Well guys, we have had 18" of snow in the past two weeks and it's time to use the 4x4 on my 2004 Ranger Edge five speed which I bought new and has 41K miles.

THE ONLY TIME 4x4 LOW WORKS IS WHEN I DON'T NEED IT !!! !!!

This is getting really discouraging. Picture this, it engages fine in the garage, then when I hit the highway it won't disengage. Or worse yet, coming home today, when I hit the driveway and 10" or snow the 4x4 low wouldn't engage.

I really didn't buy the thing just to have a neat looking truck; I expect it to work.

Frankly, this is probably the last F * * D I'll ever buy. Had a 1992 Exploder which also had 4x4 problems. This truck probably has 200 miles on it in four wheel drive.

Anybody got a fix?

--van

 

Before you start bashing ford, remember, that the 4x4 parts are made by danna and borg warner. The same guy's that make them for the other truck companies. 2nd of all, if you would have engaged your low range at least once a month since the truck was new, it would be working now. I engage my 4x4 at least once a month, even if I just back it up and down the driveway. It keeps the shift motor from gumming up. Now you need to pull your shift motor and clean it or replace it. There's an old saying, if you don't use it, you loose it. Once you get get operating, it's easy to put it into high range at least once a month on a straight section of road with shift on the fly. Low range can be down in your yard, driveway or a parking lot. These shift motors must be engaged alot to keep them operating freely. If you do, you'll have a lot less problems with it, I know from experience. This gets covered many times over the winter, so your not the only one that doesn't use the 4x4 for months or years at a time, then expect it to work properly after it's gummed up with dirt, mud, snow and anything else that gets up in there and sets for months on end. Remember, the shift motor is an electrical componiet, and must be cared for as such and the best way to care for it is to keep it clean under there when you can and to use it. All newer trucks use these shift motors unless they have a manual t-case and those are getting hard to find.

 

Yeah but we all miss the shifter in the floor,i know i do.

 

I HAVE engaged the 4x4 once a month since the truck was new and it still doesn't work when needed.

Plus read the post, it works fine when it isn't needed, like in the garage where it's dry.

Anyone have some specific advice?

As far as Ford bashing, Wendell, I see you have one of Henry Kaiser's units and one from Chrysler's Lee Iacocca's era. Wish I did. Those always work. I'd rather be out in the snow engaging the hubs than out stuck in it.

 

You do know that for low to engage or disengage you must be at a stop in neutral with your foot on the brake (at least I believe that is how they are still doing it). In your post you say that "when I hit the highway it won't disengage" which makes it sound like you are trying to shift out of 4x4 low range on the fly.

Just for the fun of it, do a search for shift motors on ebay. You will see that anyone who makes a 4x4 vehicle has all kinds of used/aftermarket shift motors availible, because they are all crap and they all go bad after a while.

Look at GM for example, they have the exploding transfer case issue. I cant count the number of those i've seen replaced. We have a few regular customers that come in just to get the fluid topped off because the T-case is cracked, and they are just trying to band-aid it for a while until they can afford a $1000 transfer case.

I have an Explorer right now that needs a transfer case, I'm just lucky because I can get a used T-case for about $200, and should be able to sell this thing and make some $$$ on it.

Just hang on to that Ranger, you'll be happy you did. Our 1994 has almost 150K on it now, we paid $4,999 for it with 99k on it, and had to put a tranny in it at 130k. I dont blame Ford for the bad tranny, it had alot of miles of pulling things the truck probably should have never been hooked up too, and it survived me throughout my teen driving years too! The truck will make it past 200K easy, and by that time the total cost of owning it will be almost nothing.

You have plenty more miles to put on yours, just enjoy them!

 

I thought the low range on my 06 was intermittent until I read a thread on here about shifting into low range. It said you should be completely stopped, brake on and in neutral, since I started doing that it shifts into low every time.

 

Exactly! Because shifting to 4x4 high everything is allready spinning the same speed (live front axle) and can be engaged on the fly. But to change to low rage you are actually using a different set of gears, so you must be stopped, in neutral for it to happen.

 

Actually the 52 is all ****** and the 87 is an AMC, the last year before chrysler bought them. I purposely got an 87 because it is still an AMC. I don't care for the electric shift motor either. I'm looking for a wrecked 02 or 03 FX4 level II with the manual T-case to swap in. If I had that my 09 would be perfect. I don't know why automakers think people are too lazy to lean a little further down to move a lever instead of turning a dial. It doesn't make sense that it would work in the garage and not when you need it, are you sure it is engaging then? One way or the other it sounds like you need a shift motor. I've seen them on ebay for a round 100.00$. On my 04 ranger 4x4 I allways made sure I engaged the 4wd at least once a month and never had a problem with it. However, that doesn't help you much. The electric shift motors aren't the most durable parts to say the least. You have no hubs to worry about, it's like my ******, a direct engagement system. So at least we don't have the hubs to worry with anymore. I allways thought lock outs were a good system, but I guess they figured people were too lazy to turn them in as well. About the only thing it can be on your truck is the shift motor unless the front driveshaft fell off. It's too new to need a t-case or have the front diff blown out.

 

"O", as far as being completely stopped before shifting into low range. I didn't mention that because he has had the truck since new, I figured he knew that. But yeah, you have to be stopped with your foot on the brake to engage low range and same to disengage.

 

Uh, why hasn't anybody asked what the blazes a truck is doing on the highway in low range in the 1st place? I hope they weren't THAT stopped up in rush hour. Get out of it in a parking lot or something. Shouldn't need it anyway unless you're street is that deep, or the driveway. 4x4 low in these little beasts has roughly enough torque to tear my garage down with one pull.

 

low wont do much good in snow anyway, since it doesnt give anymore traction then high, unless ur in a ditch or somethin. But good luck figurin it out, i have over 150k with my electric t case, only a problem once, changed fluid and tore apart the shift motor cleaned and re greased it and has worked perfectly since, so if you take care of it, itll go a while, and i beat the crap out of my ranger

 

He didn't say he uses it on the highway, he said when he hits the highway it won't disengage, or when he leaves the highway to go up his driveway it won't engage.

 

Thats why I think its just user error. He gets in the old ranger in the morning, fires it up in neutral with his foot on the brake so the truck doesnt roll anywhere, pushes the 4x4 low button, and it goes in. Then starts driving, gets to the point he wants to switch out of low, pushes the button, and then nothing happens, only because he's cruising at 20 MPH or so in town. It would make sense wouldnt it?

 

Low wont engage esp with electric shift motor if there is any kind of bind on the driveline, and to get it out of low sometimes you gotta back up a bit to unload the driveline. Low range is not shift on the fly, u gotta stop in neutral, best to roll a bit after you get into neutral, as said above to unbind the driveline.

 

vanHOY, is it working now?