Dick Berg
Active Member
- Joined
- July 28, 2005
- Messages
- 64
- Reaction score
- 17
- City, State
- San Jose, CA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1997 Explorer EB 4L SOHC
I have a 1997 Explorer, Eddie Bauer with the 6 cylinder SOHC engine with the automatic 4 wheel drive.
The symptoms are:
Both the 4wd hi and 4 wd low panel lights flash together intermittently while driving at highway speeds, no other obvious indications of going into either mode at this time.
When starting out from a parked condition, it feels like the vehicle is in other than the normal auto mode. Namely it feels like the front axle is geared down. It seems to be exaggerated when the front wheels are turned either left or right at very slow speed. Then the vehicle lurches a bit, and the operation returns to normal.
While driving along at normal speeds, everything feels fine.
After looking at the shop manual, it may be the transfer case internal clutch that is hanging up, or is being commanded to lock the front to the rear axle on the transfer case.
I have replaced the electrical motor that is mounted to the transfer case and also the GEM electrical module with no improvement noted.
As an aside, I also noted that the transfer case vibration damper that is shown in the shop manual isn't present. Is this normal?
I bought the vehicle new, so no one else has tinkered with it.
Any information that can help diagnose the probable transfer case problem would be appreciated.
Dick Berg
The symptoms are:
Both the 4wd hi and 4 wd low panel lights flash together intermittently while driving at highway speeds, no other obvious indications of going into either mode at this time.
When starting out from a parked condition, it feels like the vehicle is in other than the normal auto mode. Namely it feels like the front axle is geared down. It seems to be exaggerated when the front wheels are turned either left or right at very slow speed. Then the vehicle lurches a bit, and the operation returns to normal.
While driving along at normal speeds, everything feels fine.
After looking at the shop manual, it may be the transfer case internal clutch that is hanging up, or is being commanded to lock the front to the rear axle on the transfer case.
I have replaced the electrical motor that is mounted to the transfer case and also the GEM electrical module with no improvement noted.
As an aside, I also noted that the transfer case vibration damper that is shown in the shop manual isn't present. Is this normal?
I bought the vehicle new, so no one else has tinkered with it.
Any information that can help diagnose the probable transfer case problem would be appreciated.
Dick Berg
