I have an automatic 2002 XLT 4x4 Ford Ranger that has been having issues shifting into 4 wheel drive mode. It began about a year ago when I would try to shift into 4 wheel drive, with the automatic turn **** on the dash, I would here a clicking sound, from under the dash near the passenger side, but the 4x4 light wouldn't illuminate nor would I have 4x4 capabilities. I would keep turning the switch from 4x4 to 2 wheel drive and eventually it would engage into 4x4 mode until about 2 months ago. Now I still hear the clicking noise under the dash but nothing else happens. I am looking for any suggestions on what the problem could be and how to check if the transfer case motor is bad. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

if the clicking is behind the dash it could be the 4x4 control module.

look here for checking your motor through.
http://therangerstation.com/tech_lib...shiftmotor.htm

 

^ just about to post that link lol..

 

Thanks, i'll check it out. I've owned the truck for 5 years and have always heard the faint clicking sound when I engaged into 4x4 mode. Is that not common?

 

you should hear a single click, but if you ear multiple clicking that is not good

 

Alright, thanks for the advice.

 

I always hear two. One when the case starts to switch and one when its done.

 

I was looking at my new case today, who's thought about like welding a sprocket onto the little stub, then running a chain to another sprocket in the truck.. ghetto-manual-tcase mania!!

yes, that thought really went through my head.. so did welding a screw driver to it and cutting a hole in the floor.. as well as having to lay under the truck with a pair of pliers to engage low.



alllll because that electronic BS has left me in a few bad situations.

 

Ask miller about that from what i hear the electrics turn ALOT lol...

 

LOL, thats what I do on my 93!!! Except, it's for high and low...Pliers FTW!!!

 

At 219,000 miles, the transfer case motor on my 2002 Ford Ranger XLT was dead (corroded/frozen) and the truck would not go in to 4WD mode.

Thanks to the information posted on this forum and elsewhere, I was able to fix my 4WD problem. First, I confirmed that the problem was NOT caused by a blown fuse or faulty control module, as the 4WD and 4High lights both came on when starting the truck and I could hear a clicking sound after turning the ****. Next, I checked and cleaned all wire connections that were easily accessible. While checking the wires for the transfer case motor, I noticed that the motor looked to be in bad shape (very corroded and the housing seemed a bit distorted). So, I pulled the motor and opened it up for a closer look. Sure enough, it was frozen solid.

Swapping the motor for a new part (Dorman 600-807 purchased at Advance Auto for $100) fixed the problem. The new transfer case motor fit perfectly and it was very easy to replace. My only issue was that the original bracket for the wiring harness, which was not included with the new part, did not fit because the notch did not line up. I took care of that after a few minutes of grinding the old bracket with a Dremmel. Simple job and now I have 4WD again!

Hope this helps someone who has a similar problem.

-MTS

 

Here are some pictures of the old and new transfer case motor.

 

I just recently bought my first ranger, its a 2000 ranger xlt 4.0 and i lost 4wd and my 4hi4lo indicators will both flash every couple min while im driving. Any ideas as to why

 

Sounds like it could be a faulty transfer case motor or possibly just a bad connection. The transfer case motor has a position sensor inside, so if that part of the motor is bad or corroded the motor might continually "hunt" for the correct position, i.e., it will keep moving back and forth if no "stop" signal is received. This might cause the indicator lights to flash if the motor is constantly (or intermittantly) causing the trasfer case to try switching between modes. This would occur despite the physical positon of your 2wd/4wd/4lo switch or the state of your control module, assuming there is power going to the transfer case motor.

Of course, the problem could also be caused by a faulty switch or bad connection somewhere in the system. I'd suggest checking and cleaning all connections first as that would be the easiest fix. If all connections are good and the motor is getting power consistently (check voltage at connection to motor) then you might have a bad switch or a faulty control module (see previous posts on this thread).
If the transfer case motor looks very corroded with a rusty, swelled housing like mine was (see first photo), then it is certainly suspect. I suppose you could try to clean or rebuild the motor, but mine was so far gone that I wasn't inclined to attempt a rebuild. For $100, I got a new motor and swapped it out, which fixed the problem. It's been working great ever since.

In retrospect, I should have posted a photo of the old motor after I cracked it open so others could see the innards and how the position sensor works. Basically, it's just a servo motor with "wipers" that run along a metal plate so the motor will stop when the correct mode (2wd/4wd/4L) is indicated.

Hope this helps.

-MTS

 

i checked on my transfer case motor and it was pretty effed looking, i pulled it off and water poured out of it, i got a new one and im gonna put it in tomorrow.. ill post tomorrow and see if it fixed it... thanks for the help..

 

Yep, most likely a bad motor then -- they don't really like water! ;-)

I'm probably stating the obvious here, but be sure to use a little bit of RTV or silicon sealant when you install the new motor to prevent moisture from entering again.... or you'll probably be doing the same job a few years down the road.

Hope the new motor fixes your problem. Let us know how it goes.

-MTS

 

no luck on the motor fixing the problem, since it has the selector switch for the 4wd is there a control module for it, a buddy told me his went out in his old truck, but i have no idea if mine does or not.. also is there a fuse in the fuse box in the engine compartment

 

HANK

Thank You! I am having the exact same issue on my 2001 XLT with 160k miles. This will without a doubt save me tons in repair shop fees because I would have been too afraid to replace the trasfer case itself.

 

Okay, so I'm driving down the free, and suddenly I lose transmission. I could not shift out of gear will coasting in for the landing. But when I stopped I could shift all the gears with the clutch peddle not pushed in. My foot is off the clutch and I can shift all the gears while the engine hums real nice, just can't get nowhere.

We inspected the clutch after removing the rubber cover. It's doing its job as well as the throwout bearing and forks. So, can the control module put the transfer case in neutral?

You cannot find one thread anywhere in the world where somebody has a similar problem. I don't know how to word it either because it isn't the clutch or the tranny. You can feel the transmission shift and the syncros mesh fine. It is disingaged somewhere, has to be the t case, but when it rolled, you couldn't shift out of gear, which makes me think that if it was the t-case I should have been able to shift out of gear. I'm stumped!

 

Sounds like the clutch is shot to me, or the input shaft on the transmission is broke.

Also, you should really start your own threads for problems with your truck.

You must have x-ray vision then, no way you can see the clutch disc sandwiched between the clutch cover and the flywheel.

 

I stated that in my question. I think the problem is in the transfer case maybe, and maybe something to do with th TCCM or the motor. So, why is it that I can't ask a related question here? Is there a way I can block this thread so I don't offend anyone else?

 

If it was the transfer case, you would not be able to shift through the gears without grinding, without pressing the clutch

 

Yeah better look at that clutch again, I didn't try to move it around. Thanks