help with 4wd (resolved)

[the_asian_TB]

I have searched and searched the forums for a solution to the problem, but have no found anyone with the same problem so far.

heres what i have going on. During my trip to tsf today my 4wd wasnt engaging very well but it worked fine till the end when i tried to go to it but it switched straight to auto. since it has switched to auto i cant switch to anything else, when i turn the nob it starts to blink and blinks for 10 seconds and doesnt engage. When i do switch the know though i hear a click under the hood somewhere and thats it, once it stops blinking it clicks again. Any help would be great.

[Trail X]

This sounds like an electrical failure, so it's most likely the front actuator, or the encoder motor.

Listen for the two electric motor sounds with the engine off.

One will make a long high pitched noise from the front passenger side wheel well. The other will make a faster lower pitched noise from beneath the driver door.

[The Roadie]

And is the switch position being read by the TCCM properly, meaning, when you turn the switch to 4HI, does the light over 4HI blink? Otherwise I'm not clear on what you mean by "it switched straight to auto". What position was your switch in, and how do you know the system was in auto?

[the_asian_TB]

the light on auto is solid right now. when i switch it over to 4hi or 2hi. it will blink repeatedly for 10 seconds then stop blinking and go back to solid auto. and i dont hear any of those sounds go all i hear is one click when it starts blinking and another click when it stops. almost like nothing starts or something is stuck.

[the_asian_TB]

here is a video of the switch over and the click.

[Trail X]

A click can normally be associated with a relay, but that doesn't seem to make sense in this scenario. I'm guessing that's the encoder motor lock disengaging.

My guess is the encoder motor went bad or got stuck, because if the front actuator isn't operational, it will still operate the encoder motor and change the location of the blinking light, it will just stay blinking at that location.

Try swapping out the encoder motor for a friend's and see if that helps.

[dvanbramer88]

This sounds like an electrical failure, so it's most likely the front actuator, or the encoder motor.

Listen for the two electric motor sounds with the engine off.

One will make a long high pitched noise from the front passenger side wheel well. The other will make a faster lower pitched noise from beneath the driver door.

Same thing happened to my truck over the winter. the click is the soliniod and your engage problem is probably the front actuator. mine was blowing the fuse when it was bad, check that out. but sames here to, id press the 4hi button and it would blink for a while and never engage.

[the_asian_TB]

i think i may need to get a new actuator and a new transfer case motor. i pulled out my transfer case motor pulled it apart. found out one of the gears in there broke a tooth and was jamming the whole mechanism. so it might have blown that motor.

[Trail X]

Replace that before replacing the front actuator. I doubt they both went bad at the same time.

[PSH TB]

What model TB's have a 4wd selector that looks like that?

[djthumper]

What model TB's have a 4wd selector that looks like that?

Pretty much all of them

[The Roadie]

All of them after the 2005 redesign that improved the switch reliability and (shockingly) lowered the price.

[dvanbramer88]

i think i may need to get a new actuator and a new transfer case motor. i pulled out my transfer case motor pulled it apart. found out one of the gears in there broke a tooth and was jamming the whole mechanism. so it might have blown that motor.

its that one then, there is a front axle actuator that threads into the front diff and then there is an actuator on the transfer case. either or would cause your problem. also, double check your T-case fuse, it may have blown because of the broken actuator.

[the_asian_TB]

Which fuse would that be?

[dvanbramer88]

it should be in the in-dash fuse box. check the legend on the cover. it should be labeled "T-case"

[The Roadie]

We have no in-dash fuse box.

[the_asian_TB]

i think its number 8 under the hood.

[dvanbramer88]

We have no in-dash fuse box.

Really? i'll slap myself for that.

[Blackout]

We have no in-dash fuse box.

[the_asian_TB]

ended up being the encoder motor. one of the teeth broke and must have blew my motor.