Auto Hubs Failure
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 221
Likes: 3
Auto Hubs Failure
I have a 2013 F250 which has both the Manual and auto locking hub feature. I tried to plow my driveway this morning and after making one pass I put the truck in reverse and could not back up my steep driveway. The truck is showing locked in 4x4 on the dash, the 4x4 control is in high lock but the front wheels will not turn. It has been very cold here lately (-30) and I'm wondering if the vacuum lines for the auto locking hubs have frozen. I have switched the control out of 4x4 and back in several times, and it does lock in again, but as soon as I put the truck into reverse, they unlock again. The hubs are covered with ice and snow right now so I have not yet tried to manually lock them. Anyone have any input or answers for me? Thanks in advance.
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 37,375
Likes: 1,860
From: Frederick, MD
lock them in manually till it warms up. Then shift in and out of 4x4 with the switch.
Locking them in manually will just mean that the front end will turn all the time...but no power till you engage it with the transfer case.
Locking them in manually will just mean that the front end will turn all the time...but no power till you engage it with the transfer case.
Hotshot
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 10,118
Likes: 650
From: NH
This is a failure on Ford's part with this system. Of course your truck should operate in 4x4 on bitterly cold days. However, problems with these auto-manual hubs are incredibly numerous and posted all over this board; not just on the 2011+ trucks but right back to the days they first started selling these hubs. I intentionally went with the manual lock hubs / manual transfer case shift and it is flawless.
New User
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
I had this happen to me on my truck with it less than a week old. I have a 2014 250 CC and was putting it in and out of 4X4 while driving in snow one evening. Went to go up a snow covered concrete drive on a hill. Got about 1/2 way up and rear end starts slipping to the point I'm stopped. Next thing I know I'm sliding back down the hill with no control. Luckily we had enough snow that it was plowwed 2-3 feet high on the sides of the driveway. Kind of bounced back fourth down the driveway to the bottom. Ended up sideways at the bottom. Talk about chitting your pants. To this day not sure why front wheels didn't kick in. It showed 4X4 was on at the display.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,800
Likes: 52
From: Southern Colorado
It may have showed 4x4 on the display but I don't think the system has any way of checking to see if the hubs have actually locked in.
This is what's wrong with those miserable, rotten automatic hubs - not that I have an opinion on this. With fully manual hubs, you always know what setting they are on. I have no desire to slide off a mountain road because my hubs couldn't be bothered to lock..... or drive down the highway with one hub locked for 3 hours, spinning most of the front driveline, because the hub didn't unlock.
Post-2005 F250 owners haven't been able to buy aftermarket hubs (AFAIK), so I'm not sure what your options are beyond a set of OEM Ford manual hubs from a manual shift truck.
This is what's wrong with those miserable, rotten automatic hubs - not that I have an opinion on this. With fully manual hubs, you always know what setting they are on. I have no desire to slide off a mountain road because my hubs couldn't be bothered to lock..... or drive down the highway with one hub locked for 3 hours, spinning most of the front driveline, because the hub didn't unlock.
Post-2005 F250 owners haven't been able to buy aftermarket hubs (AFAIK), so I'm not sure what your options are beyond a set of OEM Ford manual hubs from a manual shift truck.
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Junior User
Joined: Nov 2012
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Likes: 0
It may have showed 4x4 on the display but I don't think the system has any way of checking to see if the hubs have actually locked in.
This is what's wrong with those miserable, rotten automatic hubs - not that I have an opinion on this. With fully manual hubs, you always know what setting they are on. I have no desire to slide off a mountain road because my hubs couldn't be bothered to lock..... or drive down the highway with one hub locked for 3 hours, spinning most of the front driveline, because the hub didn't unlock.
Post-2005 F250 owners haven't been able to buy aftermarket hubs (AFAIK), so I'm not sure what your options are beyond a set of OEM Ford manual hubs from a manual shift truck.
This is what's wrong with those miserable, rotten automatic hubs - not that I have an opinion on this. With fully manual hubs, you always know what setting they are on. I have no desire to slide off a mountain road because my hubs couldn't be bothered to lock..... or drive down the highway with one hub locked for 3 hours, spinning most of the front driveline, because the hub didn't unlock.
