Four wheel drive light
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 819
Likes: 2
From: Northern Maine
Four wheel drive light
I own a 2005 Ranger 4.0, 4x4. It has an automatic transmission. My concern is with the 4x4 indicator light in the dash. When I switch to 4x4, the light comes on momentarily and then goes out. I can hear a relay click in the dash area when I turn the switch and can also hear an actuator shifting in the front end. The truck is most definitely in four wheel drive mode but I have no indicator light. Sometimes it works fine and the light stays on but most often that is not the case. Any ideas what the issue may be?
New User
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 19
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ah, good. All be it annoying. I'm sure a good electrical shop can fix a bad connection. It's a pain in the butt to replace dash lights but you sound inclined to fix it yourself. You may just solve the problem while you look to change the light.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 248
Likes: 45
From: Iowa
same probelm
I have the same truck and the same probelm. Seems to work better when not so cold. Been really cold here . Any new ideas? I wonder if it is a relay partially failing. I don't think it is the light itself. Where ever it gets is signal is likely the probelm.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 819
Likes: 2
From: Northern Maine
The light has been working the last several times that I have used it. I'll have to wait to see if it bothers again.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 217
Likes: 5
a brief review of how it works:
when you select 4wd the light flashes then goes out. the electronics run the shift motor to engage 4wd. in addition to moving parts to engage 4wd the motor also moves a set of electrical contacts that monitor how far the motor turns. when the motor turns far enough to engage 4wd it also closes a switch that illuminates the dash 4wd indicator. you probably have a dirty/corroded switch on the shift motor. its a disk with contact areas corresponding to where the motor should be.
when you select 4wd the light flashes then goes out. the electronics run the shift motor to engage 4wd. in addition to moving parts to engage 4wd the motor also moves a set of electrical contacts that monitor how far the motor turns. when the motor turns far enough to engage 4wd it also closes a switch that illuminates the dash 4wd indicator. you probably have a dirty/corroded switch on the shift motor. its a disk with contact areas corresponding to where the motor should be.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 819
Likes: 2
From: Northern Maine
The problem was found by accident and has been fixed. I replaced the transmission range sensor due to extremely hard shifting and popping out of gear. That fixed a lot of issues, one of which was the 4x4 light. The truck also would not shift into 4x4 low range and the radio would stop playing for a second or two when the truck was in reverse.
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,851
Likes: 111
From: SW Va
The ELM scan tool & running FORScan diagnostic software on the viewing device of our choice can query all of the vehicle computer/controllers, like the GEM, for trouble code clues that can help focus a trouble shoot like this, so consider coming by & making good use of this inexpensive diagnostic combo, as its a very good addition for our electronic toolbox when trouble shooting todays computer controller equipped vehicles.
Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 217
Likes: 5
some notes about how the 4wd shift actually happens inside the BW 1354 T case
the shift motor turns the shaft,
the shaft pushes on & loads a spring with tension,
the spring pushes on the detent collar,
the detent collar pushes on the correct shift fork, (the collar is always in contact with both forks, but has contours that shift/not shift them properly)
there are 2 shift forks, one engages the front drive shaft, the other controls hi/low range,
the gears and gizmos eventually line up and allow the shift forks to move their respective collar and the shift finally happens.
it is possible for the motor to turn, and the light say it shifted, but it's not actually shifted because of an internal boo-boo.
the shift motor turns the shaft,
the shaft pushes on & loads a spring with tension,
the spring pushes on the detent collar,
the detent collar pushes on the correct shift fork, (the collar is always in contact with both forks, but has contours that shift/not shift them properly)
there are 2 shift forks, one engages the front drive shaft, the other controls hi/low range,
the gears and gizmos eventually line up and allow the shift forks to move their respective collar and the shift finally happens.
it is possible for the motor to turn, and the light say it shifted, but it's not actually shifted because of an internal boo-boo.
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Nov 18, 2011 08:18 AM