Control-Trac Not So Good!!(HELP)

[xsport97]

I have a '97 Sport with Auto 4x4. When the Control-Trac engages it clunks hard from 2wd to 4wd even at low acceleration. I have had it into the local Ford dealer several times to have the clunk looked at, but they said there was nothing wrong with it. What I want to know is their any way to shut off the control-trac before it wreaks another rearend on my Sport, because 4hi works just fine for me in the winter and off-road. If anyone knows how to do this without shutting off the 4wd entirely please let me know.

 

[Robert]

A few years ago, Ford issued a software update for the GEM. The GEM is the electronic box that controls the engagement of your Control Trac (among other things). The concern was abrupt engagement. The new software makes it smoother. Maybe the news never made it to North Dakota? Either that or your dealer isn't worth a repeat visit. Either way, have a dealer look at the TSBs from a few years ago regarding new software and the GEM. I know there was also another TSB that stated the GEM software from 4/97 had a bug in it. One of the two is likely your problem. It should not engage so hard that you want to disable it. My '97 engages nice and smoothly. In fact you can hardly tell it engages other than you start moving forward. I can feel it engage slightly if I floor it in the rain but that is because even wet pavement has some traction. When all four tires hook up, it sort of launches forward.