You are here:

4 Wheel Drive/SUVs/1996 suburban won't go into 4x4

Advertisement

Expert: - 1/16/2011


Question
My '96 Suburban 1500 4x4 won't shift into 4 wheel drive. When I push the button for 4 Hi the light just flashes and stays in 2 wheel drive.  Fuses are good.  Help please.....

Answer
Alex,

This could be anything from a bad switch, broken wire or a a bad ground.  I would purchase a repair manual and a test light or multimeter and start chasing out wires looking for an open circuit.
These manuals cost around $20 and are great for trouble shooting.
This could, also be a failure in the transfer case itself, or the front differential may not be locking in.  Many of these models have a motor driven unit that locks and unlocks the front differential.  If these go bad, then the front end will not engage.

Carl

4 Wheel Drive/SUVs

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

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

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.