Hi guys, I have been having issues with my 4wd. When the 4wd was engaged the service 4wd light would come on and then not shift back to 2wd. To get it out of 4wd I would just shut it off and then it would shift back to 2wd. It is now stuck in 4wd and I cant get it back out. Does anyone know a way I could get it to let me put it back to 2wd? I dont have the time or money to have it serviced and get the issue fixed right now but I need to get it out of 4wd.

 

Try disconnecting the negative battery cable, waiting for 5 minutes, reconnect the cable, start the truck and try to shift to 2wd.

Do you have the auto-trac 4 button 4wd system? NV236?

 

I was thinking of trying that. I will go do that now that I have some time.

Yes, its the 4 button with auto-trac. I have already replaced the switch when I bought it and that helped but didn't totally resolve the issue.

 

Unhooking the battery cable appears to have worked. As soon as I turned it on the 2Hi light came on. Although I didn't hear the transfer case shift. I haven't driven very far yet. I will keep you updated.

Thanks a lot. I am only 17 and just starting to get into cars and learning as I go.

 

Glad we could help. The three most likely culprits are the encoder motor on the transfer case, the push button switch, and the TCCM behind the passenger kick panel. If you decide to do the diagnosis and repair, post up on here let us know and hopefully we can help.

 

I might be the switch. It wasn't doing its self check when I started the truck but is back to functioning normally after I unhooked the battery. The service 4x4 light still comes on if I engage the 4wd and I have to shut the truck off and turn it back on the shift to 2wd. Although the switch is only 3 month old so I would think there would be something else making it go bad. Any ideas what I could look at?

 

The encoder motor on the transfer case is where I'd start. This tech article is a great place to start. This article may also have some helpful information. These are all in the Tech Article DIY section of the forum.

 

First question I have is where is the encoder motor located on the transfer case? Second is what should I be looking for on it? I'm guessing loose, broken or dirty connections. Anything else?

 

I took a look at the 4x4 actuator. When I push on it to see if the cable can move I can hear air being pushed out. I know it runs on a vacuum system so does air escaping mean the actuator is bad?

 

Not necessarily. Couple ways to test this. Turn on the engine, switch into 4x4 and see if the diaphragm collapses and pulls the cable. Or just take it out and bench test with a Mity Vac or something similar, to see if it holds vacuum.