Wont shift gears in 4wd

[scottvols]

I have 94 ranger 4.0. When I engage 4wd it will not shift out of 1st gear.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I have 94 ranger 4.0. When I engage 4wd it will not shift out of 1st gear.

Manual or auto?

 

[scottvols]

Automatic. It shifts perfect when 4wd is not engaged and it also won't go into 4wd low. It has automatic locking hubs

 

[Curious Hound]

I’m no automatic transmission guru. But this info might be useful. What happens if you manually put the shifter into 2nd gear while in 4wd?

 

[James Morse]

To go into 4LO you need to be in Neutral, stopped, and foot on brake.
You probably know that.
Have you had it long time and it used to work or new truck?

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Does a 94 have a 4wd shift module?

 

[James Morse]

4LO switch failure can cause early or delayed shifts. From what you said it seems your 4LO problem and shift problem might be one and the same thing.
Trans diagnosis is huge. They use Rotunda tool and have very specific series of tests. But there's probably nothing wrong with your trans itself, is my guess.
Looks like you have the 2 dash buttons for 4x4 and Low Range vs the dial (?), anyway not sure if that's the switch they're talking about but you might check that out.
Assume you have 5R55E.
Was it working at one point then just stopped working or was always like this since you had it?

 

[Curious Hound]

Does a 94 have a 4wd shift module?

Yes,

 

[James Morse]

You are in N with brake on and go to 4LO, no 4LO.
Digital Trans Range sensor has to indicate you are in N. And brake is depressed.
No shift to LO indicates open or shorted 4LO switch
other possible causes
4x4 harness open or shorted
damaged GEM or xfr case position switch
Damaged PCM

that's for '97 but should be same for '94
Ron would know

Edit: There's specs for checking the switch with an ohm meter to me that's the easiest quickest thing and most likely. There's tests for the other things too but they are always listing the switch as the first thing to check then go on down the line if that's good. I don't think you have the same kind of switch so my specs probably won't help you but somewhere you can get the test values for your switch and start there. I think if it's light bulb is burned out it should still operate but I'd check that and I'd check the fuse although it's probably the same fuse as for the 4LO operation and that works (well, with the trans issue, but I think that's related to the 4LO issue). Check the switch's connector is tight, wiggle it.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

You are in N with brake on and go to 4LO, no 4LO.
Digital Trans Range sensor has to indicate you are in N. And brake is depressed.
No shift to LO indicates open or shorted 4LO switch
other possible causes
4x4 harness open or shorted
damaged GEM or xfr case position switch
Damaged PCM

that's for '97 but should be same for '94
Ron would know

But would that cause the tranny not to shift while in 4?

Thats why i was curious about a shit module

 

[Josh B]

You don't need to be stopped with the brake on for anything, it will shift on the fly.
To get back in 2WD it has to reverse direction a few feet to get that

 

[James Morse]

New switch runs about $50.
But remember as the Shop Manual points out, "new" doesn't necessarily mean "good" and you can test yours just like you'd want to test a new one if you got it.
Guess I'm done... don't know if that helped but let us know how it goes.

 

[James Morse]

Josh my book says you gotta be in N, that's for my truck. If the sensor doesn't see N it won't do it.
Are you talking about his hubs? Those you have to back up. One of the things I didn't like about them. I don't think going from 4wd to 2wd you have to back up otherwise.
You can go to 4Hi "on the fly" that's one of it's features. But not 4Lo.
Unless I'm completely mixed up. I guess I could try it easily enough.

 

[James Morse]

But would that cause the tranny not to shift while in 4?

Because it's all hooked together via the electronic modules and if the 4x4 switch has a fault "the system" sees that and the diagnostics says that "early or delayed shifts" can be caused by a failed 4x4 switch and it only happens when he goes to 4x4 so it implies the switch.

Maybe it's not. But I'd start there.

 

[Curious Hound]

I don’t think there’s much from the 4x4 system that feeds back to the transmission to affect itself operation on a 94. I’m at work and can’t check my EVTM right now. Transmission will either be a 4r44e or A4LD. I forget what year they changed that. The part about being stopped and in neutral is only for 4-Lo. 4-Hi should be shift on the fly. But that’s not the issue. His issue, as stated, is that the TRANSMISSION does not want to shift properly while he is in 4wd.