ongoing 4x4 issue is drivng me crazy!

[Mr. Beef Gravy]

Ok so my 97 Explorer has lost its 4x4. Now I have switched 4x4 shift motors before in many trucks. So I switch this one with absolutly no success. I put in a brand new motor.

When i switch from auto to 4x4 hi, the light does come on on the dash but nothing happens. So after checking all the connections for over 3 hours tonight I gave up.

Any clue to this? I have read many forums on here about simular problems and there seems to be just about 1000 things that it could be. lol

Any help is apprieciated.
Ps its the 4.0

 

[RomeovilleIL]

I suppose the best starting place is how did you know the 4x4 shift motor was bad and what was happening before you replaced it?

You noted the 4HI light comes on when you turn the switch, so the truck is getting a signal back that the 4x4 did work as opposed to a blown fuse or broken wire with no signal. What happens when you put it in 4LO? (truck in neutral, foot on brake)

 

[drdoom]

What do you mean by "nothing happens" when you switch to 4HIGH? Do you mean there is no power to the front wheels?

PS: The shift motor has nothing to do with 4HIGH. That function is activated by an electromagnet.

 

[Mr. Beef Gravy]

Sorry guys I was so tired last night when I posted that. Ok so yes I know the shift motor is for range only. That went out so I replaced that. That was a seperate issue.

I have had 4 explorers but they have all been 94 or belows so I am not the best when it comes to understanding these systems. So I do not have power to my front wheels.The dash light does come on but nothing else. I'm thinking its the tod module in the dash or maybe the gem, but I am not sure. Can anybody provide a full list of things to check? Start with the electrical problems and then into the transfer case.

Thanks guys

 

[RomeovilleIL]

As asked earlier, does 4LO work?

 

[Mr. Beef Gravy]

She shifts into 4 wheel low but still no power to the front wheels.

 

[drdoom]

Would it be possible to somehow check for voltage at the brown wire?

 

[Beargap]

She shifts into 4 wheel low but still no power to the front wheels.

Sounds like the clutch pack in the transfer case is not engaging. Good chance the "brown wire" power is not there or the coil in the pack is bad. If yours was a '96, I'd say it was probably the front axle disconnect as that was a common failure in the '95-6 Control Trac, but that was eliminated in the '97.

=Vic=

 

[Mr. Beef Gravy]

Nope mines the 97. I suspect the relay in the dash as I have no clicking from it. but not sure. I am going toc heck the brown wire again tonite. All the fuses are good.

 

[Buckcreek]

Hello I am a new member to start off with and I am also having the same problem with my 98 ex but the light for 4Lo is staying on and will not go out but no power to the front wheels ????

 

[Mr. Beef Gravy]

4x4 not working again... Brown wire grounded????

Ok so after hours of replacing parts, testing each wire, blood, sweat, and tears, I have figured this out. On my 97 Exp, the "brown wire" has become a ground. I traced the wire all the way to the actual transfer case after the shift motor harness.

So its the in the transfercase that it became grounded. Has this happened to anyone before? Is it the clutch coil pack?

 

[Mr. Beef Gravy]

29 views nothin yet..lol bump

 

[corkey]

it is locked in 4 wheel drive low ??

 

[Mr. Beef Gravy]

Nope. i put new trans shift motor so that works great. My issue is with the brown wire only.

 

[Turdle]

I changed the title of the thread to make it more descriptive of the problem. Hopefully someone will have an answer for you.

And I merged it with your other thread so everyone can be on the same page.

edit--it went with the older thread title after I merged them.

 

[Rick]

And I merged it with your other thread so everyone can be on the same page.

Ahh, so I wasn't hallucinating!!

 

[corkey]

yeah, i went to look at my post and there were a bunch more in front of mine,

i was like WTH is going on here

 

[Mr. Beef Gravy]

Hmm thats too bad. I was hoping to have a fresh thread as I learned of a new problem. But it is what it is. Im not having a lot of luck on here anyway. I'm disapointed because I see a ot of people on here with the exact same problem and some of them never got any answers after years went by.

I think I am just going to have to bite the bullet and put a transfercase in.

Any help would be great. Thanks guys.

 

[budwich]

Ok so after hours of replacing parts, testing each wire, blood, sweat, and tears, I have figured this out. On my 97 Exp, the "brown wire" has become a ground. I traced the wire all the way to the actual transfer case after the shift motor harness.

So its the in the transfercase that it became grounded. Has this happened to anyone before? Is it the clutch coil pack?

Sorry but I don't really understand what you mean by this.... can you explain your testing a bit more... how did you determine that the brown wire is a "ground". I only have 96 drawings so perhaps 97 is a bit different. Anyways, I would be interested in understanding this a bit more and perhaps we can save you some effort in terms of replacement although you sound pretty resigned to replacing your transfer case... :-(

Further.... have you actually taken your shift motor out of the case, left it connected, and operated your 4w switch to see if the shift motor turns / changes???? I don't see this in any of your posts, hence the question.

 

[Mr. Beef Gravy]

Sorry but I don't really understand what you mean by this.... can you explain your testing a bit more... how did you determine that the brown wire is a "ground". I only have 96 drawings so perhaps 97 is a bit different. Anyways, I would be interested in understanding this a bit more and perhaps we can save you some effort in terms of replacement although you sound pretty resigned to replacing your transfer case... :-(

Further.... have you actually taken your shift motor out of the case, left it connected, and operated your 4w switch to see if the shift motor turns / changes???? I don't see this in any of your posts, hence the question.

Well, the shift motor is for range only i.e. high and low 4wd. That is a brand new motor I intalled. My issue is with power to the front drive wheels.

There are several ways I tested the brown wire. First was by replacing the TOD, this became very hot, so I unpluged it and and used a volt meter to test each wire goin in to it. After holding the ground wire off the meter to the brown wire and the positive wire to the 12v wire on the harness that plugs into the TOD, I noticed that it was acting like a ground. So I traced the brown wire through the dash and down to the seat and throught the shift motor harnes right to the Transfer case where it goes in. I found after taking the brown wire out of the shift motor harness that it is grounded somewhere in the case. After using the meter and by hooking 12v directly to the brown wire it archs and is in fact a ground.

In many years as a gm mechanic I have never seen this. So I m guessing just by electrical knowledge that there is nothing I can do but drop the t case. My question was one of curiousity to see if anyone shared this problem before and what the cause was.