I have a 95 Bronco. It has approx. 64,000 miles on it. I just recently used the 4WD for the 1st time (bought it here in Alaska). I did everything by the book. Changed the hubs from FREE to LOCK and then put in 4H. When I reached the highway, I shifted it back into 2H (which the manual says is perfectly fine) because I was driving on clear highway at high speed.

Now every time I turned on my Bronco, there is a series 5 loud beeps repeating 5 times. There are no warning lights on, and it still runs fine. The only problem (other than the beeps) is that I shift to 4H and the 4x4 indicator light doesn't come on now.

Also, it seems as if my fuel guage is operating in reverse now. I had about a quarter tank left, and since all this happened, the guage shot the other way to 3/4 tank left and the longer I drive the closer to Full it gets.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

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So you have manual hubs ? If so- you must turn the hubs to free again as this will unlock the axles. Even if you are in 2H the axles are still locked in. Not a good idea on pavement or any solid surface at any speed. As far as Gas tank guage- That has to be a separate issue-Faulty guage maybe .-Bob

 

The beeps are from the electronic shift module. Sounds like the case either didn't fully disengage when you went back to 2WD or the shift motor stalled. The indicator should light when the shift motor actually engages. Can you feel the 4WD engage now when you select it? Or do you just hear a few clicks from the passenger side kick panel under the dash?

Leaving the hubs locked with the truck in 2WD is fine. You will see some decreased fuel mileage this way though since the front axle will have everything spinning up there in front because the front wheels are still rolling along. Wont' harm the 4WD to run this way though.

 

Thanks for the help guys. Is there any way I can test the electronic shift module without taking it in? I'm on an Army salary, so money is a bit tight. Also, how hard would it be to replace by myself if that is indeed the problem?

 

I'm gonna have to kinda disagree- I have destroyed a set of warns because of not unlocking them before I went on the highway. The result was I couldn't get them to lock again and the Body assembly( part that the locking part presses against) the splines were all fubared up.. If I was to just cruise 25-35 around town I might leave them locked but any faster- i'd unlock them. This is the reason I run mud tires year round- most of the time I don't even need 4WD. I must say however I have a locker up front so this just intensifies it. as both wheels are turning the same speed + hard surface + locked hubs = carnage.-Bob

 

AIR BORNE, U can test your processor board which is located in your passenger side kick panel. Its has a two wire pin connector attatched to the left side(closest to your engine). If u remove the two wire harness pin connector and turn your ignition switch on push the white square botton located at the bottom edge of the processor. red light flashes this means u have trouboe with your actuator motor (shift motor on the transfer case) Red light stays bright this means u have trouble with your actuator board . Good luck TR

 

I've been running Warn's hubs for years in my trucks and never had any such problem. The shift-on-the-fly transfer cases would be a useless developement if you had to stop and unlock the hubs every time. A locker (unless its a selectable unit {ARB, Eaton, Elec-Trac}) does not engage without torque applied from the driveshaft. With the t-case in 2WD there is no torque applied to the front DS from the engine. The only reason the front axle and DS still spin is because the hubs are locked and the wheels are touching the ground. Both wheels turning at the same speed means eveything is in perfect sync. And since the locker won't engage, the differential keeps things right even through turns when one wheel would be moving faster than the other. The hubs withstand much greater torque when torque is applied from the axle to the wheel than when the wheels supply the torque back to the axle. There is nothing wrong with running in 2WD with the hubs locked. Aside from some decreased fuel mileage the driveline won't care. In fact, if you don't engage your transfer case very often, its a good idea to deliberately do this from time to time to keep the front axle gear oil moving. Otherwise the front differential housing sits there for months with all the gear oil down in the bottom of the housing and the top third or so of the ring gear, carrier and pinion gear never get any fresh oil on them. Let it go that way for too long and the next time you engage the 4WD you will hear and feel what happens when gearings get surface rust and sludge built up on them. Sorry, but I won't be backing down from this one unless someoen can give me some explanation as to exactly why it would harm the hubs... and if so, why has it never bothered the hubs in my trucks?

 

Not true- I run the Detroit EZ locker sometimes refered to as a "lunchbox locker".
This is sort of a spool type locker that is always locked unless you are off camber (ie:turning- uneven road). Sometimes it take a moment in a turn to unlock so you get chirping of the tires ( if you have hubs locked in 2wd or 4wd).


Found this in my manual- [It is not desirable to engage the manual locking hubs for extended peroids of time, due to the additional rotating masses and gears in the front drive axle when driving in 2H with the hub locks enaged. In addition increased noise, vibration and binding may be felt.

I'm not sure what "extended periods of time" is a day, a week, couple hours? Your guess is as good as mine.

 

I tried unplugging the battery as someone had suggested to me. Since I have been told it may be the GEM module, where exactly is it located on the 95 Bronco? How do I get to it and unplug it?

Thanks for all the help.

 

I live in the Upper Peninsula and it snows almost half the year here. This is pretty much Ford country and all the guys I know including myself leave the hubs locked in as soon as the first snow falls and haven't heard of any problems. Just my two cents.

 

running with the hubs locked on an open front end vs a locked front end is much different.