four wheel drive issues.

[priano080293]

four wheel drive light comes on during start up. but does not come on while driving and i cant engage at all. is it the unit in the dash or the switch motor? Maybe another part that im not thinking of? thanks in advance for any input

 

[FL.Cracker]

first thing I would do is reset the computer. You can do this by removing the access panel for the jack in the rear driver's side interior panel. Then, looking behind the plastic trim, towards the front of the vehicle you will see a small computer, reach towards the top and feel around for the reset button and press it while the engine is running and in park (or neutral with p.brake on if its 5spd). Road test and see if it works.
If that doesn't work then your next step is to take the transfer case shift motor off and clean and reset the shift motor. They have a tendency to loose their position and need to be reset. I've had to do this before and it was really easy just search the forum for a how to thread.

 

[Iron Weasel]

four wheel drive light comes on during start up. but does not come on while driving and i cant engage at all. is it the unit in the dash or the switch motor? Maybe another part that im not thinking of? thanks in advance for any input

The dash switch rarely fails as does the electronic shift control module, but the shift motor is the usual culprit. You can check the shift control module by disconnecting the two harnesses at the rear of the unit and then pushing the white button on the lower rear corner and then count the number of times the LED next the button flashes.

If it flashes 4 times then the module itself is good and you need to look elsewhere. While you're back there, plug everything back in and have someone push the 4x4 button on the dash. If you hear a click from the shift control module then your next stop is the shift control motor itself so you can inspect and probably repair / replace the missing bump stop.

 

[priano080293]

Thanks you guys so much. I really appreciate the detailed answers and the how to diagnose. Currently my alternator is out and it killed my battery. Once i get that taken care of i will post a reply on what i find. Anyone know where to get a cheap alternator? Idc if its used its just a temp until i get a bigger one to support all the other things im going to add in the future. Thanks again.

 

[Iron Weasel]

Junkyards.

Don't know about where you are, but a lot of cities have one or more yards where you're allowed to walk around the yard and remove parts. Commonly called U-Pull-It or U-Pick-It, but anything along those lines implies the same thing. Those yards would probably be cheap, but you can't always be guaranteed to get a working unit, so shop at your own risk. Otherwise, the typical cheap parts houses like Autozone / Advance / O'Reilly are your next stop.

 

[keyser soze]

Hi, I'm new to this site also, but have been reading quite a few of the threads. just because a lot of you also have the same issues I do with my '94 Explorer. This one in particular I've been back to several times. Only my problem is the exact opposite!!!!
Both lights on the dash (4X4 and Low range) stay on and I cannot get them to go off.
I fear the truck is in full time 4WD (but not low range). My truck has 204,000 miles and I'm not sure if the auto-locking hubs are trying to lock out. I have tried resetting the module behind the rear access panel but no luck. The LED does not flash when I push the reset. Is this the best place to start? by replacing the control module? do I need to get new? can I get one from U-Pull-A-Part? (17 years old and over 200,000) can I just disconnect and drive as 2WD?

I should have known better when we got another FORD. They run great for a long time. But you sure do learn a lot about maintenance and repair along the way.......

 

[dtack]

lol yeah fords do like their maintenance theres no doubt about that. something you can try, put it in 4wd, and in an open parking lot or something back up 15-20 feet, pull back forward put in 2wd and do the same. my old ranger would not leave 4wd without doing this. as for any other problems with this i have no idea.

 

[sparky9963]

i have a problem with my 91 explorer. bought it used, haha, and the shift controller was missing. bought another one and when i push the reset, the red led flashes 4 times. when we push the dash button, nothing happens. no click at the controller or anything. no lights at the buttons and no shifting. already pulled the shift motor and cleaned that up. any ideas? think the dash buttons could be bad? any help is appreciated.

 

[sparky9963]

i am SUCH a dumb***. forgot to plug ALL the connectors into the shift controller. works great now. i am sure all of you will get a chuckle out of this. have a great time "exploring"!! hahaha.

 

[DeRocha]

...Both lights on the dash (4X4 and Low range) stay on and I cannot get them to go off.
I fear the truck is in full time 4WD (but not low range). My truck has 204,000 miles and I'm not sure if the auto-locking hubs are trying to lock out. I have tried resetting the module behind the rear access panel but no luck. The LED does not flash when I push the reset. Is this the best place to start? by replacing the control module? do I need to get new? can I get one from U-Pull-A-Part? (17 years old and over 200,000) can I just disconnect and drive as 2WD?...

It would be highly unlikely your T-Case is in 4x4 High... Both the Button light and the Dash light would be on. It is very common (especially with a broken shift motor) for a stray voltage to reach the button light(s) and cause them to be dimly lit. With 4x4 engaged the whole front end would feel heavier and it would be almost impossible to take sharp turns with HUBs locked.

To verify if your T-Case is in 4x4 and/or Your hubs are locked you can simply put some tape on the front drive shaft and then drive around 100 feet or so.. If the tape didn't move then neither did the drive shaft which means your not in 4x4 and your Hubs are Not locked. If the tape did move it means (a) Your in 4x4 (b) Your HUBs are locked (c) both a & b

Check out the 4x4 Trouble Shooting thread for other good info.