Clunk + “Check 4X4”
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Elder User
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From: IA/GA/HI/FL/VA/CA/ME
Clunk + “Check 4X4”
Yesterday I used four wheel drive to get down an unplowed road and then switched back to two wheel once I got to highway. A few minutes later I was about to pull onto another unplowed road and as I was slowing down at around 20 miles an hour I flipped the dial to four high and there was a loud clunk coming from somewhere in the front end of the truck followed by a message that popped up saying check four wheel drive. I tried a couple more times and the same thing happened each time. I called to make an appointment for service and they will look at it on Tuesday. However, this morning I was losing traction on a snowy driveway and flipped the dial to 4 high and It shifted with no issue. Anyone ever experienced this before? My concern is they won’t be able to diagnose or replicate anything at the dealership and it will do the same thing to me sometime when I really need the front end engaged.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: SEVA
Most likely that message means your truck recorded the incident so there should be no doubt that it occurred. What cause the clunk? I don't know.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: prince george, bc canada
On my 17 duty, after I engage 4x4 the truck needs to move a few hundred yards before I get on the gas or it makes a big clunk. The vacuum system takes a while to engage the hubs. If you are under power before they engage, they clunk into engagement. I have never seen a check 4 wheel message though. I didn't even know the truck had such a message! Let us know what the dealer says.
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2018
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Same or similar type of topic on the 2015+ F150 Thread. Perhaps a parallel situation?
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...front-end.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...front-end.html
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2014
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From: IA/GA/HI/FL/VA/CA/ME
On my 17 duty, after I engage 4x4 the truck needs to move a few hundred yards before I get on the gas or it makes a big clunk. The vacuum system takes a while to engage the hubs. If you are under power before they engage, they clunk into engagement. I have never seen a check 4 wheel message though. I didn't even know the truck had such a message! Let us know what the dealer says.
Hotshot
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From: Wyoming
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Brentwood,CA
The vacuum hubs only release when not under power, if you stayed on the throttle I bet one of the hubs stayed engaged. The clunk was from the other hub engaging and because one side was still spinning the axle shaft. The spider gears were turning the carrier and the driveshaft was probably under decel condition which caused the shift motor to trip the over amperage setting in the TCCM and trigger the dash warning. The message on the screen was from a incomplete 4x4 shift timeout that comes from the shift motor. These are not stored faults and are not readable even in mode 6 data.
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2014
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From: IA/GA/HI/FL/VA/CA/ME
I was decelerating the first time it happened. Had been going about 35 and flipped the switch from 2wd to 4Hi at about 20. Then the clunk and message. So I flipped it back to 2wd. Still coasting/slowing at about 5mph I tried again and got the same thing. Then tried from a stop, then with it in park, then after turning the truck off and on. Same result with the clunk and message. A while later I was going 60 on the highway for 20 minutes and then tried again while in park when I got where I was going. Same issue. Then after sitting for 36 hours it worked fine.
Logistics Pro
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From: SEVA
That's a good start, but raises the next logical question; What caused that wire to break? I'd want some root cause analysis to satisfy me.
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Elder User
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From: IA/GA/HI/FL/VA/CA/ME
I had the same question. The only thing they could come up with was that it must have happened at the factory and it just happened to be an issue the first real snow I drove in. I normally shift into 4WD once a month when I’m on a gravel road just to make sure everything is still functioning and I’ve never had any issues with it, so I’m not sure I buy the coincidence reasoning.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: SEVA
... and it just happened to be an issue the first real snow I drove in. I normally shift into 4WD once a month when I’m on a gravel road just to make sure everything is still functioning and I’ve never had any issues with it, so I’m not sure I buy the coincidence reasoning.
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Elder User
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From: IA/GA/HI/FL/VA/CA/ME
To me, that makes a little bit of sense. It's a common thing for snow-pack to develop behind the tires and in the fenderwells. If the tires had been throwing up snow/ice/water to collect where that wire was, and it froze in place, a good bump may have broken the ice chunk loose ... and taken a wire with it. So the next RCA question becomes, "Why was that wire (or harness) so vulnerable to such an occurence?" Seems like that would've happened to many SD owners.
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