4x not working - Diesel Forum

jpmueller · 10-06-2008, 12:23 PM

Looking for suggestions.

My 4x doesn't work. I can flip the switch and nothing. Besides that I now notice that the switch is not lit (related?) and neither is the headlight switch.

I have checked the fuses and put dielectric grease in the plugs. Is there someway to check the switch and motor? What else could it be?

scrapin · 10-06-2008, 05:43 PM

Maybe your hubs are shot....

alramsay · 10-06-2008, 07:44 PM

If you haven't had the hubs apart I would guess it's the inner seals that are shot.
Bad seal=no vacuum=no 4X4.
Good luck.

Phil Metz · 10-06-2008, 09:21 PM

My truck has a similar problem. I am assuming that the light on the dash does not light up when you turn the switch, regardless of the hubs. I have asked several people including taking mine to the ford garage. The only answer I get is "we have never had a truck do this before." and they just wanted to throw expensive parts at it. After pluging and unpluging every connection I could find I found that taking out the relays on the firewall directly in front of the driver would make it go into 4wd if the key was on regardless of the position of the 4wd switch.

To make a long story short if i disconnect my batteries for ten minutes then reconnect my 4wd will work for a month or two depending on how much I use it. The more I use it the longer it lasts. Just something to try. I do not know why this works, but it does and it is cheaper than replacing parts that obviously work even if for only a while.

If anyone has any other ideas I would like to hear them. It would be great to not have to remove the battery cables this often. But it does keep them clean.

Hope this helps.

jpmueller · 11-13-2008, 03:24 PM

Sorry it took so long to say thanks, but disconnecting my batteries for awhile worked. The people on this sight are great!

reddgz · 11-13-2008, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Metz

My truck has a similar problem. I am assuming that the light on the dash does not light up when you turn the switch, regardless of the hubs. I have asked several people including taking mine to the ford garage. The only answer I get is "we have never had a truck do this before." and they just wanted to throw expensive parts at it. After pluging and unpluging every connection I could find I found that taking out the relays on the firewall directly in front of the driver would make it go into 4wd if the key was on regardless of the position of the 4wd switch.

To make a long story short if i disconnect my batteries for ten minutes then reconnect my 4wd will work for a month or two depending on how much I use it. The more I use it the longer it lasts. Just something to try. I do not know why this works, but it does and it is cheaper than replacing parts that obviously work even if for only a while.

If anyone has any other ideas I would like to hear them. It would be great to not have to remove the battery cables this often. But it does keep them clean.

Hope this helps.

I had same problem, It is called the GEM and you can just pull the fuse going to it and put it back in and it works fine. I think it was # 15 but not sure. They had a problem with that GEM and a recall on 99 models.