intermintant 4 wheel drive

[joshE]

I have a 2001 Explorer Sport Trac and my 4 wheel drive doesn't activate. I can turn the switch and I hear clicking behind the glove box but it doesn't go in or the light doesn't come on. After a while of switching back and forth it will finally go in. It just recently got very cold here to the tune of about 10 for a high and -5 for the lows. I don't know if this has anything to do with it but I went under my truck and cleaned the connection on the shifter motor on the transfer case and also tapped it a couple of times with a hammer and after that it shifted fine in and out of 4 wheel drive. I did this while everything was warm from driving it. Then I let it sit for about 3hrs and now the same thing. I just hear a bunch of clicking behind the glove box and no four wheel drive. Once in a while it will finally engage. Do you guys thing my shifter motor is going out or is it something else?

 

[Markek]

Almost same thing happened to me. No lights at all. I wound up crawling under the trac and tapping on the motor and I then it clicked in and I had 4 wheel drive.

Problem was after I did that I couldn't get it out of 4 wheel drive. Wound up disconnecting battery for awhile and It finally went back out.

I then unplugged the connection behind the glove compartment and lights were coming on and I'm pretty sure 4 wheel was working. Still a little leary about using 4 wheel drive I guess because I don't want it getting stuck again.