help.... :) my 4x4 wont engage !!

[sara4424]

I just spent most of last night on the mtn stuck in the snow cause my 4x4 wont engage...
I checked the fuses under the dash..
no light comes on...
tried backing up
any help would be greatly appreciated

1992 ford explorer xlt

 

[Explorer#2]

try putting it in netural, i know to go into 4lo you have to have it in netural

 

[loco offroad]

very common problem. It is your shift motor on the back of the tcase

Alright, This is very common on all fords with shift motors. Quick trail fix is to hit the shift motor with a hammer, rock, or rubber mallet if you have one. Basically the magnets in the shift motor get dirty which causes it not to work. To fix it the right way it will take 15 minutes or so. There is 3 bolts that hold the shift motor to the transfer case. Take those out, there is a connector that you have to unplug and a wire you have to cut(make sure you cut the wire in the middle so you can put a connector back on when you instal it again) Once you have the shift motor in your hand, there is 2 long bolts that go along the cylinder. Once you remove those the cylinder slides off. Now clean the brushes with a Qtip or rag with alcohol on it. You want to remove the broken parts of the magnets that are stuck on the brushes. Once you clean the brushes off go ahead and do these steps in reverse. Then since it is a ford shift motor i suggest carrying a rubber mallet with you at all times (that is what i do, only cost a dollar after all)

it happens to a lot of people.
source http://www.locooffroad.proboards24.com/index.cgi?board=axle

 

[sara4424]

wow

um Ok .. I did the neutral thing..
about getting under the car with a mallot.. not sure if I am the right girl for the job...
hmmm

ok though...
are there other fuses I should check??

 

[loco offroad]

its not a fuse.

you dont even have to lay under it really just reach under and hit the shift motor, if you need a pic of exacly what to hit and where to hit it i can get one for you.
also to prevent this in the future, engage your 4x4 every couple weeks just for a second so the motor keeps clean and lubed up.

you can also keep pushing the button and sometimes you will get lucky and it will click in. It has to be in nuetral for 4lo though

 

[410Fortune]

Sara, in a pinch you can actually remove the T case shift motor and shift into 4wd by hand, with a pair of pliers.

You can buy rebuilt/refurbished shift motors at parts stores, dont pay over $125 for one in my opinion.

If you use the search feature on this forum you can learn all about the shift motor, with pictures and everything.

Sorry you were stuck. like Loco said use your 4x4 a few times a year at least, in the dirt of while going straight just to make sure everything is lubed up and working.

The hammer method will not always work, not on a shift motor that is too far gone.

You can rebuild the shift motor yourself at home in about an hour total if you are so inclined. All the info you need is available here, jsut search for Shift motor and similar.

in fact a google search will also have you reading for days on this topic.
Dont let anyone charge you a ridiculous amount of $$$ to replace it (shops rob people who dont know for these things, I have seen them sold for $300+)