trouble with 4x4

[slpjbe]

ok i will start from the start. i have a 96 4door explorer that i have owned for 10 years 4x4 worked great for a long time. then suddenly one day i seen both 4x4 and 4x4low lights on dash start blinking and sometimes seem to be going in and out of 4x4 on its own. then it would kick out of 4x4 on a hard pull (i.e. stuck in snow from a dead start). now i even have to stop to even get it in 4x4 auto (will not shift on the fly).seems to me like a sensor. everything in the front axle seems to be working fine.
any help will be greatly appreciated
thank you

 

[gijoecam]

The only way to retrieve the GEM DTC's is with a scanner capable of retrieving GEM DTC's. The ones they loan at AutoZone won't be able to do it. Any dealership (and many good independent shops) can... for a fee, of course. Without knowing exactly what code is stored, determining the cause of the failure is a guessing game at best. At any rate, it's not time for a shift motor rebuild.

Now, that being said, on your 96, the most common culprit is either the front or the rear speed sensor on the transfer case or its associated wiring. It's not a terribly difficult part to replace, but their failures are getting more and more common as these vehicles age.

-Joe

 

[slpjbe]

iwas wanting to try sensors first so i will start there and let you know the outcome. thank you for all the help

 

[gijoecam]

Don't forget to check the obvious stuff too... Fuses, loose connectors dangling underneath, etc. Sometimes it's a simple matter of a fuzzy connector. After 10+ years of dangling underneath a vehicle, it happens.

-Joe

 

[slpjbe]

auto parts store only gave listing on 2 speed seneors. 1 on the back of the transfer case which controls speedo(which seems to work fine) and one on top of the rear diff. which was cheap enough for me to try with no change. is there a sensor on the front of the transfer case or elsewhere?

 

[slpjbe]

not fixed yet


auto parts store only gave listing on 2 speed seneors. 1 on the back of the transfer case which controls speedo(which seems to work fine) and one on top of the rear diff. which was cheap enough for me to try with no change. is there a sensor on the front of the transfer case or elsewhere?