Hi All,

I've got a 2010 Ford Ranger Sport 4x4.

I've recently noticed that if I turn on the 4x4 system briefly to get out of trouble spots on the road that when I turn it off maybe 3 minutes or so later regardless of the dash light being off the vehicle is still in 4x4...

Has anyone ever heard of this? The car has 9000k on it?

Secondly.

I start 4x4 sometimes while going 20-40kms/hour into 4x4H. Is this OK?

What could be the problem? When I restart the vehicle the 4x4 system remains off and functions normal. When I adjust the switch on and off while running I do hear the relay and the light goes on and off as well.

I have tried stopping fully and switching as well as a rolling switch and nothing seems to actually shut off the system. It is always running...

Any idea?

Thanks for the help and looking forward to meeting all of you.

 

driving up to 60 mph or so is acceptable in 4x4 high

your front axle and driveshaft are always turning, the only point of disconnect is at the transfer case

you either have to stop and back up sometimes to fully disengage the 4x4 system, or if i switch mine out of 4x4, i let off and get back on the gas two or three times and it will disengage

 

Sometimes my F150 does the same thing, it pisses me off. They salt the roads so some places are covered in snow, others are just wet. If I drive around in 4x4 and come up to an intersection it is usually just wet, and I try to put it back in 2wd to make a tight turn and it binds up. Just part of the retarded electric shift 4x4 system.

 

your in canada, justin is right but wrong. our manual says no faster then 60 KM/H not miles.

i agree about the backing up. i had to do it in an older truck. once in neutral, driving in reverse disengages things.

 

Mine does the same thing, just gotta back up a little bit, quite annoying actually.

 

the tech article im viewing now says max speed for 4x4 high operation is 55mph or 88km/h

 

My 07 could be switched into 4 hi up to 60 MPH. But the Mazdas were only 50 MPH

 

i thought it might have been higher then what i posted but i wasn't 100% sure. i was just clearing up the whole mileage/kms thing. i still wouldn't chance much higher then 60ish.

 

I switched the sport trac into 4x4 at pretty high speeds when I was towing a trailer through a blizzard in Wyoming, no problems. Seems like I was in and out of 4x4 several times at 65-70mph as the road surface varied from packed snow to wet asphalt. It had (like the 00.5+ rangers) live axles so the front drivetrain was always rolling. Everything is turning anyway so I don't see any harm as long as there is no slipping or turning going on, personally.
The manual in the F150 says up to 55mph, or up to 45mph if it is very cold (forget the temp it says), and I hate shifting into 4x4 when I'm moving at all. lol. It is like the Ranger with auto hubs, lots of clicking and clunking as it brings the driveline up to speed and engages the hubs, I hate it. I'm still tempted to plug the vacuum lines at leave them engaged...

 

Wirelessly posted (droid)

Brian that's strange that your truck makes that much noise voing into 4x4, mine doesn't make a sound at all evan when I engage it at higher speeds. Have you had any issue with your IWE solenoid?

 

When Josh(HozII) had is 06 lvl2 he had to do the backing up thing, but his was auto. My 04 is a manual. It always pops out of 4h when I turn it off. I can tell a difference in how it drives/accelerates when i'm in 2wd/4hi/4lo.

 

Personally ive always thought if you need to be in 4wd you probally shouldnt be doing 70 anyway../

 

It doesn't make that much noise, just enough that I don't like it. You can hear it come up to speed and the hubs clunk in. It works, it just makes me nervous. lol

I do have a new IWE solenoid with the "hood" on it sitting in my tool box, eventually I'll swap it out.

 

It's different when you're very comfortable driving in the snow, and on a 4-6 lane freeway with very few cars and little traffic, traveling 2400 miles. lol
There is a big difference in stability when you are towing a fairly heavy enclosed trailer behind a truck with an automatic rear locker on the snow, between 2wd and 4x4.

When you have miles of open freeway there is no need/reason to do any sort of panic stop or evasive maneuver, you just need to know your capabilities and the capabilities of your vehicle. Just because it snows around here and everyone drives 20mph scared to death (even while there are no mountains and the roads are heavily salted) it isn't like that in the rest of the world.

 

My 04 I had to switch mine on a couple times tonight. No problems at 55-60mph and everything disengaged properly when I turned it off to make a tight turn. No loud noises

Straight from the 04 Manual

Shifting between 2WD (2WD High) and 4X4 HIGH (4WD High)
• Move the 4WD control between 2WD and 4X4 HIGH at a stop or any
forward speed up to 88 km/h (55 mph).
Note: Do not perform this operation if the rear wheels are slipping.



Leads me to believe you can go faster than 55mph but you can only shift into 4hi at speeds up to 55mph

 

Normal characteristics
On some 4WD models, the initial shift from two-wheel drive to 4x4 while
the vehicle is moving can cause some momentary clunk and ratcheting
sounds. This is the front drivetrain coming up to speed and the
automatic locking hubs engaging and is not cause for concern.


that is about the noises

 

I get so pissed at **** like this, people around here LOVE locking the breaks up as soon as they get to a slick spot..

 

If i see a slick spot I will either put in into 4h before I get to it or just let up on the gas a little so im less likely to have my rear end swing around to say hello

 

Yep, that's what my manual says. Still don't like it, never did on the Ranger either. Spinning the driveline up fast and locking the hubs that way is only going to work for so long, before it doesn't. Then I'll be replacing IWEs on my truck like everyone else. I was so happy when AVM came out with manual hubs for the Ranger and I could just leave them locked during the winter.