let my start off by saying that the info was great. Thank goodness for people like you wanting to help. I read this forum alot but not much of a poster. I need help. 05 screw 4X4. 64,000 miles. It snowed today and now I have no 4X4. I have never heard any grinding noise around the front end at all. No noises what so ever to alert me of any trouble. I can hear the transfer case kicking in when switched to hi and low. The dash indicators light up in both gears but no power transfered to the front tires. I pulled the vacuum hoses from the IEW on the firewall and had vacuum. I then pulled the vacuum hoses at each tire and plugged them. I am thinking that this should have caused the hubs to remained locked so when I engaged the transfer case the truck should have been in 4 wheel drive. It however remained in 2 wheel drive. I think that I have included all vital info so if anybody has any ideas or advice, please share. I have a 4X4 stuck in my driveway and my wife's Toyota in garage with a recall saying the gas pedal could stick and kill the family. What a weekend!!!! Thanks everyone
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Tried to PM you but your settings won't allow so here goes my swag at it.

Have you had this truck its entire life? If not, then maybe it was grinding before and the IWE's are completely ruined.?? I really don't know if that is possible but here is what I would do to confirm or deny. With the truck turned OFF, jack one front wheel off the ground and see if the half shaft turns when you spin the wheel with your hand. It should be harder to spin the wheel and you should be able to see the drive shaft turning as well. I would then start the truck and spin the wheel again. This time, the wheel should be easier to spin and the half shaft shouldn't turn at all. Do these things and post back. If the wheel turns and the half shaft turns then we would know the problem is in the vacuum system or the IWE Solenoid as you already stated that you hear the tcase engaging and the dash light is coming on.

 

Thanks for the reply double06. I honestly had not thought of that. First thing tomorrow that is exactly what I will do. I will let you know. By the way, I have not had this truck very long so you are right about the possibility of grinding before. Thanks

 

Double06, I couldn't wait til morning so I went out and jacked up the front end. With the engine off, when I would spin the tire, it would grind really quiet and then engage the half shafts. With the truck started only the tire would spin, half shaft would not spin. Does this mean that it is only the IEW solenoid? I now there is a problem with water getting in there and the replacement has a "weather guard". I am thinking that this would be really good news. Is this a dealer only part or can it be picked up at a parts store? I am still a little curious why 4 wheel drive would not engage with the vacuum pulled from the hubs. What's your opinion on this? I appreciate the help, Thanks

 

If it grinds with the truck off, the hub and iwe are both rounded off and not engaging. It should spin with the truck running and in 2Hi(vacuum is supplied to the front hubs thus engaging the axles). A 1 way check valve fails in the engine compartment and damages the front hub and iwe gears if left unrepaired.

 

Hmmm... The "quiet grind" is it that you turn for maybe a fourth of a turn of the wheel and then it engages or is it something different? Little concerned about that. Hopefully someone else will chime in but I don't remember mine grinding with the engine off when it engages. As far as your IWE Solenoid, do you have the old style or new one? If you have the old, I would replace it anyway as it could be the culprit. They are a dealer only part or you can order them from an online store for like 25-30 bucks if I remember correctly. Make sure if you go to the dealership that they order you the right part. I was helping another member and their dealership ordered him the old part.

Here Let me google that for you



and some more info https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...-solenoid.html




Just noticed that Wilber stated that the grinding was out of the ordinary also. Like Wilber said, it may be that the IWE and Hub are rounded.

 

This is starting to get crazy. After checking the axles last night and ensuring they are in fact engaging when suppose to (thanks double06 that was a great idea), I did not touch the truck again until this morning. Well, I went out this morning and the 4 wheel drive is working flawlessly? I have driven it all day in snow, up hills, flat land you name it and I tried it. It is engaging and disengaging flawlessly. Zero grinding. I totally agree with you double06 about the solenoid. I have the old type. I am wondering if my weather could have been a factor. Largest snow storm in 25 years, temps around 30 day time and single digits at night and alot of thawing today. Could this be a issue with the solenoid getting wet and freezing?

 

Well, its an electrical part that is known to have issues so I wouldn't put it past it being the culprit. I'd order one and change it out anyway.

 

Sorry about my typo above, it was brought to my attention in a PM. The vacuum pulse to the IWE actually DISengages the axles from the hub. My bad!

 

Thanks for all the help Double06. I ordered a new solenoid w/weather guard today from the dealer. I will keep my fingers crossed that it keeps working like it should.

No problem Wilbur, I appreciate your help as well.

 

I don't know if it is common but, when I was in Ohio it got pretty cold and it took a little while for my 4 wheel to engage. It only happened once and I had driven in a lot of rain just before I parked it.

 

I can understand how that would happen. The dealerships here told me to wait for the temperatures to warm up and try it again. The only problem with that is that when it was raining and snowing the truck had not been ran in two days. I am thinking that rain may have leaked into my IWE solenoid and polluted the vacuum lines and when I unhooked each vacuum line and ran the truck that "maybe" the pollutants were pushed out. All I know is after unhooking everything and hooking it all back up the 4 wheel drive is working exactly as it should. I did go ahead and ordered the new solenoid with the weather hood. Thanks for the info supercrew.