four wheel drive not working?

jack up the front of the vehicle, be careful if you have air suspension system as it could inflate. to turn off, the switch is located in the area of the right kick panel . After the vehicle is jacked up manually turn each wheel, make sure the vehicle is put in the 2 wheel drive mode and in park. check the cvs joints one could be going bad. if the wheels are hard to turn as if there is a noise on the left then check the one on the right. sometimes with bearings the opposite is the one that is bad. check for any other noises to make sure the 4 wheel drive is off. If you hear the clicking when both wheels are turned or they hang up the vacuum shift motor could be hanging up, keeping it from disconnecting all the way. then check the wires and vacuum lines going to the shift motor

I have taken this to my mechanic. The little motors behind the transfer case turn on and I hear a noise on the passenger side but it doesn't seem like the front tires want to pull when I engage the 4x4. What could this be? Bad hubs, they are automatic.

If you are sure the 4wd actuator on the transfer case is working, then either the hubs are bad or there is a vacuum problem to the front differential / axle. If the hubs are bad, they will usually make a grinding sound when they slip. If you hear nothing, then check to make sure there is vacuum to the front axle. If the axle doesn't engage, it doesn't matter what the transfer case does. It won't work.

The only line I found on the front diff was the over flow line.while I was under there I turned the front drive shaft and the left axle turned but not the right. Do I just need to take it to another mech?

I have a 1995 Ford Bronco with push button w4d- the 4 wd will not engage. The 4 wd low range light seems to stay on and when you click the push button to click the 4 x 4 high the light will come on and you can hear a click in the dash but it is defiantly not engaging. Where do I start?

manual or auto locking hubs?

auto locking

does it work in 4 low? or just 2x2?

put vehicle in 2x2 and verify front drive shaft turns freely leaving transfer case to front diff. then lock vehicle into 4x4 and see if the transfer case engages and the drive shaft will not turn anymore. does this happen or no matter what happens to push button it stays in 2x2

iv got a 94 bronco full size 5.8 v8. when i bought it didnt have a front drive shaft i bought one and put it on. but now when i engage it sometimes the front wheels pull but most of the time not when they do work there is a grinding noise. someone told me i need to replace the automatic hubs what do you think

definitely need to replace the hubs. ran into this problem with the neighbors f150. its a pain in the ass so good luck

I think somebody replace the front end and could not find the right gear ratio, take the cover off and check the gear ratio make sure it matches the rear before you destroy the transfer case

1994 full size ford bronco, auto. trans. 4wheel ingaugement button works, but low range will not work. No light when pushing the button. Ford does not have the switch anymore, and said it was 400.00 Can I put my own switch in to ingauge low range in and out? Thanks TJ

Before replacing the switch, have you checked to see if there is power to the actuator on the transfer case when you shift to 4lo? The actuator may be bad. As far as a differnt switch, I would recommend trying to find a good one from a salvage yard.

Let me know.

Joe

what steps would you take to check out the eletronic 4x4 system if the lights on the 4x4 high & low do not light up on the dash & engage 4x4 transfer case

on these old systems, there is a motor that runs a sun gear in the case. as it moves in and out it will trip a switch that illuminates the lights.
check the motor for operation. if you dont know how, let a shop check it for you to verify and give you a bid.

Roy

I have a 1991 Ford Bronco with an E4OD Transmission and a 351W motor. The vehicle is equiped with electronic shift on the fly. (Big mistake by Ford) When I push the 4wd button I can hear the relay actuate under the passenger side kick panel and the motor mounted on the transfer case is energized, however the motor only rotates slightly and then stops. The vehicle will not go into 4wd. I have removed the motor from the transfer case and I can manually place the transfer case in 4wd by rotating the nob on the transfer case. The speed sensor is intact and mounted correctly on the transfer case. Im not sure where to go with this one and would appreciate any help you can offer.

The relay maybe overheating causing it to shut down prematurily. Try and replace the relay first. If this doesn't work get back to me.

Saw the post. I also have a 91 Ford Bronco with the electronic 4x4 shift (hate them). When I try to engage, you can hear the relay clicking for about 3-4 seconds under the passenger side dash but it wont engage. There is a good amp draw on the voltage indicator also while it is clicking. Am I to assume the relay is heating up and shutting down? If so, where is it at under the dash and do you happen to have a picture of what it looks like? Mike

89 bronco 2-- new hubs but 4-wheel drive will not engage-- auto switch doesn't even light up--could it be as simple as a fuse--- or what do i ask a mechanic to check? Most mechanics hate to work on these with a 2.9L.

with the selector in 2 wheel shift to 4 wheel , do you hear any noise or feel anything? if not raise the front of vehicle where it is stable on jackes and check the wiring and vacuum line if equiped, going to the front carrier shift control, some are done by vacuum and some electricallly controlled. With someone in the vehicle have them change the selector to see if the shift control is working.

