• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

4WD not working, please help me to get this fixed


1930

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
65
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Brandon/Ocala Florida
Vehicle Year
1998
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Automatic
Now all of a sudden things are working I turn the knob from 2 wheel drive to 4 x 4 high I hear the relay the light comes on the dash that says 4 x 4 high and the motor underneath that I have zip tide turns so now all of a sudden things are working as they should be I don't understand any of this
 


RonD

Official TRS AI
TRS Technical Advisor
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
25,291
Reaction score
8,296
Points
113
Location
canada
Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Manual
So does the truck have to be moving running and driving for anything to happen because up until now I didn't think anything was happening but I'm driving along now and I switched it from 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive high and I heard the relays click in the 4 wheel drive light Dash came on
No, truck does not have to be moving or even have engine running, but with engine running the electrical system has 14volts, engine off 12volts, and that could matter to an older shift motor.
But shouldn't matter to GEM or 4x4 relay module

Check shift motor connector carefully for signs of corrosion on the wires, corrosion lowers voltage

So on speculation I would change shift motor assembly or rebuild it.
Its a 22 year old "moving part" so they can wear out.
But it is just speculation at this point
 
Last edited:

Denisefwd93

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 20, 2015
Messages
2,261
Reaction score
74
Points
48
Location
South East PA
Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
stock, may get leveling springs in front "somday"
Tire Size
235
Motor was stuck, when it was cold out the motor on my other truck would not work finally it quit altogether " use it often" is the best advice. None of us follow
 

1930

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
65
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Brandon/Ocala Florida
Vehicle Year
1998
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Automatic
Yep, all of a sudden the lights stop blinking on the dash and the 4wd light comes on when I turn it to 4wd. And I hear the relay click and I see the motor underneath spin
 

1930

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
65
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Brandon/Ocala Florida
Vehicle Year
1998
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Automatic
I just pulled off to the side of the road and I bolted the motor back onto the transfer case and now for some reason the first time I've ever seen it I'm in 4-wheel drive high no issues at all I turn the knob I could hear the relay click the light came on the dash for 4 Wheel Drive High there's no doubt you can tell the difference when a car is in 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive so I don't know what to say I'd like to try it in 4 wheel drive low but I'm still not familiar with the procedure on how to do that I think you have to be in neutral and then shifted to low I'm not positive I may give it a try
 

1930

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
65
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Brandon/Ocala Florida
Vehicle Year
1998
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Automatic
I just put the truck in neutral put my foot on the brake shift into 4 Low I heard the relay click the light came on the dash and it's definitely in for low right now I'm driving in 4 and 4 Low
 

1930

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
65
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Brandon/Ocala Florida
Vehicle Year
1998
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Automatic
I don't know why but everything is working perfectly now I've never seen 4 wheel drive work in this truck in the few weeks that I've had it and I've tried it many times

Just out of curiosity what would happen if I shifted it it from Park directly to four low? Willthat damage something I don't understand why I have to be in neutral with my foot on the brake
 

1930

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
65
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Brandon/Ocala Florida
Vehicle Year
1998
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Automatic
also I'm curious why is it so hard to turn the steering wheel you can't turn it all the way it becomes so difficult to turn why is that in 4 Low
 

RonD

Official TRS AI
TRS Technical Advisor
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
25,291
Reaction score
8,296
Points
113
Location
canada
Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Manual
Its most likely that, as Denise said, the shift motor was stuck, usually the brushes for the motor get stuck so no electrical contact with rotor.

And moving it around, plus vibration unstuck it, but it is temporary, needs to be rebuilt or replaced, do not "count on it"

4low with an automatic transmission requires speedometer to be at 0MPH, foot on the brake and transmission in Park or Neutral
With Manual trans Clutch pedal must be down all the way, thats the same as Park or Neutral in an automatic.

Yes, the "steering wheels"(front wheels) are now powered so want to go straight not turn side to side.
You will also feel it lope as you turn because wheels are turning at a different speeds so differential is transferring power back and forth
You feel this more in 4low than 4high but the effect still there in 4high

This is why it is recommended you only use 4WD on loose surfaces, it allows the tires to slip a bit so you don't feel the effect as much as on high friction surfaces, i.e. dry paved roads
Low friction surfaces are snow, ice, gravel, dirt, mud, stream beds, ect......... :)
 
Last edited:

Denisefwd93

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 20, 2015
Messages
2,261
Reaction score
74
Points
48
Location
South East PA
Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
stock, may get leveling springs in front "somday"
Tire Size
235
Well I think I learned one thing, you can test the motor with it plugged in but not mounted to the transfer case?
It kind of makes me want to pick up a new motor and test it that way. But it's still not on the list of things to do just yet as I've a spring mount breaking loose, that kind of takes preference over 4wd

Yes if you've never had four wheel drive before it feels weird when your steering in 4 Low you can't make tight turns either, or you shouldn't. if when you're turning it feels real real bad you may have a bad u-joint in one of the front axles also from non use
 

1930

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
65
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Brandon/Ocala Florida
Vehicle Year
1998
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Automatic
Its most likely that, as Denise said, the shift motor was stuck, usually the brushes for the motor get stuck so no electrical contact with rotor.

