Problem with my 4x4.

[Nikkita93]

Hey guys im new to the site and i know from what ive read you know whats goin on with the explorers and i own one and love it to death so i thought id share my issue with you...I have a 97 ford explorer sport with the controll trac 4 wheel drive i went on a ride the other night and shut my car off when i started it it was already in 4 low. I messed with the switch a few times and it went off and i carefully drove home. later that night i went to leave again and i started it and it was automatically in 4 low and wouldn't come out so if theres any information anyone could help me out with it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone i'm happy to be on the site.

 

[Glen4X4]

Welcome To The Forum Pennsylvanian, Are you saying that you parked the Ex with the switch in auto and when you turned it on it was in 4low? Did you try driving it? Because I really don't see how its possible for that to happen without the truck running or at least the ignition being in the ACC position and transmission being in neutral. Unless you have some kind of electrical fault.

 

[Nikkita93]

yeah i just put it in park and shut it off didnt touch the switch at all when i started it back up it was in 4 low and it was tough to get it out of 4 low

 

[Yankee516]

yeah i just put it in park and shut it off didnt touch the switch at all when i started it back up it was in 4 low and it was tough to get it out of 4 low

Can you try starting the car and putting the car in neutral, then try and change it out of 4-low? The only way to get it into 4-low is with the car started and the shift in neutral. Could also be a stuck transfer case, or a bad 4x4 control board. My father's 2001 sport wouldn't go into 4X4 at all, and it ended up being the control board behind the passenger-side kick panel. Got a used one at a salvage yard for $50 and switched it out in about 15 minutes.

 

[Glen4X4]

01 sports 4wd operates a little different more like that of the 1354 used in 1st gens.

Anyway, when you start it and it showed it was in 4low did you try driving it to actually see if it was in the reduced low gear?

 

[Nikkita93]

well i keep starting it puttin it in neutral and switching to 4 high and auto and the put it in gear and the switch clicks like its attempting to switch over but it stops and stays in 4 low but i wanna say thanks to everyone giving me ideas thanks everyone

 

[Yankee516]

I'm wondering if the motor on the transfer case is stuck or broken, the electrical connector is not hooked up, or the wiring is at fault. Like Glen4X4 said, it is a good idea to drive and see if it is actually in 4x4 mode. The click is the 4x4 control board working, so you can probably rule that out at this point.

 

[Nikkita93]

i just went out started it tried switching it into auto while its was in neutral the message board clicked like it was attempting to switch ove and i drove forward and backed up a few limes but it was still in 4 low

 

[Yankee516]

Then I think we have the answer... it appears that the transfer case motor isn't getting a signal or isn't shifting gears.

Check the electrical connection. If it is good, then maybe unbolt the motor and see if it engages when disconnected from the transfer case. If it does, maybe something in the TC is stuck. If it doesn't, either the electrical connection is bad or the motor is shot.

You can also go to a salvage yard and get a TC motor to see if it helps. They are not at all hard to replace.

 

[Nikkita93]

well thanks for helping me out i'm glad to have joined a site here where people help out and not curse out. i'm gonna go see what i can do thanks for the help everyone i'll post again when i figure something out or need more help.

 

[Glen4X4]

You can manually change your t-case gear, take the tcase motor off and a pair of vice grips you can change it to 2wd/auto mode, there is an indicator on the case.

 

[Yankee516]

i'm glad to have joined a site here where people help out and not curse out.

Please DO follow-up on your issue. It helps everyone! Sincerely, I wish you good luck... If worse comes to worse, once you get it out of 4X4 disconnect the TC shift motor until you are ready to dig into the problem. Driving around on dry pavement in 4x4 is never good on these cars.

 

[albi1cnobi1]

There is a very small margin for error on the switch plates in the t-case motor. On the 4405 the 4auto position is at the one extreme of the plate, and 4lo is at the other extreme. When you switch to 4hi the motor doesn't move, the GEM just engages the clutch to 100% duty cycle. I had a t-case motor I was working with that had a bad bump stop in it and some times when I would switch it back to 4auto it would switch correctly but when you would put power back to it the motor would be in 4lo. Apparently depending on how hard the motor hit the stop, if there is any play in the motor it goes past the 4auto position and can touch the 4lo contacts.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the transmissions & transfer cases section.

 

[Nikkita93]

well my uncle tinkered with it for five minutes hit the t case solenoid and it went out and it ran normally and went into four low again and i tapped it with a hammer so i think i figured it out