4x4 control module (4x4 flash problem)
#61
01-09-2010, 08:04 AM
Replaced the 4x4 cm last night. The easiest thing to do was to remove the black screw that held on the bracket. Once I removed that (there was only 1 easily accessible screw holding the bracket on) the module was easily removed from the bracket.
A question: Since the current school of thought is that an electrical surge - most likely from a battery replacement or detachment/reattachment - caused the old module to break, then should I unplug the new module whenever the battery is disconnected? Or are the new modules not supposed to succumb to the same problem?
A question: Since the current school of thought is that an electrical surge - most likely from a battery replacement or detachment/reattachment - caused the old module to break, then should I unplug the new module whenever the battery is disconnected? Or are the new modules not supposed to succumb to the same problem?
#62
01-10-2010, 01:02 PM
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My wifes 02 XLT 4.6 Explorer, 4X4 was engaging. I found this thread and started reading. Lots of information here, I just had to sort out what was happening to me.
At first, there were no lights working at all, 4X4 HIGH, LOW, AUTO. Checked the fuses. All fuses were good. So, I thought it's either the 4X4CM or a ground on the shift motor. It's 23 degrees out side and the garage is full. While removing the CM to bring it inside, it started ticking. No.... not like that. I then had a epiphany, if it started to tick it must be working. Tried the key, the lights are know coming on telling me that there is a problem with the CM. 4X4 HIGH on the instrument panel blinks and the 4X4 LOW button will flash when pressed. Removed the CM and brought it in the house, yep, nothing inside but a circuit board. Wrote down the part number and reinstalled it.
NOW IT WORKS. Poor terminal connections for me, all fixed. Everyone, check your terminals before replacement.
At first, there were no lights working at all, 4X4 HIGH, LOW, AUTO. Checked the fuses. All fuses were good. So, I thought it's either the 4X4CM or a ground on the shift motor. It's 23 degrees out side and the garage is full. While removing the CM to bring it inside, it started ticking. No.... not like that. I then had a epiphany, if it started to tick it must be working. Tried the key, the lights are know coming on telling me that there is a problem with the CM. 4X4 HIGH on the instrument panel blinks and the 4X4 LOW button will flash when pressed. Removed the CM and brought it in the house, yep, nothing inside but a circuit board. Wrote down the part number and reinstalled it.
NOW IT WORKS. Poor terminal connections for me, all fixed. Everyone, check your terminals before replacement.
#63
01-15-2010, 11:55 AM
2004 Explorer - WORKING, but still flashing
Our problem is a little different. We just bought our 2004 Explorer XLT. As far as we can tell, everything is working properly in the 4X4 system, but the 4X4 High light still flashes 8 times every 2 minutes or so.
The ABS light is off and we can shift from Auto to High to Low with no problems. So not sure what is going on. Anybody have any insights?
The ABS light is off and we can shift from Auto to High to Low with no problems. So not sure what is going on. Anybody have any insights?
#64
01-15-2010, 08:53 PM
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x2! Did my CM today. About 10 minutes total start to finish. The part that took the longest was figuring out the right size for the nut driver... something like 9/32 that was mentioned earlier.
Ordered from Silver State Ford Parts (Formerly DIRECTFORDPARTS.COM)Genuine Ford Truck Parts Lincoln Mercury Parts OEM Ford Parts and Accessories with my vin #.... $165 +shipping. they were very easy to deal with and quick to respond and ship. Highly recomended.
4x4 now works like a champ! been 2+ years since it last worked
#65
01-19-2010, 10:10 AM
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#66
02-11-2010, 09:56 AM
4x4 control module
Thanks Clauderanger. Great info. I have a 2001 Explorer Sport Trac and the 4WD would not work. I assumed it was the Transfer Case Shift Motor and was on my way to get one, but was caught in the east cost storms, that has shut everything down, and decided to play with it some more.
It's symptoms were just as you discribed. The 4WD light would not come on after I started it. Hadn't noticed it before. Plus my battery just recently died and that was posted somewhere as leading to 4WD control Module problems.
Had checked the fuses before, but following your post, check them again. Also switched out a similar relay controlling PCM and checked the diode. Everything OK. Narrowing it down as the problem being the Control module, not the shift motor.
But getting down to look at the control module, I saw the it was a highly
sophisticated piece of electronic equipment, from Motorola.
