Ford Ranger 4x4 Problems

pvolc15

I have a 1995 ranger 4x4,5 speed manual,6cyl, 4.0L. It has shift on the fly 4 wheel drive and when I put it in 4High or 4Low it doesn't engage. However the light o n the dash still light up. I want to know if this is a minor problem and/or what the problem is.

fordtech

How do you know for sure that it isnt engaging at all? Have you tried to take off on a sheet of ice and rear wheels turn but front dont, and vehicle sits still?

If it really isnt engaging, I would check out the motor on the transfer case that is responsible for engaging that part of the system. I am willing to bet the hubs are engaged, but the transfer case isnt.

kevin97116

I have a similiar, if not identical problem. My 4WD indicator lights function, and low range engages when selected, but front wheels do not pull.

I've been told that this may be a rubber bumper stop in the transfer case that is worn that allows the gears to "over shift".

My Ranger is a 1995, automatic, 4.0L, shift on the fly

bri66

I have had this problem with my 1994 from day one of ownership. Chances are it's the electric motor in the transfer case that is all bound up with dirt and crud. Each year I have my mechanic clean it in the fall.

cessna180

my 1998 will not come out of 4wheel low, the switch on dash doesnt respond as well?

cessna180

switched to 4x4 low last night tried to switch back and it wont, stays lit up 4x4low even when knob is on 2high or 4high???help!

lesroc3

I have a 93 Ranger 4x4 3.0 5 speed that will not shift into any 4x4 function. I have changed the selector button, shift control module. There is power to the selector buttons on one side of the switch but none on the other when activated. The fuses are good. Does anyone else know anything about them?

bolivar

I really don't know anything about 4x4, but I think the Rangers get gummed up inside and don't allow the gears to move around and engage.

pinwilly

The hydrolic hubs go bad i recommend getting manual hubs their cheaper and wont go bad.

lesroc3

cessna180

cessna180

turns out a fuse # 28 was bad bought sevice manuel easy fix!

jack78

Why would automatic trans fluid come out the filler tube?
When you start the eng to check the trans level it's checks OK (cold). But you drive the truck for just a few minutes then check the level the fluid poors out. I checked the vent tube and blew air in it, it does not seem pluged.
The truck has not been driven much.
any thoughts?

jack78

I believe you should have a solinoid on the trans axle. it has been known to get a bad ground, it has been known to stick. I've had this happen to me a couple times, the last time I was in 12" of snow and I had to take a hammer and tap on the solinoid and that worked. Take it off and check it out, you may just have a bad connection too.

rapprj

My 1998 Ford Ranger 4 liter auto with electronic shift on the fly seems to not be shifting into high or low 4wd. The dash light indicates 4 high but not low. I read the post about solenoid but I am wondering if it could be a fuse problem before the solenoid. Any help appreciated.

jujitsuthor

I have a 2001 Ranger EDGE, 4.0 liter engine, 4-Speed 4x4 Auto with about 106,000 miles on it. My 4x4 isn't working.

I flip the switch to 4-High, and the light switches to 4-High, but no power to my front wheels. Stop the truck, put it in neutral, flip it to 4-Low, and it switches over. I can feel the power difference because it gears lower, but still no power to the front wheels.

First time I found this out I was off-roading and got stuck in some sand. My roommate was with me and noticed that my rear wheels were kicking up all kinds of sand but my front wheels weren't moving at all, even though I had supposedly had it in 4-High the whole time. Any thoughts? A friend who's a mechanic said he's almost positive it's the hubs, and the local Ford dealership says they can replace the hubs for about $300 but I need to make sure before I spend the money. Totally appreciate any help you guys can give!

ghoghunter

hello, i have a 99 ranger. it is soppose to be four wheel drive .i cant get the front wheels to lock in. has any one else had this problem? thanks

remy3

did you ever solve your problem with your 4X4

cwlemu

4 wheel works lights do not work on dash box behind drivers seat clicks red light keeps going off and on is light on box suppost to be on always.i have changed motor on trans case new i have changed switches on dash used i did see them working in other truck i dont want to just keep changing parts been searching for cause all over net please any help would be helpful

bri66

Although I have had problems each year with the 4x4 in my 1994 Ranger it is dead for good this time. 300,000 + miles on it so I do not want to spend any money to repair it. With winter coming does anyone know a sufficient amount of weight to add to bed for traction in snow? My son drives it now and I don't want to see him get stuck this winter. I purchased six 50 pound bags of sand and placed them in the bed over the rear axle, but I'm not sure if I should add more weight. He doesn't drive far so I don't mind the added weight for gas consumption. Has anyone ever added weight to a 2 wheel drive Ranger?

