I have a 2002 X limited 4x4 v10.

I have been having problems that I think have to do with the transfer case and I am wondering if anyone can shed a little light on the subject.

Sometimes, but not always, when I start my X, the 4x4 feels engaged but it only last at the most 5-10 secs. - or - i start it up, put it in gear, and the gears have a grinding sound, like the transfercase is in neutral, I then need to turn the X off and restart and then it's fine.

Also, when I turn the switch to put the X in 4X4 - it doesn't engage.

I just changed the fluid and the fuse looks good. What else is there I need to look at that could solve this problem??

Any help will be greatly appreciated as winter is coming soon.....

 

Anyone????? Anything????

 

I had a similar problem last night. Drove home from work no problem, went to move truck into garage and heard a ratcheting sound when slowly moving for a few seconds. The truck was in 2 wheel with hubs on auto. Used the 4 wheel drive over the weekend driving through snow covered fields at a Christmas tree farm. I have 80K miles and never changed transfer case fluid. The 4 wheel drive worked fine. I have no idea what the noise is.

The front axle fluid was changed at 73K along with new locking hubs and axle seals under ESP. I just had the rear axle fluid changed. I change tranny fluid every 30K.

If I find anything about this will post.

 

The snow is starting to fly - I gotta get this fixed - any ideas where to start??

 

The 4X4 system works off a pressure or vacumm system. If you have aleak or loose hose/connection, your hubs will not lock or engage/disengage properly.

This is why there is a manual setting on your hubs, even though most NEVER use it.

I would take it in and have them look it over... why wait and make things worse on such a nice truck?

Good luck and let us know,

Jeff

 

I'm not sure what you mean here. How can it feel like it's engaged when all you're doing is starting it??

Gears shouldn't grind "as if in neutral" since in neutral no gears are touching. When does this grinding occur, when you are shifting into drive, once it is in drive or when you first start to move?

Does the dash light go on?
Have you reached behind each front wheel and tried to physically turn the half shafts?
Do they move freely even when the 4WD switch is engaged?
Does 4LO work?

My first thought would be a bad gearmotor encoder assy in the transfer case. They act up sometimes and are prone to failure.

Put your truck in 4WD and raise your front wheels off the ground and try to spin them. uh...one at a time.

If they spin and the front drive shaft spins with it, then the transfer case is not locking in and you should suspect the gearmotor encoder assy.

If the wheels spin and the halfshafts don't move, then the hubs are not locking in and the manual position should be used.

But only if...

When you try to spin either the halfshafts or the front drive shaft (with the 4WD engaged, mind you) they won't move but more than an inch or so. This would indicate that the transfer case is engaged and your auto hubs are shot or in need of cleaning.

Manually lock the hubs and rotate (try to anyway) the wheels. The movement of the wheels should cause both the halfshafts and the front driveshaft to move with it. Remember, since you are in 4WD you will not be able to rotate the wheel but you should be able to tell that all the systems are tied together.

Let us know what turns up.

 

Monsta -

When I start it up, and pull out of say, a parking spot, it kind of hops through the turn, as if it is in 4x4 on dry pavement.

The grinding occurs after the truck is started and shifted out of park. Doesn't matter which gear I go to, it will grind and won't move an inch.

The other day, I was backing out of a drivway on an incline, I put it in gear, it started to grind as I put it into reverse, I turned it off, put the X in park, took my foot off the brake and started to roll backwards - hence my conclusion of the transfercase being in neutral during the grinding sounds.

I have tried switching it to 4LO and 4 HI - and neither seem to engage. And also the light doesn't turn on.

I'll give try to the things you mentioned and see what happens.

If I hook it up to a friends computer, do you think it would throw any codes??

Thanks for the info.....

 

Okay...check to see if the hubs are locked. make sure they are in the FREE position and try to turn the halfshafts. If they don't move then move the switch back and forth to try and free the hublocks. My left one would never unlock after I used 4WD. I would alsways have to unlock it like I described above.

I think the problem lies within your transmission. When was the last fluid change?

Sounds like the switch could be bad or the hublock solenoid. You said that you replaced fuse #6 in the Central Junction box, right?

If there is an electrical problem with the 4WD system then codes will be given using a scan tool.