Quick joke. 3 guys in a car, and engineer, a mechanic and an IT guy. Car breaks down. Engineer gets under the hood, tinkers, no go. Mechanic, tinkers, no go. IT guy tells everyone to turn off the car, walk around it 3 times and when they get in it starts right up
Point is, what do you do when you computer locks up and doesn't work. You turn it off, wait and turn it back on.
So I unplugged the 2 connectors to the control module, waited about 2 minutes, plugged it back in and it worked!!!!!
Didn't cost a penny!!!!
Hope this helps someone.
It's symptoms were just as you discribed. The 4WD light would not come on after I started it. Hadn't noticed it before. Plus my battery just recently died and that was posted somewhere as leading to 4WD control Module problems.
Had checked the fuses before, but following your post, check them again. Also switched out a similar relay controlling PCM and checked the diode. Everything OK. Narrowing it down as the problem being the Control module, not the shift motor.
But getting down to look at the control module, I saw the it was a highly
sophisticated piece of electronic equipment, from Motorola.
Quick joke. 3 guys in a car, and engineer, a mechanic and an IT guy. Car breaks down. Engineer gets under the hood, tinkers, no go. Mechanic, tinkers, no go. IT guy tells everyone to turn off the car, walk around it 3 times and when they get in it starts right up
Point is, what do you do when you computer locks up and doesn't work. You turn it off, wait and turn it back on.
So I unplugged the 2 connectors to the control module, waited about 2 minutes, plugged it back in and it worked!!!!!
Didn't cost a penny!!!!
Hope this helps someone.
#67
02-11-2010, 12:52 PM
#68
02-11-2010, 01:31 PM
Thanks Clauderanger. Great info. I have a 2001 Explorer Sport Trac and the 4WD would not work. I assumed it was the Transfer Case Shift Motor and was on my way to get one, but was caught in the east cost storms, that has shut everything down, and decided to play with it some more.
It's symptoms were just as you discribed. The 4WD light would not come on after I started it. Hadn't noticed it before. Plus my battery just recently died and that was posted somewhere as leading to 4WD control Module problems.
Had checked the fuses before, but following your post, check them again. Also switched out a similar relay controlling PCM and checked the diode. Everything OK. Narrowing it down as the problem being the Control module, not the shift motor.
But getting down to look at the control module, I saw the it was a highly
sophisticated piece of electronic equipment, from Motorola.
Quick joke. 3 guys in a car, and engineer, a mechanic and an IT guy. Car breaks down. Engineer gets under the hood, tinkers, no go. Mechanic, tinkers, no go. IT guy tells everyone to turn off the car, walk around it 3 times and when they get in it starts right up
Point is, what do you do when you computer locks up and doesn't work. You turn it off, wait and turn it back on.
So I unplugged the 2 connectors to the control module, waited about 2 minutes, plugged it back in and it worked!!!!!
Didn't cost a penny!!!!
Hope this helps someone.
It's symptoms were just as you discribed. The 4WD light would not come on after I started it. Hadn't noticed it before. Plus my battery just recently died and that was posted somewhere as leading to 4WD control Module problems.
Had checked the fuses before, but following your post, check them again. Also switched out a similar relay controlling PCM and checked the diode. Everything OK. Narrowing it down as the problem being the Control module, not the shift motor.
But getting down to look at the control module, I saw the it was a highly
sophisticated piece of electronic equipment, from Motorola.
Quick joke. 3 guys in a car, and engineer, a mechanic and an IT guy. Car breaks down. Engineer gets under the hood, tinkers, no go. Mechanic, tinkers, no go. IT guy tells everyone to turn off the car, walk around it 3 times and when they get in it starts right up
Point is, what do you do when you computer locks up and doesn't work. You turn it off, wait and turn it back on.
So I unplugged the 2 connectors to the control module, waited about 2 minutes, plugged it back in and it worked!!!!!
Didn't cost a penny!!!!
Hope this helps someone.
omg I just tried it after being a year without it. thank you so much
#70
01-02-2011, 07:50 AM
explorer problems
hi we have a 01 sport trac only problems we had was its on its second set of front hub bearings at 130,000 milesbut now the 4x4 dont work i havent found the problem yet if i pull the fues out and put it back in it will work fine till it sits over night then i have to start over again
#71
11-17-2011, 08:46 AM
#72
01-27-2012, 12:42 PM
On the 2003 etc, Explorer 4X4CM replacement. .
