I am going to have to remove the dash so I can gain access to the harness to inspect and repair the damage. I have never pulled the dash from a vehicle with so many electronics. I have a Haynes manual but it does not give very detailed instructions to remove the dash. I also have a factory wiring manual, But it will not be of any help either. I found a thread on here from Spdrcer34 that is very informative, But I still have some questions. According to my haynes manual 95-96s differ from 97-up in that the early 2nd gens dash cannot be removed with the harness attached. Is this true? Secondly, Does the upper portion of the steering column come out with the dash? Are there any tips/tricks that will help in this procedure? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[snoranger]

Hello All,

Now on to the current problem. When I turn the switch to 4wd auto the light on the dash lights up but the transfer case does not shift into 4wd. My first thought was the Transfer case shift motor so I removed the motor leaving the harness pluged in and had someone turn the switch as I watched to see if it turned and it did not. I got a new shift motor plugged it in did the same test to see if it turned and it did not turn either.

First off, in 4wd auto, the case will not shift into 4x4 unless it senses wheel slip. The 95 doesnt have a true 4 high, unless you do the BWM.

Second, the shift motor has nothing to do with 2 and 4wd, it only controls high/low.