I agree with you guys about the manual t-case but they are hard to find. I used to be dead set against the ES but they are so much more popular. Also, I use 4x4 a lot and I have never had an ES fail. However I have had a manual shifter fail. The linkage got bent while I was off road and it wouldn't come out of 4lo. I drove it home in 4lo and straightened the linkage out.

 

that is exactly what you should try first. the e-motors aren't sealed very well and moisture will cause corrosion to bind the motor windings and it'll stop working.

the hammer will knock some of the corrosion off temporarily. I've had early 92-96 Fords (F-150, Bronco, Exploror, Superduties) do this for years.

the best way to prevent this from happening is to put the truck in 4x4 about 1 time a month and drive for about 5 minutes offroad. it also helps keep the t-case well lubricated

 

I just registered for this site and I'm having a similar problem. Everything I've checked says to remove the vacuum lines from the hubs to drain any water that may have gotten in there. My 4 wheel drive was working fine and then just quit, when I needed it!!!

A little embarassing when you've got a 4X4 that has to be pushed up your driveway by a Chevy driver .... I'll never hear the end of that.

I don't get the 4H or 4L lights on the dash but they come on when I start the truck. I've checked all the associated fuses and they are good.

The motor you all are referring to is the wiper motor mounted to the transfer case, right?

The day before mine went out, there was a strange whistling noise from the front end. I didn't think anything of it until the 4X4 stopped working.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

 

That is precisely how mine behaved when it failed. My shift motor had failed. Sometimes you can get it to work again for a while by tapping it with a hammer or rubber mallet. I had the same trouble with my 91 Explorer that had the ESOF 4x4. That same type of shift motor has been used for many years and it is a poor design. They are well known for failing without any warning until you need to use it and it doesn't work.

 

Hi,

I pounded on the motor and now it works!!!!

I'll wait until it warms up here and take it apart to see what is the problem.

My '79 Bronco was manual, '91 & '95 Explorer's, '99 F150, and this '05 F150 were ESOF; this is the first one I've ever had trouble with.

It is also the only one I've ever driven 383 miles in 4H; we had a snow storm from Illinois to the UP of Michigan around New Years. Leaving the UP, on the 2nd, I had trouble getting it out of 4H to 2H. It worked fine until last past Friday.

Go figure. I'll let you know what I find inside the motor. Maybe there is an O ring fix we can do or use silicon on the end plates of the motor.

Thanks again for the help.

 

Does anyone know if the shifter motor fails, can you just loose 4 low,i have a 05 fx4 that won't go into 4 low and into 4 high takes about 5 seconds to engage.

 

When you try 4L are you in neutral? There are times it takes a little longer to engage. The best way to check is to have someone move the switch and be under the truck to listen for the shifting of the motor. You should be able to tell if it is binding or not when it shifts. Make sure the truck isn't running, don't want you to get run over!!!

I learned about the binding motor from tylus and kd4crs.

 

your truck WILL NOT GO INTO 4X4 UNLESS IN NUETRAL AND AT A STOP (<3 MPH)