kevin97116

300 lbs is plenty. Remember that the added mass must be stopped as well. I used to run a 2 wheel drive in all sorts of places that most folks wouldn't dream of running. I carried about 150-200 lbs of cables, come-alongs, high lift jacks, chains, etc in a box over the axle. I had good traction tires. The weight, the tools, and a little common sense got me where I needed to go. I even went through snow as deep as my front bumper. If legal in your area and you are on ice or packed snow studded tires on ALL 4 wheels are a must have. If you are in unplowed mountain roads a good deep lugged traction tire is preferable.

bri66

Thanks Kevin for your input. I set all 6 bags flat in the bed over the rear axle. They shouldn't slide unless he has to slam his brakes on. Studded tires are not allowed any longer in MA. I did just buy him a new set of M\S tires as an early X-mas gift, so traction from the tires will be A+. I wished I had converted the auto hubs to manual years ago. This system Ford used back in the day (94) was awful. Thanks again, we just need to wait now for snow to see.

tomgrainger

In my experience the most important thing you can do in the winter is to put on a good set of winter tires. I have an 02 Ranger (RWD) and switch tires every winter, and I can go virtually anywhere in virtually any condition and feel safe. This year I'll be trying the Michelin X-Ice.

exploder750

96 Ranger, 4 x 4, switch on dash, automatic hubs. I turn on the 4 X 4 switch, the light comes on, back wheels spin, front wheels not engaging. I turn on the $ x 4 low range switch, the low range light comes on, low range engages, front wheels do not engage. Are by automatic hubs bad?

kevin97116

Most likely. My 95 is doing the exact same thing. I just determined yesterday that the front drive line is engaged, axle spinning but not the front wheels. I did this by raising the back wheels off the ground, putting the Ranger in 4x4 and "drive" with the engine idling. I looked at the front drive line from the side of the rig. (did NOT crawl under a running pickup!) From the side I could easily see the front drive shaft turning, and even see the passenger side axle rotating. I haven't had time yet today to dig deeper, but I suspect that the axle was spinning 2x too fast with relationship to the driveline.......... telling me that the passenger side front hub is not engaging. (driver's side engaged, spider gears working, causing the "free" passenger side wheel to spin at 2x speed)

Hub the likely culprit. I'll know more in a day or so.

best of luck,
Kevin

cessna180

aparrently ford has had lots of issues with this,... [ no service bulliten,...ive heared of,].... called local dealer,... after liftin my front/ rear off ground, ... engaged 4x4 high, and low,.... found on my 98 ,.... the drivelines goin to the front wheels still turning[ when 4x4 is completetly off ]..... dealer said,... the forks stick, to hit with rubber mallet, the transfer swich box by front diff, i did, than my drivelines to wheels stopped turning,.... as they should do automatically,... others have told me,... to bypass system,.... install,.... manual locking hubs,... id appreciate any proffesional feedback as well,...as id prefer to keep vehicle in stock conformity..

spyac3

everyone has this problem!! after much of my own searching I found the answers if your switch is activating the shift motor on the transfer case. Take off the shift motor and mark the position of the trianular bushing turn the switch to 4 hi and see if the busing moved. If it works then try this I have done it to mine and it really works no more problem http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Apr04/offroad.htm

and if the motor is working you can install manual locking hubs see here

http://www.baseline4x4.com/proddetail.asp?prod=15001.70

exploder750

I put my truck up on jackstands, all the way around. In 4WD, the front driveshaft is clearly turning, left front wheel is dead with clattering coming from hub, right front wheel is totally dead. Clearly a locking hub issue. I pulled the hubs and externally the cams and locking hub assemblies look good, so it's obviously something broken within the locking hub assembly that I can't see without tearing it apart. Found a guy on Ebay who rebuilds and sells these hubs out of his machine shop, so bought a set from him (around $200) and am awaiting their arrival.

fatandawesome

My friend has a ford ranger 4x4, and we where debating wether or not she should put weight in the back of it while in 2 wheel drive.