And moving it around, plus vibration unstuck it, but it is temporary, needs to be rebuilt or replaced, do not "count on it"

4low with an automatic transmission requires speedometer to be at 0MPH, foot on the brake and transmission in Park or Neutral
With Manual trans Clutch pedal must be down all the way, thats the same as Park or Neutral in an automatic.

Yes, the "steering wheels"(front wheels) are now powered so want to go straight not turn side to side.
You will also feel it lope as you turn because wheels are turning at a different speeds so differential is transferring power back and forth
You feel this more in 4low than 4high but the effect still there in 4high

This is why it is recommended you only use 4WD on loose surfaces, it allows the tires to slip a bit so you don't feel the effect as much as on high friction surfaces, i.e. dry paved roads
Low friction surfaces are snow, ice, gravel, dirt, mud, stream beds, ect......... :)
Ok just to confirm than, I can go from park to 4 low? Someone else said it has to be neutral to 4 low but I guess it sounds like I misunderstood.

I plan to use the 4wd quite a bit, Im clearing land for my retirement home and its sandy, real sandy.

Maybe by me using it the motor or whatever will stay working, Im just glad that at this point it is working and if it were to stop working I think that will make it easier to assume some things.

Thank-you again for your time.
 

RonD

Official TRS AI
TRS Technical Advisor
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
25,291
Reaction score
8,296
Points
113
Location
canada
Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Manual
Transfer case is not part of the transmission, its added on to a transmission, auto or manual.

Inside the transfer case is a direct drive with an added Reduction gear(4low), its connected to the rear drive shaft connection full time
Also inside is a Chain drive from the direct drive shaft to the front drive shaft connection

In 2WD the chain drive gear on the direct drive shaft is disconnected
When you select 4high the shift rod turns and moves the chain drive gear into contact with the direct drive's matching gear, and there is an electric clutch for this meshing of gears so you can shift into 4high while moving, so smooth shift.
On older 4WDs you had to stop to shift into 4WD from 2WD, or gears would grind

4low has no electric clutch and it would be hard to apply something like that or a "synchromesh" style gear.

So complete stop is required
The being in Park or Neutral is a Safety feature, as is foot on the brake, there is nothing mechanically bad happening if you shift into 4low "in gear" as long as you are stopped.
But Ford added these Safety measures to protect people from themselves, lol, which basically what ALL safety measures are for, because as a group we are "dumber than a bag of hammers" :)



Just FYI
AWD(all wheel drive) is different than 4WD, which is why "they" don't call it 4WD, lol

AWD uses a transfer case, but it uses a type of fluid coupling instead of a chain or direct drive.
This allows the two drive shafts to spin at different speeds as needed, but there is a price for this, power split on AWD is 30/70, 30% to front wheels 70% to rear wheels.

4WD is 50/50 split and direct so no slipping inside transfer case, but thats also why turning in 4WD seems different on 4WD vehicles and not on AWD or FWD(front wheel drives), and also why you should not drive in 4WD on dry pavement, puts stress on the chain drive inside transfer case
 
Last edited:

1930

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
65
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Brandon/Ocala Florida
Vehicle Year
1998
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Automatic
My light started flashing on the dashboard again this morning four-wheel drive does nothing when I shifted into 4-wheel drive high. Can you tell me if that is absolutely the motor that has gone bad or do I need to do more tests to figure out what might be going on.

I have to decide if I want to try to fix this motor or get a new one.

The link that you gave wasn't perfectly clear to me how to rebuild the motor so I don't know how easy it is or how hard it is and quite frankly it amazes me that I have to do anything to the motor and because I doubt it's hardly ever been used
 
Last edited:

RonD

Official TRS AI
TRS Technical Advisor
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
25,291
Reaction score
8,296
Points
113
Location
canada
Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Manual
My light started flashing on the dashboard again this morning four-wheel drive does nothing when I shifted into 4-wheel drive high. Can you tell me if that is absolutely the motor that has gone bad or do I need to do more tests to figure out what might be going on.

I have to decide if I want to try to fix this motor or get a new one.

The link that you gave wasn't perfectly clear to me how to rebuild the motor so I don't know how easy it is or how hard it is and quite frankly it amazes me that I have to do anything to the motor and because I doubt it's hardly ever been used
The reason these shift motors stop working is BECAUSE they are hardly ever used.
You should activate them once a month to keep internal parts clean and ready to use when you need 4WD

There is never an "absolute" in any vehicle problem, even a flat tire.
Fix the hole in the tire and add air, oh wait, its flat again, needs a new valve stem, oh wait its beads not seating, get a new tire, oh wait rim has a hole.
Just a flat tire................lol.

My GUESS is that the shift motor is the only problem, fix or replace it and then see what happens

Google: ford ranger 4x4 shift motor rebuild

For more info on that process
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Staff online

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Truck of The Month


Kirby N.
March Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Top