97 Explorer AWD problems.

[pinkerton281]

i am posting this for a friend who has a 97 awd i guess what he needs help with is this when you acclerate from a stop or moving position there is a clunking sound from the front end and all he has is 2wd does any one have any idea what is causing this problem and does the awd system have some type of auto locking hub

 

[jfive]

I have a 2003 and mine will put the power to the front wheels if the back ones start to spin. When this happens this causes a clunking sound. Have him see if it does it when he switches to full time 4wd. It should solve the issue.

 

[my pos mounty]

2WD, AWD or A4WD??

i am posting this for a friend who has a 97 awd i guess what he needs help with is this when you acclerate from a stop or moving position there is a clunking sound from the front end and all he has is 2wd does any one have any idea what is causing this problem and does the awd system have some type of auto locking hub

Welcome to the forum!

First you say its AWD, then you say it is 2WD, which is it? Does he have AWD (all wheel drive), A4WD (Auto 4 Wheel drive) or 2WD? If he can select "Auto" he has A4WD.
The A4WD system uses electronic controls to automatically switch on the front as needed.
The 2 wheel drive truck naturally has no front diff or associated driveshaft, so clunking noises would probably be a transmission mount or engine mount.
The AWD system is not electronically controlled where you can have 2 wheel drive. In fact there are no controls on the AWD system. It is ALWAYS there, ALWAYS on. The power/tourqe is sent from the engine to the transmission, to the transfercase where it is split 65% rear, 35% front. The only way you do not have tourqe/power sent to the front is if you removed the front driveshaft or had a transfercase failure.
I suspect the "clunk" he hears could be that his front driveshaft needs to be replaced, but there are other explanations.
None of the '97 A4WD or AWD trucks had auto-hubs. They have a combination bearing/hub. The cv/axle transmits power from the front diff to the hub/bearing, the wheel bolts directly to the hub. When they go bad they tend to make alot of grinding/groaning/squeaking noises.

I have a 2003 and mine will put the power to the front wheels if the back ones start to spin. When this happens this causes a clunking sound. Have him see if it does it when he switches to full time 4wd. It should solve the issue.

You have A4WD (auto 4 wheel drive), not AWD (all wheel drive). The computer on your truck monitors the wheels speed sensors to determine when to engage an electronic clutch in the transfercase, thereby splitting the available tourqe between the front and rears. This clutch and the computer monitoring does not exist in the AWD trucks.

 

[rizzjc]

If he has a '97 V8 then it is either AWD or 2WD. If it is AWD then typically it's the transfer case that needs to be replaced if the clunking is under load. If it's constant (in my experience) then it could be the front drive shaft CV joint.

 

[pinkerton281]

Welcome to the forum!

First you say its AWD, then you say it is 2WD, which is it? Does he have AWD (all wheel drive), A4WD (Auto 4 Wheel drive) or 2WD? If he can select "Auto" he has A4WD.
The A4WD system uses electronic controls to automatically switch on the front as needed.
The 2 wheel drive truck naturally has no front diff or associated driveshaft, so clunking noises would probably be a transmission mount or engine mount.
The AWD system is not electronically controlled where you can have 2 wheel drive. In fact there are no controls on the AWD system. It is ALWAYS there, ALWAYS on. The power/tourqe is sent from the engine to the transmission, to the transfercase where it is split 65% rear, 35% front. The only way you do not have tourqe/power sent to the front is if you removed the front driveshaft or had a transfercase failure.
I suspect the "clunk" he hears could be that his front driveshaft needs to be replaced, but there are other explanations.
None of the '97 A4WD or AWD trucks had auto-hubs. They have a combination bearing/hub. The cv/axle transmits power from the front diff to the hub/bearing, the wheel bolts directly to the hub. When they go bad they tend to make alot of grinding/groaning/squeaking noises.




You have A4WD (auto 4 wheel drive), not AWD (all wheel drive). The computer on your truck monitors the wheels speed sensors to determine when to engage an electronic clutch in the transfercase, thereby splitting the available tourqe between the front and rears. This clutch and the computer monitoring does not exist in the AWD trucks.

it is an auto 4wd and it doesnt work when the auto should lock in it clunks and only spins the rear wheels that what i ment by 2wd some one has told him about some type of sensor on the rear end does any one know any thing about this

 

[my pos mounty]

There is only 1 sensor on the rear end, and that would be the ABS sensor. It is located on top of the "pumpkin" and is the only electrical connection on the rear axle.

 

[97 EB Mike]

my pos mounty: Thanks for the explanation of AWD...my 97 has AWD. I've been curious how it works, but I'm planning a BW4406 swap in the future, so I wasn't curious enough to go looking for it...

 

[my pos mounty]

my pos mounty: Thanks for the explanation of AWD...my 97 has AWD. I've been curious how it works, but I'm planning a BW4406 swap in the future, so I wasn't curious enough to go looking for it...

Your welcome.
That was the short version, but close enough.

 

[pinkerton281]

ok so no ideas on why the auto 4wd isnt working

 

[my pos mounty]

ok so no ideas on why the auto 4wd isnt working

Well, if what you said was true and the sensor is bad. That could be it, or just a contributing factor. Either way, if that sensor is bad that has to be replaced first and foremost as the computer uses it to figure out when/if to engage the front differential

 

[pinkerton281]

so its the abs sensor

 

[my pos mounty]

I do not know for sure if that is the problem (or the only problem), you are the one that is saying that someone said it was bad. What I am saying is that given that fact, then the rear ABS sensor should be replaced as that sensor is used by the computer to judge when/if to engage the front differential. So, that has to be replaced first, then you can continue with the diagnosis.
Who said it was the sensor?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the transmissions & transfer cases section.

 

[rizzjc]

Need to step back and ask if this is a V8 or not. That part is not clear.

 

[my pos mounty]

Need to step back and ask if this is a V8 or not. That part is not clear.

It is very clear to me that the truck in question is NOT a V8. He said in post #5 that it is an "Auto4WD" system on the truck. The V8 models did not come equipped with that particular system. They were either All Wheel Drive or 2 Wheel Drive.

 

[CharlieMedic]

If he has a '97 V8 then it is either AWD or 2WD. If it is AWD then typically it's the transfer case that needs to be replaced if the clunking is under load. If it's constant (in my experience) then it could be the front drive shaft CV joint.

Hi there, I have a 97 V8 AWD and I went and did a little light offroading and it started doing a loun grinding/clunking sound in the front driverside. Y sounded loud on my side but my g/f said it was not that loud on the pass side. Drove it back to the high way and had it towed home. Is it similar to what happendo to you? If so what all you do? Thanx.

 

[rabbit91]

may be a worn wheel bearing ?