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4 Wheel Drive/SUVs/4x4 stuck in low and wont disengage

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Expert: - 10/17/2009


Question
The other day on my way home from college I couldn't see out my back window and I thought the button was for my rear windshield wiper(turns out it was 4HI and 4Low for 4 wheel drive) I hit the 4 hi button and the light turned on.  Then i hit the 4lo button and it started to flash, then i hit the 4 hi again and it stayed on.  A few seconds later I hit the 4 hi button again and the light shut off and my radio stopped working.  I checked the fuse for my radio and it was blown.  I replaced it and turned my car back on and it blew it again.  I talked to a mechanic and he said that from what i told him that it sounds like it is stuck in 4 low.

When I try to move it now it seems really tight like im holding down the brakes lightly while trying to drive.

What should i do to get my car out of 4 wheel drive? Is it even stuck in 4 low?

Answer
Quinten,

First of all DON'T drive it in 4-low.  This will tear up the transfer case, and is very hard on the front axles.  What has happened, is that by driving the vehicle in low range on the pavement, it put the transfer case in a bind.  There are several things that can cause this.  One is the 4x4 switch, a bad ground, broken wire, bad sensor in the transfer case, or the transfer case is still in a bind.
The first thing I would do, would be to drive it forward and backwards for 10 feet or so while switching it into 4Hi.  If the transfer case is in a bind and all the other components are working, then by backing up and going forward, it can free up the gears so it can shift out of 4-Low.
If this doesn't work, then you may have to have it towed to a reputable transmission shop that is familiar with transfer cases.

Carl

4 Wheel Drive/SUVs

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Carl Brandt

Expertise

Will discuss suspensions, lifts, lockers along with tire suggestions. Trail ratings and possible requirements needed for specific type of trails. Safety equipment and what you should carry with you. Certified off-road instructor. I am not a mechanic, and 4-Wheeling is a hobby, so if I can't answer a technical question it is due to my mechanical knowledge being related to vehicles that I have owned, or have worked on. I do not have manuals on all vehicles.

Experience

40 plus years of 4 wheeling in a variety of vehicles. At the present time, my major off-road rig is a 94 Jeep Wrangler with a spring over and a 1 1/2" suspension lift. This gives me a total lift of 7" or so. I have lockers front and rear. I have removed the track bars, and sway bar for maximum articulation. I am running a stock 2.5 ltr 4 cylinder with a Jacobs ignition along with a cold air high flow filter. It has 4.56:1 gears with a Dodge NV4500 transmission along with a 3.8:1 Atlas II transfer case. This gives me a final ratio of 105:1 in low gear/low range. Other vehicles I own, are a 96 Ford F-250 with a 6" lift, posi rear end, 36" Hummer tires, 5 speed with a fuel injected 460 ci engine, an 87 Samurai with an 8" lift, Ford 9" rear end with a spool, Chevy Dana 44 front end with an electric locker, 5.88 gears, 16% reduction in high range and a 6.5:1 low range with 35" Baja Claws, and a stock 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland. Trails I have run are the Rubicon (10 times), Dusey Ershim, Fordyce Creek trail, McGrew trail, several trails in Moab, Utah along with local monthly runs.

Organizations
Lost Coast 4x4's Cal 4-Wheel Corva UFWDA Blue Ribbon Coalition

Education/Credentials
Certified off-road instructor - Certificates in engineering/electronics

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