I have a 1998 Ranger XLT 4.0 4WD with 160K on the odo that I picked up cheap a few months ago. i've gone through and done all the basic service items I can think of. Until the other day it;s been running great. We had some snow so I decided to try out 4WD High. Per the owners manual I shifted from 2wd to 4wd drive while moving forward at less than 45mph while the wheels had traction. The truck went into 4wd high without a problem.

The issue is that now when I turn the switch back to the 2wd the I hear a clicking sound (like a turn signal blinking) and then both the '4WD High" and "4WD Low" light begin to blink. The lights then continue to flash every few minutes if I keep the switch on 2wd. If I flip it back to the 4WD high, the 4wd high light will sometimes come on 4wd drive lights will stop flashing; sometiems this has no effect. I always shift between 2wd and 4wd just like the owners manual says to.

Do I have a serious problem? How do I fix this?

did you turn it to 2wd when stopped? Sometimes you have to come to a complete stop to disengage the 4wd or even back up a little. I had a blazer that did the same thing and I had to back up everytime to disengage the 4wd and get the light to stop blinking

i tried shifting from a complete stop and backing up. Lights are still blinking and I'm pretty sure it's stuck in 4WD High. What's next?

Another one I am stumped on,,,,,,ANYONE?????

The 4x4 switch could be bad, I know when I was modding & testing my bezel mods, I left the 4x4 switch unplugged & the 4hi/4lo lights blinked in the cluster (I think there's a code to the blinking sequence too).

You might pull the bezel out & check the switch connectors for corrosion & spray some contact cleaner or wd-40 inside the switch, then twist the switch several times to loosen any gunk inside.

__________________

Took it to Car-X for diagnosis. The tech was able to pull 3 trouble codes; but said he still wasn't sure what the problem was. The truck is stuck in 2WD; not 4HI like i originally thought. THe shift switch has no effect on changing drive modes and the 4WD indicator lights are still blinking. A little googling yielded the meanings of the tree trouble codes:

P1832 - Transfer Case 4-Wheel Drive Solenoid Circuit Open or Short To Ground

P1838 - No Shift Motor Movement Detected

P1878 - Transmission Transfer Case Disengaged Solenoid Circuit Failure

I thinking it's got to the transfer case motor. A new motor is $100 -$130 and cannot be returned to most parts stores. Kind of an expensive gamble to buy one and swap it. Not sure what I should do. Anyone have an ideas?

I would check with a auto salvage yard you can usually find most parts with a warranty period between 30 days up to 6 months

It could also be your GEM module, my 4wd wasnt working and the 4wd lights were flashing which is kinda like a check engine light for your 4wd, anywhoo my GEM module was the problem.

__________________
2000 XLT 4x4 EXT. CAB 4.0/Auto Trans/3.73 gears/
31x10.50 BFG Rugged Terrains on MB Motoring Wheels/Pioneer Head Unit/JBL 12"/Camo Interior/'03 black and grey 60/40 seats/ green LED's Under Dash/T-Bar Crank/Windows-20% on the front, 5% on the back/Mustang Dome Light/06 Tails/

The problem was that electronic shift motor. I replaced all the electronic garbage with a manual conversion kit from KC Fabrications. Even after the fix the lights still blinked because the GEM couldn't find the transfer case shift motor. I went for the easy fix on that one; I pulled the cluster and took out the bulbs in the 4wd lights. Everything works now and I always know if the transfer case is shifting properly.

__________________
1998 Ranger 4.0L XLT 4x4 Stepside

Mods:
KC Fabrications Manual T-Case Conversion, Mustang Rear Disc Brakes, Rancho RS5000 Shocks, '01 Edge Grille & Headlights, '00 Red & Clear Tail Lights, 265/75/16 Mastercraft AXTs, Dynomax Exhaust, DUI Screamin' Demon Coil & Live Wires.

I have a 1997 Ford Ranger the 2WD and 4WD lights are flashing. They started flashing yesterday, 6 times every 2 min. I know that this is some kind of code but can't find anyone who knows what the code means. I called the ford dealership. The Ford Manual indicates that if the light blinks you should take it to a dealership. The only thing I got out of them was to bring it in and they (for a charge) could attached it to thier engine diagnosis computer. I was wondering if anyone out there knows what the code means? I am seeking a inexpensive solution, that I can do myself.