Is the ranger rear wheel drive while in 2 wheel drive, or front wheel drive?

I know this is real simple question, but thanks for any input.

KCRam

It's a rear wheel drive rig when in 2WD. Weight is only important in a low-traction situation, like snow/ice. Otherwise, unneeded weight will just slow the truck down and reduce its fuel economy.

kcram - Pickups Host

fatandawesome

bri66

300 lbs was not quite enough. My son had no traction the other morning on semi-sanded roads. Added another 5 bags and have them secured. Big snow coming today and Sunday, should know if four new tires and 550 lbs of sand will do the job or not. At $5 a bag of sand maybe I should have fixed 4x4. HA! HA! :shades:

kevin97116

Just thought I'd send an update. My 4x4 problem (4x4 indicator lights go on and off, low range goes in and out, but front wheels don't pull) ended up being hubs. After discussions with the local 4x4 shop ended up putting Warn manual hubs on. ~$200, problem solved. :-)

Kevin

bri66

I should had done that 300,000 miles ago when Ford had to replace the original hubs the first time I tried to put it in 4x4.

rcarpen

Here's the scenario. MY ford ranger 4x4 '95 xlt with 139,000 mi The truck was at the end of a cul de sac which was snowed in. before I started the truck I engaged the locking caps on the front wheels then started the truck and turned the switch to lo4 wheel drive. I managed to get the truck forward a little to be able to back up on the lawn so the city snow plow wouldn't block me in. I then proceeded to back the truck up and wouldn't budge, so then pulled forward to back up again to gain momentum to get into the yard. I was able to back up with the rear wheels spinning quite fast but not gaining much ground but was able to get into the yard. Two days later I was able to drive it but somethings waaaay differen't. I turned the locking caps to "Free" position and flipped the lo 4 wheel drive to 2 wheel drive but when I shift the rpms are revving really hi and the truck acts like its in lo 4 wheel drive. I'm able to drive it but 1st gear thru overdrive the rpms rev really high I can only get up to 40/45 mph.
I think the truck is officially P.O.C.? (Piece of Crap) I have to add oil to every other fill-up as well as antifreeze I know the oil/ antifreeze problem is to expensive to fix. ( i'm not a mechanic) Is it the powetrainthat I screwed up or something else? and how to go about it to get it fixed.
Is there something that I can try to correct the problem myself or is it a quick fix in the mechanic shop?
I use this truck mainly for bowhunting (seasons winding down) and hauling stuff back and forth which is not to often. It is nice to have for a back-up vehicle.

is it worth fixing or try and sell it and be up front with the potential buyer about the engine problem and powertrain.
sorry about the loong posting and thank you advance for any suggestions.

spyac3

If you have a electonic switch to change from 2wd to 4wd even with locking caps it sounds like the electric motor isn't working on the transfer case causing you to be stuck in 4lo even though your hubs aren't locked out. take the small motor off the transfer case. conceled where that motor mounts you should find 2wd 4hi and 4lo marked on the transfer case. By marking the location of the triangular bushing on the electric motor you can turn the 4wd switch and see if that bushing is moving if it didn't replace the motor. Be careful to mark the position of the bushing on that motor because it needs to be in the same spot when you remount it to the transfer case. This is how my 99 works, they should be similar.

kevin97116

Before going to all the trouble of getting underneath and removing the shifting motor from the transfer case check the fuses. I don't have the book in front of me, but I know there is one, possible two fuses for 4x4 in the in cab fuse block, and one in the fuse block under the hood (driver's side fire wall)

With my 95, I am able to hear the shift if I activate the switch with engine not running, and radio. fan, etc off. If you can hear that, then the fuses are likely good, but it doesn't take much to check them anyway.

good luck,
Kevin

spyac3

Yes you are right you should always start with fuses, My quest for fixing this annoying problem had me looking at fuses, I didn't mention that since the fuses associated with the shift control motor also power things like dashlights/domelights and such. But you are right start simple!

rcarpen

Thanks for the advice, I'll go with the fuses first, then the shifter motor on the transfer case when it warms up a little here.

