High/Low Range Shift Problem - Cold?

[Andy Wood]

It's been down to -32c just south of Warsaw, managed to get it started, used Low range to get around the wife's car - which had a flat battery due to the cold, went in to High range and went for a short drive.

I lost drive power and there was a cog grinding noise from the gearbox and was wondering if the High/Low range shift motor had frozen.

When I went back to it after an hour it seemd to sort itself out.

I sat on the drive doing High/Low range shifts and driving backwards and forwards and sometimes it did not seen to shift.

Any ideas, and do I have to start looking to take a loan out?

Thanks

Andy - A Brit in Poland.

 

[gijoecam]

Hi, Andy! I've got family down in Lagow, near Keilce.

It's possible that for some odd reason the shift motor got stuck between high and low range. It could certainly have caused the problem you described.

If it is a one-time occurrence, I wouldn't worry too much about it... It might just have been the cold. (-32???? OOOF!!!!) If it starts happening regularly, it could be a few different things: Bad shift motor, or corroded connections underneath the truck.

As to what may have caused it, your guess is as good as mine. One question that may help: Do the UK-spec Explorers for '97 have 4 auto/4hi/4low or 2wd/4auto/4low on the switch?

-Joe

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

well if h is going into high range i asume that it is 4auto/4hi/4lo but other then that what he said^^^

 

[bender]

Were you stopped and in neutral to make the change to and from 4 low? if you were not stopped and in neutral it may not have shifted properly in or out of 4 low.

 

[gijoecam]

well if h is going into high range i asume that it is 4auto/4hi/4lo but other then that what he said^^^

I guess so.... brain fart, I guess.... it was still early here.

97 SHOULD have had auto/high/low, but you never know with the Export models....

-Joe

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

Were you stopped and in neutral to make the change to and from 4 low? if you were not stopped and in neutral it may not have shifted properly in or out of 4 low.

Yeah that might have messed it up if you did not shift out properly. What do the lights on the dash display?

 

[Andy Wood]

Thanks for all the replies!

It does have the auto.high/low switch.

I hope it was a one-time happening, and leaving it for a bit thawed it out.

When it happened I was switching from high to auto, so it could also have just got confused. I suppose it could have even been stuck in low and the switch to high while I was still moving made the motor have another go and then it gave up.

Going to get cold again next week, so let's see what happens then.

Just going to find out where I ask about block heaters!

Andy - waiting for the real winter to start...