Lots of snow, no four wheel drive

[TomCat_Ford]

Hey guys,

It would seem as though my 4wd is not engaging. After the 15-16 inches of snow we got last night, I decided to go out for a little drive. I have driven in snow as deep (if not deeper) in the past, so I figured that I wouldn't have an issue. Unfortunately, my 4wd wasn't working and I was barely able to get my Explorer back home (1998 Sport, w/ Auto, 4-High, and 4-Low).

All of the lights on the dash work properly. When shifting into 4-Low, I hear the "thud" of it engaging. The engine also is clearly going into low range. The wheels, however, do not engage up front. (My limited slip diff also doesn't work, but that's another issue.)

Any thoughts as to what I should check?

Thanks,


-Tom

EDIT: Almost forgot. When I started the car, I couldn't hear a thud like normal when trying to shift into 4-Low. That noise started after I had driven for a bit and then tried shifting into 4-Low.

Also, I do believe my 4wd kicked in briefly...because I was practically stuck going up a slight hill. I was moving very very slowly at a 45 degree angle. Then all of the sudden, I was able to get the vehicle straightened out and I had 0 issues getting up the hill and into my driveway. So I do believe it worked once, and only briefly. But it worked just enough to get me home.

 

[RomeovilleIL]

Hearing the shift into 4-low means the shift motor is probably working ok. 4-low doesnt shift on fly. If your abs light is on (meaning abs is not working), then the computer does not know when to turn on the auto 4-hi. It should still shift to 4-hi in neutral and be engaged to get thru the snow assuming nothing else is monkeyed up. Did the 4x4 light come on and stay lit, or did it flash?

 

[TomCat_Ford]

The ABS light isn't on.

I can hear the shift into 4-Low only sometimes.

All of the lights on the dash work as they should.