98 Ex V-6 sohc Auto, 4h, 4l ..4 wd problems

[Zimm]

I've got a 98 explorer XLT V-6 SOHC, has auto, 4high and 4 low electronic switch on dash. I am trying to figure out why I am in constant 4 wd (high right now because I am in the 4 wd high posit). The shift motor is off yet still plugged in. I have cleaned the 2 sensors on the TC. I still am in 4 high. I did unplug the shift motor and as I was told, it went to 2 wheel drive (physically, inside, things seem ok, I presume).

Having the shift motor off of the shaft, yet still plugged in and I manually turned to 4 high it still is in 4 high and not auto. The fact that it is not in auto has nothing to do with the shift motor does it? If I am not mistaken I should be able to drive in auto with out the shift motor on the shaft right? The fact that it is not on the shaft but plugged in must mean something else is wrong like harp senors on the transfer case which I cleaned, more sensors on the wheel wells?, Dash switch any more Ideas. I am about ready to drive it to a garage.

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

your question is whay are you always in 4wd as in you have no 2hi like earlier explorers? Well the auto thing is like AWD in a sense it is basiclly RWD(basiclly not all the way) until a wheel slips then it is in 4wd Hi. If thw switch says 4hi you should be in 4hi

can you ask your question in simpilar terms

 

[Zimm]

your question is whay are you always in 4wd as in you have no 2hi like earlier explorers? Well the auto thing is like AWD in a sense it is basiclly RWD(basiclly not all the way) until a wheel slips then it is in 4wd Hi. If thw switch says 4hi you should be in 4hi

can you ask your question in simpilar terms

there is no 2 wd. Auto is like 5 % in front and 95% in rear until slippage occurs on rear wheels.

I would like to know why I am still in 4 high, not auto, when the electronic switch is in the auto posit..... It's like what differenciates 4h from Auto because 4 high is the only other posit on the tc to be on (4 low is not the one and N is not the one either)

 

[Zimm]

there is no 2 wd. Auto is like 5 % in front and 95% in rear until slippage occurs on rear wheels.

I would like to know why I am still in 4 high, not auto, when the electronic switch is in the auto posit..... It's like what differenciates 4h from Auto because 4 high is the only other posit on the tc to be on (4 low is not the one and N is not the one either)

I can tell I am in 4 high because of the noises and stumbling/bucking on turns

 

[gijoecam]

OK, if unplugging the transfer case connector puts it back in 2wd, there's something wrong.... My best guess would be the TOD relay isn't interrupting the power to the transfer case clutch coil. This can happen for a couple of reasons: One would be an incorrect signal to the relay from the GEM, and the other could be a bad relay. There's no good way I know of to check the relay... it's a solid-state unit with no moving parts and I have yet to find a pin-point test for it.

I guess the next thing I'd do is pull a TOD relay out of a known good vehicle and swap it into mine to see if it works.

The other (albeit remote) possibility is something gone awry in the transfer case shift relay that's energizing the clutch. The only way to know for sure is to start checking wires in teh dash.... i.e. not fun!

-Joe

 

[gijoecam]

Oh, and for what it's worth, the 4-aut0-->4hi shift doesn't move the transfer case shift motor. Moving the shaft to troubleshoot it has nothing to do with it.

 

[Zimm]

Oh, and for what it's worth, the 4-aut0-->4hi shift doesn't move the transfer case shift motor. Moving the shaft to troubleshoot it has nothing to do with it.[/QUOTE

That is the first time I heard it could be a TOD relay. It could be so may things. I wonder if a diagnostic would pin point the prob.
Thanks for the input.

 

[gijoecam]

It could be worth it to pay them an hour's worth of labor... without knowing what signals the GEM is seeing, there's no way to know whether the GEM is getting an incorrect input from a sensor it monitors, or if the relay(s) are failing somehow. The dealership should be able to plug into the diag. port and see what's triggering the system in a matter of minutes.

-Joe

 

[Zimm]

It could be worth it to pay them an hour's worth of labor... without knowing what signals the GEM is seeing, there's no way to know whether the GEM is getting an incorrect input from a sensor it monitors, or if the relay(s) are failing somehow. The dealership should be able to plug into the diag. port and see what's triggering the system in a matter of minutes.

-Joe

Thanks, I'll probably do that due to the fact that there are too may things it could be. Went to auto zone for the diag test but their tester doesn't test for that kind of stuff.

 

[gijoecam]

Went to auto zone for the diag test but their tester doesn't test for that kind of stuff.

Yeah, I guess I should've been more clear.... the standard OBD-II testers just check for PCM codes. You need an NGS tester and, as far as I know, only the delaers have them. They're quite expensive, hence the hour's labor to connect it and troubleshoot.

-Joe