Transmission problem
1987 Ford Bronco 6 cyl Four Wheel Drive Automatic

I parked my 87 Bronco II Eddie Bauer Edition and it was running fine, now there is literally no-go I can't get it to engage in any of the drive ranges or in reverse nor will the transfer case engage. It was fine when parked now nothing except it will start and run fine, and I am flat out stumped-can anyone give me an answer on this please?

Are you saying the trans won't engage? Is it full of fluid? If it is and you have no gears, either the front pump has gone bad or the torque converter.

Transmission problem
1987 Ford Bronco V8 Four Wheel Drive Automatic

hi! I have a 87 bronco with 5.0 v8 and a 1356 automatic transmision the 4x4 is electronic it is not working,I press the 4x4 boton or the low range and it is doing anything.where do I start cheking?

If you have a push-button 4x4 selector switch, get someone to help. With the engine off, but in the "running" position, have someone push the switch to engage the 4x4 while lying under and putting your hand on the motor on the transfer case that engages the 4x4. If you do not feel any movement of hear any noises, check the switch in the dash 1st. (Junk yards are a good place to get cheap replacement switches, if they have them.) If you feel movement or hear noises, then it's something internal in the transfer case. I had the same problem and the motor on the transfer case for shifting in and out of 4x4 went bad.

I just bought a 1987 Bronco, and I am pretty sure that the 4 wheel drive is not engaging. It has the automatic hubs and it is the push button 4 wheel drive system. When I push the 4x4 button nothing happens. the light next to the button does not turn on and neither does the indicator light in the dash. The same with the low range button. I am guessing that it is possibly a fuse out. Any suggestions on how to get the 4x4 to engage.

Actually, if you are not getting it in 4 lo, the actuator on the transfer case sounds like it is the problem. WHat you need to do is check to see if it is getting power to the actuator when the 4wd buttons are pushed. If it is, remove the actuator and have it checked.

LEt me know what you find.

Joe

I have a 1994 Bronco. The problem I have is the 4wd will not work. I have confirmed that the motor is shifting on the tranfer case, the front drive shaft turns while in drive. The auto hubs engage with th axles when I turn them manually. Both axles turn when I turn them manually.The problem I believe is in the front diff. It doesn't seem like the drive shaft wants to turn the axles. Any suggestions would be great. It is a Dana 44 front axle. What is the easiest way to get the diff off without taking the whole front end apart.

Isn't there transfer case on that vehicle that drives the front axle? I kind of think I would look at the transfer case first before I suspect the differential.

I mentioned that in my question. The tranfer case is working properly. It engages into 4wd and the front drive shaft spins but it does not turn the front axles. Thanks

IF the drive shaft functions from the transfer case to the pumpkin and it is rotating with a positive strong power and thus not just turning but slipping a bit, then there are only two culprits. Of course, you said the front axles are not turning so you will have to tear apart the pumpkin.

I tore the pumpkin apart, and found nothing wrong. Everything inside is working the way it should and there is nothing broke. When I turned the yoke by hand the ring and pinion gears where both turning, thus making the axles turn as if they where there. I then put the axle shafts back in and turned them the same direction and the yoke was turning. So I am out of ideas as to why it will not turn the axles.

Wow, you are a dedicated individual. I am going only by what you tell me but if the axles do not turn and you have gone through the diff. the only item left is the transfer case.

Dedicated? Not really. It is very cold in my garage. It is snowing here in Michigan right now. I need to get it fixed, my driveway is uphill. I enjoy working on vehicles but not in the cold.

I see where you are coming from by saying it could be the transfer case, but my problem with that is, I can turn the drive shaft by hand when it is not engaged in 4wd. But when I engage it into 4wd I can no longer turn the drive shaft by hand. It "seems" to be engaged with the tranfer case. That is what is baffling me with what could be wrong.

We haven't been given diagrams yet of the vehicle parts, etc. but there is a transfer motor in the differential case that does go out. I know not being able to turn it by hand seems to point to something else but there really isn't much else but the transer case. You can take off and crack it open. They are repairable.

Well I guess that is my next step. :( Like you said whatelse is there? :? That will be next weekends project. Thanks for the help. I will keep you posted as to what I find.

Thanks
Bill