Problems with 4x4 automatically engauging

[bth2010]

I have a 2002 Ford explorer XLT and when I'm driving the 4x4 high,low , and auto lights flash and I get a grinding and thumping sound especially when I'm turning a corner, and have to straighten it out and let off the accelerator to stop the thumping. Any Ideas on how to fix it? Thank you!!!

 

[synyster]

sounds like a t-case problem....

 

[BigRondo]

Welcome to the forum!

When you say that the 4x4 high, low, and auto lights flash. What exactly do you mean.

When it is in 4x4 Auto, there are no lights.

When it's in 4x4 High, there is a light on the instrument cluster that lights up 4x4 High.

When it's in 4x4 Low, there is a light on the instrument cluster that lights up 4x4 Low, and an LED that will light up on the 4x4 Low button.

Can you be please more specific about what lights are flashing?

The "thumping & grinding" sounds like it could be a wheel bearing.

The 2 issues you are having might be unrelated. I'm just trying to get the ball rolling.

 

[bth2010]

When it is in 4x4 auto all the lights flash while im driving and then stop for a few minutes. And this happens through out the duration of driving. Only sometimes it will grind and thump and other times it will run just fine. When it does grind or thump its usually when Im turning and sometimes it jerks while im driving straight. It will happen sometimes 2 or 3 times a day and sometimes not at all. Very puzzling thanks for all you help much appreciated make it a great day you deserve it.

 

[joecrna]

Grinding, thumping and jerking especially when turning sounds like it's locked in 4wd and the drivline is binding.

 

[BigRondo]

4x4 light flashing indicates an issue with the 4x4 system. Can you put it into 4x4 High or 4x4 Low?

 

[bth2010]

no it wont engage in high or low

 

[imp]

no it wont engage in high or low

Electronic clutch in t-case (hate that name for the clutch!) might be seized/bound-up, causing 4WD "wind-up" on pavement.

QUIT DRIVING it; if this is the case you will proly overstress the driveline.

Yank off the front driveshaft, take a ride, and see if the noise is lessened or gone. imp

 

[fofopirata]

i have a problem with 4x4 not engaging on my Exp 2002 xls

First the lights on the front dashboard (at left of the car stereo) do not turn on when trying to switch to 4x4 lo. Also, no clicking under the car when pushing any of the three buttons. When I start my car, the 4x4lo turns on in the dashboard for a couple of seconds and then goes away. I read several threads and I went to buy a working 4x4CM in a yunkyard. I looked in the internet and the part# that I got was from the new models that Ford made due to the issue with the original control modules. Now that I have installed the "new" CM, when I start my car the 4x4Hi also turns on in the dashboard (which is something new) for a couple of seconds too but it keeps blinking about 10 times and then goes away, then it starts to blink again 10 times after a couple of minutes, even while I'm driving, but nothing change in the car. The 4x4 is still not engaging and I also don't listen any clicks when pushing the 4x4lo, 4x4hi buttons.

I read another threads in this forum about not having a good grounding wire close to the T-case but I went under the car this morning and I didn't see any wires close to the T-case so I couldn't see if that was the problem.

This is what I have tried so far:

- Resetting the battery, taking the POS cable out for about 30 minutes.

- Checked all the fuses, inside the car and under the hood, all good there.

- Changing the CM, NOTE: I didn't bought a new one, but the part# for the one that I bought matched list from Ford. Is there any way to confirm that CM works fine? Also, If the new CM wouldn't work, why would it be doing something different now (4x4hi blinking)?

What else can I do before taking it to the shop and spend too much money. I would like to fix the 4x4 within the next 2 weeks since I'm planning to go and watch the SCORE Baja 250 in San Felipe Mx.

Any comments or advices would be greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,

 

[JakeBlues]

You can disable the 4x4 by pulling the two B+ 4x4 fuses from the fuse block under the hood.... If I remember right they are #17 & #18. Both are 20A.

 

[Asmegin]

I have a 2002 Ford explorer XLT and when I'm driving the 4x4 high,low , and auto lights flash and I get a grinding and thumping sound especially when I'm turning a corner, and have to straighten it out and let off the accelerator to stop the thumping. Any Ideas on how to fix it? Thank you!!!

Flashing lights - Bad 4x4 Control Module. Easy to replace yourself as it's just behind the glove box.

Binding/Thumping - Bad rear differential. Change the fluid with the proper 75W140 with 8oz of friction modifier. It should fix it. Also easy to do yourself.

 

[fofopirata]

I have kept looking into my t-case issue and it looks like I have an older model of the t-case, I found some pictures in the internet for the bw4405 and it looks identical to mine, so I'm not sure if I have the original t-case on my X... does someone know if this is possible?

Since the t-case doesn't have the electrical shift motor, I went to buy one in Amazon but unfortunately the connector of the shift motor was rounded and my connector that comes from somewhere above the t-case is square form, so I had to return the shift motor.

At this moment, I'm trying to find a bw1354 which is the model that I should have and hopefully that will fix my problem...

An interesting note is that since I don't have the shift motor, I do have access to the knob that manages the 4H-N-4L gears on the t-case so I moved that knob to see what happens, I moved the knob to 4L with the engine on and on Neutral gear and it worked, I put a big rock behind my wheels and I was able to pass over it without any problems, when I returned the knob to 4H, I couldn't pass the rock. My question is that since I only have 4H-N-4L on the t-case, am I always on 4hi? I tried to leave the knob on N but when I tried to change the gear to Parking, I heard a very bad noice so I had to leave the knob in 4hi or 4lo in order to be able to park and turn off the car. If I leave the t-case in N and then I try to put the D gear, the car was not moving even when I pressed the accelerator so I had to leave the t-case knob on 4hi.

Any help on this would be really appreciate it.

Thanks,