have a good christmas
Randy

etz

Hey how do i fix this. I had a mechanic change the valve covers on my truck. in june. now that winters here i tried to use my four wheel drive and nothing happens. to engage i have the button above the windsheld. the light dont light & the front wheels dont engage.
i read other post & was happy about the fuse under the hood!! dont have the fuse under the hood. only 95.000miles. with the exception of a little rust around the rear wheel well, the ranger is in excelent cond.
:confuse:

etz

HEY GUYS
I really need help with this problem i live in N.E PA. ALL THE POST HAVE SOMETHING FOR 93 AND BETTER. I cant for the life of me figuer out why the four wheel worked before i had the valve cover gaskets changed & not now. what could posabley happend? i have a book that shows how to remove & replace everything on my ranger. sad thing is it has no troublshooting. more snow is in the forcast & i really want to be the one who gets to work ontime. not jim in his S-10.

exploder750

Same problem with my '96. Low range worked, front wheels would not engage. After testing the truck with all four wheels eleveated, determined that hubs were the issue. Ordered a set of rebuilt automatic hubs from a guy on Ebay ($177), and they work great Determined that one of my original front hubs was still good, and turned it on Ebay for $60.

loganmd

'02 ford ranger, 4x4 doesn't work. did last year. tried after the first snow this year and I got nothing. no lights on dash. checked fuses, they are good. even replaced them just in case. book says that the lights are supposed to come on when the key is turned on just like the engine lights do. but i get nothing. I checked over the wiring, nothing rubbed thru. everything was connected. anyone know what i should check. I am a mechanic but don't have any books or wiring dia. for this truck. thanks a bunch.

kevin97116

I'd start by seeing if your local library has a repair manual for the Ranger. A auto parts store or even a big box retailer that has a good automotive section may have one you can buy. In the computer age you may even be able to "google it" and come up with a wiring diagram.

Otherwise I'd start out with a volt meter or test light and start following the 12v until you can't find it anymore. Maybe you aren't getting power to the 2wd/4wd selector switch, maybe a loose or corroded connector somewhere in the system.

Good luck!

Kevin

wforsberg

05 ranger Fx4 w/ 40k miles. it shifts into 4 wheel high and engages fine. but when I shift out of 4 high into 2 wheel dirve on the fly it makes a distinct, brief clunking noise that feels like you hit a pothole. it disengages from 4 wheel but that clunk noise/vibration worries me. is it gonna get worse? does it need hubs replaced? should I trade it in quick or is the fix cheap? :confuse: ">

kevin97116

It "sounds" like a bad universal joint in your front drive line. You might check those for looseness/wear. Not a serious repair if needed.

best of luck,
Kevin

russpatz

I have a 1997 Ranger 4 X 4. When disengaging from 4wd the truck runs ok but a mile or so down the road you will hear it grinding. Then I stop and put it in reverse and it seems to be ok. Any ideas about what is wrong?

kevin97116

Sounds like your automatic hubs, according to the owner's manual the proper way to disengage them is to rotate the dash switch to 2WD then back up 10-20 ft or so, then proceed forward. This takes the tension off the hubs and allows them to retract into "free" position. If they still have the force of moving the vehicle working on them they won't slide out until that force weakens (like deceleration for example)

When shifting out of 4WD into 2WD, try doing so when stopped, back up a short distance, then proceed forward and see it that solves your problem.

good luck
Kevin

jeckelberry

I have a 93 ranger 4.0 4x4. The 4wheel drive wasn't working when I bought it. So, not knowing any history of the truck. I bought a new shift motor. I put in on. Still nothing. I tried a different box and switch still nothing. I have had the truck for 6 months just now got the motor for it. Is it possible that the transfer case is gummed up and causing my shift motor to be unable to engage it? Please help if you can really want to get it fixed!

kevin97116

Not likely a "gummed up tranfer case". Here's what I would do....
1)check to see if power is getting to shift motor.
NO? a) fuses
b) wiring/connectors
YES?
a) hubs

best of luck,
Kevin

ford4life2

When I put my ranger into 4x4, push button, and take off it makes a growl noise like it is slipping, not locking in all the way. Could mean that my solenoid is bad.
Because we jacked up the truck, put it into 4x4 and you can grab the wheel and stop the wheel comepletely.