4x4 Engaging Issue. Please Help...I'm starting to lose sleep over this!!!

Stringer · #1 06-05-2011, 08:47 PM

My '02 XLT 4x4 Off Road will sometimes engage in 4x4 and sometimes it wont. What I mean by this is when I turn the switch in to 4x4 High or Low, it will click and the light on the dash will show up and it WILL be in 4x4 and sometimes when I turn the switch in to 4x4 High or Low, it will NOT click and the light will not show up and it DOES NOT go in to 4wd. I replaced the 4x4 Control Module (the box the "clicks" when the truck engages) a couple months ago and it work perfectly fine for about 3 months and this started up again. Ive been getting so frustrated with it because I just can't pin point what the issue is. I've gone to 4 Ford Dealerships to try to get a mechanic to give me an idea and they all said it could be anything, the only way to find it is to run a diagnostics test on it for $68.....I really don't want to do this if anyone has had this problem before and found the problem. Please help a college kid out, it would be greatly apprieciated!

RangerDanger2110 · #2 08-16-2011, 02:10 PM

I am having the same problem with my 99 Ranger, it has all the same problems with original parts what might cause this?

Sloan · #3 08-22-2011, 08:35 AM

while we are on the subject of vehicles not shifting into 4x4, i figure I will throw in my issue, when I go to put my vehicle in 4hi or lo it makes a clicking sound but no lights come up and it does not engauge the front wheels on my 2003 edge,

any ideas?

Stringer · #4 09-06-2011, 04:04 PM

I talked to a mechanic and we tore my whole 4x4 system apart and it came back to be electrical. We think the 4x4 Control Module has a bad ground and fried the Module.

rangermudder · #5 11-09-2011, 07:23 AM

In a ways I'm having the same problem, but my 4wd don't work at all, I no I've gotta get a transfer case wire harness, but my dash lights don't show up, an the 4wd doesn't engage at all.
I've gotta 94 ranger 4.0

surfkovo · #6 11-10-2011, 02:20 PM

When I was researching my own 4x4 problems, I found the motor has a "stop" in it that can get damaged. It's basically a post that stops the motor at the right spot (4 hi or 4 low). It has a plastic sleeve on it that can flatten over time or even crack. If that happens, it sometimes won't engage because it's not stopping at the right spot.

I'm doing a bad job explaining this, but I found info on it via google with pics. You may want to check that possibility.

For those with 98- mid 2000, you have vacuum hubs which can be the issue also.

RangerDanger2110 · #7 11-10-2011, 03:44 PM

Thanks for the advice ill look that up and give it a try.

surfkovo · #8 11-10-2011, 10:12 PM

YW. Wish I coul dfind the info on th eshift motor again, but I cant find it.

The info on making th eauto hubs manual, and the one on making them permanently engaged are here:

http://www.ford-trucks.com/article/i...cuum_Hubs.html

http://www.therangerstation.com/Maga...04/offroad.htm

Riddla · #9 11-16-2011, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sloan

while we are on the subject of vehicles not shifting into 4x4, i figure I will throw in my issue, when I go to put my vehicle in 4hi or lo it makes a clicking sound but no lights come up and it does not engauge the front wheels on my 2003 edge,

any ideas?

I have the same problem, and it was working fine before.