Very Weird 4WD experience

[Redlaw]

I own a 2002 Ford Ranger, Edge model 4WD with the 3.0 V6 Engine. I backed out of the driveway this am, and the wheels felt tight like when trying to make a sharp turn in 4WD but I was in 2WD mode. I proceeded to drive out to the main road. When I got on the main road, the truck was winding out in a low gear it seemed, I could not get much speed up, so I pulled over, put her thru all the gears and it worked good (I thought the tranny may have been stuck in low 1 vice drive) so I got back on the road, then I noticed my speedometer, I must have been doing 20, but the speedometer was up around 100, RPM's were normal around 2K-2.5K. I drove like 10 miles like this, flashers going on the side of the road to get to work. I finally make it to the entrance road to work, I figure I should try 4WD, so I turned the switch on the dash to 4WD High, a big bang came from the front end, then I threw her back in 2WD, and everything was back to normal.
I called the dealership service dept and told the same story, they told me to take her out and run thru every gear, forward/reverse and if a problem happens to come on in, they told me there is nothing to check if nothing happens during the test.
Nothing happened, everything worked fine.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? I am thinking somehow the gears were stuck in 4WD low, and when I turned the switch to 4WD high, something disengaged and then back to 2WD set all right again. I have no idea about the speedometer and why it was reading erroneously. Any insight will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[feellnfroggy]

sounds like a diff prob, I would have it checked, maybe bad bearings. Have you run any water or puddles or mud deeper than your vent tube on the front dif?

 

[Redlaw]

Froggy- I do not know where the vent tube is on the front diff, but I would say yes to water. I have run thru some big puddles and now that you mention it I recall the night before this happened I hit a huge one, probably about 50 ft long that I gunned it thru, water over the top of the truck!!! Love those big splashes. Never knew it would screw me up.

So I think i am going to take a fellow vet's advice and bring it in to a mechanic. I want the front differential checked for bearing wear, right?

Thanks for your service and your advice.

Jim

 

[Redlaw]

and also I love this truck, I am riding this baby till death. Best truck ever!!!!

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

It sounds like it was stuck in 4lo. Somebody could have messed with it?

My GMC Yukon did this for a while due to a bad ground which would cause stray current to flow through the transfer case shift motor during cranking. GM had a TSB for it and I cleaned the frame rail ground. Never did it again.

You have the push button 4wd switch or rotary dial?

 

[adsm08]

I very much doubt that the bearings in the diff are going to cause that. I have seen lots of differentials blow out bearings. I have never seen that.

 

[Redlaw]

Brutus- Rotary Dial on the dash, has 2WD, 4WD Hi and 4WD Low.

 

[Redlaw]

So all know, its been running fine since the loud bang took place. SInce the Bang occurred, I figured differential may be the issue. I am a novice when it comes to mechanics, I can diagnose and repair minor stuff like starters, alternators etc, but when it comes to major stuff, especially 4WD stuff, I am clueless. I used to depend on my brother who was a mechanic, but he passed away.
My main concern here is since this happened, I would rather get it fixed now vice later on when something even worse will more than likely occur. I value all of the opinions I get here. I just fired my last mechanic 6 months ago, took my kids car which was making weird sounds in the front wheel to, I paid him good money to check the wheel out, he found no problems, 2 days later while she was driving the wheel fell off!!! Thank god she did not get injured.
I think I will be talking it to the Ford dealership for evaluation. With the insight everyone here provided, I think this is a job way over my head.

Thank you all for your help, I will let you all know the outcome.

Sincerely,

Jim

 

[adsm08]

Well Jim, all I can really tell you at this point without the vehicle on hand, is that I used to work at Hoffman, and those guys know what they are doing and I'd recommend them above any of the other dealers in the Harrisburg area.

 

[pjtoledo]

my 2000 ranger did something similar 3-4 years ago.
I was in a field pulling some logs around in 4wd, probably low range.
when back in the driveway and 2wd it seemed like it was still in 4 low.
went back and forth a few times, had a loud clunk, then everything was back to normal.
I suspected the drivetrain was in a bind and couldn't shift out of 4low until I backed up a few feet.
no 4wd problems since then.


Perry

 

[naford]

I thought that the speedometer was mechanical? At least that is the reason why speed through a computer hooked to the ODII is different that the mechanical on mine. When you drove you wrote that it seemed to be in 4 wheel drive. Did you hear a noise when you made turns? At least when I have mine in 4 wheel drive if I make turns the wheels as they slip.

 

[Redlaw]

yup, when I am turning in 4WD I hear a noise when I make tight turns. It snowed heavy today, coming home from work I could not engage 4WD. Terrible ride home in 2WD, slipping all over the place. I bought the tech manuals for this truck, should be here Friday. Weekend is going to be diagnostics. Perhaps I can fix it.

 

[Redlaw]

so I did the diagnostics, C281A was bad. I fixed the circuit and no issues since. Those Ford Service Manuals are spot on. Cost me less than 3 bucks to fix.