Post-2005 F250 owners haven't been able to buy aftermarket hubs (AFAIK), so I'm not sure what your options are beyond a set of OEM Ford manual hubs from a manual shift truck.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,092
Likes: 145
From: San Diego, CA
After three failures of my ESOF ("shift on the fly") system I capped the vacuum lines and just get out and manually lock/unlock the hubs. It's nice when it works but I got tired of going into 4wd and having the ventilation go to defrost.
New User
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
I agree in the future, when I know I'm going to need the 4X4 I will just turn the hubs from auto to manual. Like I previously said I just bought this truck and trade in my old 99 F150 EC XLT 4X4 which never once did I have an issue with the 4X4 not working and I use 4X4 quit a bit.
Don't get me wrong, I do love this new truck. Going from a 150 to the 250 its been a fun adjustment
.
Don't get me wrong, I do love this new truck. Going from a 150 to the 250 its been a fun adjustment
.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 24,724
Likes: 74
From: Blue Hill Township
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Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 25,479
Likes: 738
From: Isanti, MN
The system is reliable enough, the problem is mainly the fact that most of us don't use our four wheel drive every day, so when something breaks we aren't likely to find out until we need it and it fails. I had the system on my '00 Excursion and '11 F350 and never had any trouble with it.
I do wish they would redesign it so it functioned like the hubs on the F150s do. In this system it takes constant vacuum pull to unlock the hubs, and they default to locked if there is no vacuum. So when something fails your four wheel drive should still work.
I do wish they would redesign it so it functioned like the hubs on the F150s do. In this system it takes constant vacuum pull to unlock the hubs, and they default to locked if there is no vacuum. So when something fails your four wheel drive should still work.
Hotshot
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 10,118
Likes: 650
From: NH
It seems a relatively cheap solution to the problem would be to have a simple contact sensor in the hubs which verified if they actually locked or not, on both sides. When the user selects 4x4 Hi or Lo, the system commands the hubs to lock. If they do lock, the sensor makes contact and completes a circuit. The transfer case ECU would immediately check to see if the circuit was completed. If it was not, or only on one side, it would send a warning via the message center...at which point the user could manually lock or try the procedure again.
I know some people have great luck with them, but there are a lot of people who do not. Ford should know most 4x4 owners are not going to be using 4x4 for most of the time.
I know some people have great luck with them, but there are a lot of people who do not. Ford should know most 4x4 owners are not going to be using 4x4 for most of the time.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 24,724
Likes: 74
From: Blue Hill Township
It seems a relatively cheap solution to the problem would be to have a simple contact sensor in the hubs which verified if they actually locked or not, on both sides. When the user selects 4x4 Hi or Lo, the system commands the hubs to lock. If they do lock, the sensor makes contact and completes a circuit. The transfer case ECU would immediately check to see if the circuit was completed. If it was not, or only on one side, it would send a warning via the message center...at which point the user could manually lock or try the procedure again.
I know some people have great luck with them, but there are a lot of people who do not. Ford should know most 4x4 owners are not going to be using 4x4 for most of the time.
I know some people have great luck with them, but there are a lot of people who do not. Ford should know most 4x4 owners are not going to be using 4x4 for most of the time.
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Hotshot
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 10,118
Likes: 650
From: NH
Over complicate? Are you kidding? A contact sensor, much like the ones that turn on the dome light in your truck when you open the door. Very simple. Just like when I pull the manual 4x4 lever in my truck, and "4x4 Hi" lights up. With your logic, maybe they should take that out, too. This system would add maybe a couple of dollars to the manufacturing cost of the vehicle. When a driver engages 4x4 and then heads up a slippery hill, only to slide down backwards when he realizes that one or both hubs didn't lock, that is a safety issue. The hub warning would be no different than the brake failure light which comes on when low brake fluid is detected in the reservoir. But that does add a tiny amount of cost and complexity, so why not eliminate it.