Hello All,

I'm new to this forum so please bare with me.

My ford ranger's 4x4 is not working, and I'm looking for some advice. Long story short, 2 weeks ago I was me moving my 4x4 switch from 2wd to 4 hi to see if it would engage. I left it on 4hi and all of a sudden it started working but it went out the next day. I already checked the relays, fuses, voltage at the switch, and the switch itself and it all seems to be fine.

Could it be the transfer case motor?

Thanks

 

Welcome to the forum

First, 2000 was a transition year for the Ranger 4x4 system
You could have Live Axle or PVH(pulse vacuum hub), PVH was used from 1998 to 2000, but many 4.0l rangers got Live Axle starting late 1999's

Look here: Permanently Lock Your 1998-2000 Ford Ranger PVH Pulse Vacuum Hubs

That is what front wheel PVH hub looks like

If you don't have that then you have Live Axle, which is much better.


The 4WD lights on the dash are turned on and off by the electric shift motor moving.
Inside the motor's gear drive is a plate with contacts, as the motor turns, the plate turns, and so does the shifter rod in the transfer case, when plate turns to 4high position the 4high light will come on, same for 4low.
If light flashes it means motor is not turning when 4wd module is telling it to

"I left it on 4hi and all of a sudden it started working but it went out the next day"

What does this mean?
Did the 4high light come on or go out?
Did you feel the lack of traction from no 4WD but light stayed on?

 

Hello RonD!

I will be sure to check whether I have live axel or PVH.

The 4wd hi and low lights do turn on momentarily when I turn on my vehicle.
So would you suggest replacing the motor?

And what I meant by "I left it on 4hi and all of a sudden it started working but the next day it went out" is this:

After many failed attempts of trying to engage 4wd I heard the motor engage, but the light on the dash did not turn on. I proceeded to drive and confirmed that 4wd did indeed engage, and the 4wd light turned on after a little bit. But the next day when I tried to get it to engage again nothing happened and I was set in 2wd.

 

Also I want to add that the 4 hi and 4 lo lights do not turn on when I turn the switch. They only turn on momentarily when I turn on the vehicle.

 

When you turn on the key most dash lights and the 4x4 lights will come on, that is a BULB test, nothing to do with 4x4 part, so that just means the bulbs are good and should come on when you do shift to 4high or low

The 4x4 bulb power flows down thru the motor(contact wheel) and then back up to the bulb in the dash, so if the contact wheel is not in the correct position then the bulb never gets power so never lights up.

Good look at the shift motor here: How to: Rebuild 4X4 Shift Motor | Ford Explorer and Ford Ranger Forums - Serious Explorations

Contact wheel 5th pic down, contacts 6th pic
Power for the bulb goes down 1 wire then comes back up another wire
The electric motor just needs 2 wires for power
The other 5 wires are for bulbs and POSITION control so the 4x4 module knows when shifter is in 2WD, 4high or 4 low

So yes it could be the shift motor is not turning, or could be the shift motor is not getting power from the 4x4 module