First disconnect the battery (at least the ground terminal).
Then you must remove the glove box. To do this open the box and squeeze (hard)the two sides of the box inward and pull forward. It will pivot out and down. Then remove the three screws that hold the box in place (if you need to).
It takes only one screw to remove the control module with its bracket. There is a single screw that holds the bracket and the attatched module in place. The screw is vertical (pointing up) in the front end of the bracket, (nearest to you). Remove this screw and slide the bracket forward and out. Unplug the two connectors by depressing the tabs in the front center of each plug (press hard) then unscrew (2 screws) the unit from the bracket.
To install just reverse the process.
Buy your replacement module someplace other than the dealer.
Saves lots of $. I paid 160.00 for mine on the web.
Also there seems to be some issue affecting the battery. Mine needed to be recharged after changing the module.
First disconnect the battery (at least the ground terminal).
Then you must remove the glove box. To do this open the box and squeeze (hard)the two sides of the box inward and pull forward. It will pivot out and down. Then remove the three screws that hold the box in place (if you need to).
It takes only one screw to remove the control module with its bracket. There is a single screw that holds the bracket and the attatched module in place. The screw is vertical (pointing up) in the front end of the bracket, (nearest to you). Remove this screw and slide the bracket forward and out. Unplug the two connectors by depressing the tabs in the front center of each plug (press hard) then unscrew (2 screws) the unit from the bracket.
To install just reverse the process.
Buy your replacement module someplace other than the dealer.
Saves lots of $. I paid 160.00 for mine on the web.
Also there seems to be some issue affecting the battery. Mine needed to be recharged after changing the module.
#73
10-22-2012, 09:43 PM
2002 Explorer XLT 4x4, 150000 +/- miles, over weekend noticed feels like stuck in 4WD low, going straight, feels fine, turn rt or lt bucking, thunky-noisy. No indicator lights on dash blinking to indicate anything other than 4wd auto. Looked underside, cv's, shafts, u-oints etc all look intact. Any ideas? Seems electrical to me
#74
12-03-2012, 07:57 AM
I have a 2001 sport trac with 117,000 miles. on start up both 4x4 hi & low lights check out. When i engage 4x4h some times the light will flash once and go out but 4x4 is engaged but other times the light will come on and stay on and works fine. I can hear everything clicking and moving, the 4x4L does not seem to have any problems. When the 4x4H light does not work I will switch it to 4L and then back to 4H and the light will stay on.
From all that i have read it is all leading up to the cm. If anyone has any thoughts on this it would be a big help as I would like to fix this before I really need the 4x4, also is the cm behind the glove box on the 01?
Thanks
Al
From all that i have read it is all leading up to the cm. If anyone has any thoughts on this it would be a big help as I would like to fix this before I really need the 4x4, also is the cm behind the glove box on the 01?
Thanks
Al
I just replaced my 4x4 control module on my 2002 Ford Explorer. I did not think that it was the 4X4 module since the 4X4 LOW icon (on the instrument panel) ran through the normal bulb check. My understanding is that the 4X4 Control Module is responsible for executing the bulb check. I found out that the modules was bad by hooking up a DTC tool to communicate with the module and the module did not reply. After I replaced the module I noticed that there is an additional 4x4 HIGH icon on the instrument panel that turned on and off after key-on. The reason this bit of information is interesting is that if the module is bad, the 4X4 LOW icon still runs through the bulb check (even with the module missing...CRAZY) but there is no bulb check for the 4X4 HIGH icon. If you cycle the ignition and you do not see the 4X4 HIGH icon cycle through the bulb check you should suspect the 4X4 Control Module or the lamp behind the 4X4 HIGH icon. Just a note, you can get these modules cheap through your local junk yard. I bought mine for $50 (Ford charges over $300 for one) and it works perfectly. Just get the code off of the module and call you Junk Yard. The last 2 digits on the code is a sequence "number" (from what I understand) so you want to get at least the sequence # that you currently have or later. My sequence code was AG and I replaced it with and AH module and everything works great.
#75
12-03-2012, 08:59 AM
The Sport Trac module is behind the right kick panel and is subject to the contacts oxidizing. Disconnect the two plugs and reconnect them a couple of times and apply some dielectric compound to the connector contacts before you just replace it. Connections are a huge percentage of electrical issues.