4x4 problem
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 337
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From: California
4x4 problem
Coming up the mountains here in Ca last night. Snowing and slippery. Put truck in 4x4 light came in saying engaged. Driving very slowly and almost slid off road with two kids and wife in car. Then noticed that there was no front traction happening. Locked hubs manually and all was ok. I think this is a serious problem. If in auto and dash confirms 4x4 engaged then it should be. I am just very lucky to not have seriously hurt my family or someone else. Is this a recall on Fords part I truly think they need to be held accountable if so. Thanks in advance for any info.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,346
Likes: 4
From: Connecticut
Do they work now or still doing it?No recall I can find.Might be a problem with the vacuum lines to the hubs.This was a common problem on older 7.3s.But that was because the lines would start to degrade and get holes in them when trucks got older..The light may just be a dummy light meaning the 4x 4 switch was turned on but may not mean they are actually engaged.I changed mine over to warn manuals when I had my 7.3 .But the auto feature is nice since you dont need to get out of truck to engage them.As far as being a saftey issue though im not sure you have much of a case.Roads are slick and you need to drive accordingly.When I put in 4x4 i usually do it at a complete stop,I hear the clunk and can be fairly confident the hubs engaged.
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 25,479
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From: Isanti, MN
Coming up the mountains here in Ca last night. Snowing and slippery. Put truck in 4x4 light came in saying engaged. Driving very slowly and almost slid off road with two kids and wife in car. Then noticed that there was no front traction happening. Locked hubs manually and all was ok. I think this is a serious problem. If in auto and dash confirms 4x4 engaged then it should be. I am just very lucky to not have seriously hurt my family or someone else. Is this a recall on Fords part I truly think they need to be held accountable if so. Thanks in advance for any info.
Sounds like you have an issue with either the vacuum lines to the hubs or the solenoid that operates them. In the meantime I'd suggest leaving your hubs locked manually if you feel this is that much of a safety issue.
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Frederick, MD
In cold weather sometimes they won't engage. It is best to just manually lock them in. Then if you need them just hit the switch.
When the weather is warmer or you are coming back down into the warmer weather turn them back to auto.
When the weather is warmer or you are coming back down into the warmer weather turn them back to auto.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,616
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From: Whitecourt AB, Canada
I lock them in all winter season when I need 4x4 to engage quickly and this also eliminates the loud bang when you are engaging 4x4 while in motion (the sound of the front end going from stationary to traveling speed).
Sometimes appropriate use of shift-on-the-fly 4x4 can be beneficial, for example if the vehicle is fishtailing on a highway that is glare ice, engaging 4x4 and very light acceleration will often straighten the vehicle out before the rear end passes you
Sometimes appropriate use of shift-on-the-fly 4x4 can be beneficial, for example if the vehicle is fishtailing on a highway that is glare ice, engaging 4x4 and very light acceleration will often straighten the vehicle out before the rear end passes you
Senior User
Joined: May 2012
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4x4
Coming up the mountains here in Ca last night. Snowing and slippery. Put truck in 4x4 light came in saying engaged. Driving very slowly and almost slid off road with two kids and wife in car. Then noticed that there was no front traction happening. Locked hubs manually and all was ok. I think this is a serious problem. If in auto and dash confirms 4x4 engaged then it should be. I am just very lucky to not have seriously hurt my family or someone else. Is this a recall on Fords part I truly think they need to be held accountable if so. Thanks in advance for any info.
It is the auto hub feature that runs on a vacuum system. IF the system is damaged or leaking it won't engage 4x4 but the electronics say it is. Or in cold weather I had the same problem thinking I was in 4x4 yet when stuck I noticed the front wheels were not engage. Turn the hubs to locked and by-pass the vacuum system will give you 100% confidence you are in 4x4. Don't leave the hubs in locked position all the time and you will get less wear and tear and better fuel economy. Just put in lock when you need 4x4 or if you want to turn the mechanical 4x4 front end for lubrication.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Kamloops, BC
Mine have done the same thing... took it into dealer and it was repaired under warranty. It has nothing to do with the vacuum lines. Its an electrical issue. ( mine was at least ) I believe it was the 4wd actuator. Let me know if you have a problem and I'll see if I can look at the warranty slip to find a part number that they replaced.
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2011
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Mine have done the same thing... took it into dealer and it was repaired under warranty. It has nothing to do with the vacuum lines. Its an electrical issue. ( mine was at least ) I believe it was the 4wd actuator. Let me know if you have a problem and I'll see if I can look at the warranty slip to find a part number that they replaced.
Senior User
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 103
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From: Wausau Wisconsin
Mine was doing the same thing and after several trips to the dealer they have repaired the issue but I still have a very noticeable clunk when it engages my dealer says that's "normal" even though it did not make the noise in the first 60,000 miles I have owned the truck. FYI they replaced the 4x4 controller, the left front seals and hub after trying new lockouts to solve the issue.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,346
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From: Connecticut
Mine was doing the same thing and after several trips to the dealer they have repaired the issue but I still have a very noticeable clunk when it engages my dealer says that's "normal" even though it did not make the noise in the first 60,000 miles I have owned the truck. FYI they replaced the 4x4 controller, the left front seals and hub after trying new lockouts to solve the issue.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 950
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From: nc
yes I had the issue too which ended up being a slow vacuum leak. I physically got out and locked the hubs and everything worked great. I'm so glad Ford has this manual feature. Does GM and Ram offer the manual locking hubs? If not this would be a big factor for me on my next purchase.
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Isanti, MN
yes I had the issue too which ended up being a slow vacuum leak. I physically got out and locked the hubs and everything worked great. I'm so glad Ford has this manual feature. Does GM and Ram offer the manual locking hubs? If not this would be a big factor for me on my next purchase.
