a week or two ago some of you were talking about a ford 4x4 not wanting to shift in four wheel drive or out of four wheel drive or something like that.anyway i have a 03 ford ranger it will shift into 4x4 hi real easy but doesnt want to go in four wheel low.it will eventually go if i keep flipping the switch but then same thing trying to go back the other way takes a few times working the switch any ideas thanks RICK
- Thread starter rick1
- Start date
Allan in NE
Well-known Member
Transmission in park, foot on the brake, ignition on?
Allan
Allan
Bob N.Y.
Well-known Member
- Location
- Norway, N.Y.
I think an automatic transmission has to be in neutral, not park. If it is manual transmission, clutch pedal depressed and foot on brake pedal.
Michael Soldan
Well-known Member
Yep Allan, at least trans in neutral,foot on brake...funny story,I had this Ford truck and the first winter I went over to the arena to the hockey game. When I went to leave the windshield had frosted over so I reached down and turned the knob for the fan , went on my way...it wasn't the fan switch ,it was the 4x4 shift knob...and it went in with no problem,as soon as I went to corner , I knew what I had done! Mine works fine in neutral with the brake on,both going in and coming out!
old popper
Well-known Member
Yup! I'm a dummy too. I didn't think 4 low worked in either of my Rangers ('91 & '03). A couple of weeks ago someone posted on here about reading the manual, to put trans in neutral, foot on brake. Tah-dah, low works in both of them.
Utterly amazing what an old dummy can learn on this site.
Utterly amazing what an old dummy can learn on this site.
Our 02 Explorer Sport Trac wouldn't go in for several years. I finally got it in a few weeks ago by reading the manual for my 07 F250. To finally get the Sport Trac in,I had to get up on just a little bit of a grade,foot on the brake,transmission in neutral,turned the switch and let up a little on the brake at the same time so it rolled just a little bit. It went in. The wife and I were just talking about this not five minutes ago. She'd had it in 4x4 yesterday because of the storm,but went to two wheel today since the roads have dried out. She said she didn't have any problem with it.
THIS IS EASY. read the owners BOOK!!! SHift to 4X drive first and drive forward a few feet. Next you need to be standing still- and even better put it in park. Turn knob to 4X low. Should shift then. I have a 96 and it is REAL slow in granny gear. To get back to the real - -world reverse this story. Computers and gears and transfer case all are happier this way. Just trust me on this one.
jimg.allentown
Well-known Member
Bob got it right. Automatic trans has to be in NEUTRAL, not PARK. Foot on brake, press the button, and give it a little time to respond. It does not go in quickly. There is a motor on the transfer case that does the shifting. In that motor, there are contacts that give feedback to the computer to let it know that the range you have selected has fully engaged.
john *.?-!.* cub owner
Well-known Member
If you are shifting it as has been listed, there are a couple things to check. First is the shifter motor, that motor and linkage are all exposed and if you do much driving in mud off road or on farm it may need taken off and cleaned. On the 01, and I think the 03 also there is a processor that controls the 4wd shifter mounted behind the passenger kick panel. Listen closely if it is repeatedly clicking. The earlier ones were bad to fail for a while.
OK the last time I shifted it was like four years ago in a muddy field. I know it had to be standing still and something with the transmission. What it does is so you don't rip the Sh$%^$$%^&*&*( T out of the trany or transfer case. Saftey systems, gotta love them. We got it figgered out though! Now do you know how to set the stations on your radio? I can remember when you had to pull the push button out and push it back in to "lock" the station. That is what it means.
It has to be in neutral to shift. You can not have ANY strain on the driveline. So I'd pull it in neutral and allow it to coast to a stop, then hold the brake and shift it. IIRC, you need the brake switch circuit activated to switch to or from low range. If that does not help and it's still lazy about shifting then I think you'll find that the shift motor is bad. That's a fairly common problem on Ranger's. I've had the motor off of mine now for the better part of two years because of wiring problems...
If you find yourself stuck in low range... crawl under it and remove the 3 bolts that hold the motor to the transfer case, pull the motor off and manually turn the shifter screw back to 2H with a vise grip... and drive on.
Rod
If you find yourself stuck in low range... crawl under it and remove the 3 bolts that hold the motor to the transfer case, pull the motor off and manually turn the shifter screw back to 2H with a vise grip... and drive on.
Rod
jimg.allentown
Well-known Member
On most of the Ford radios, to set the stations, you first tune in the desired station. Then, select the button that you wish to set on that station. Depress the button and hold it. The sound will mute for a short time, and then return. When the sound returns, the button is now set, and when you press that button, it will tune to the station you just selected.
Oh, BTW, the reason the transmission has to be in neutral is to allow a little bit of movement in the gear train when the low range engages. This prevents a gear tooth from being blocked by the gear that is stationary. Ever notice that sometimes on a stick shift, it does not want to go into a gear until you either move a little or let the clutch out a bit? Same idea.
Oh, BTW, the reason the transmission has to be in neutral is to allow a little bit of movement in the gear train when the low range engages. This prevents a gear tooth from being blocked by the gear that is stationary. Ever notice that sometimes on a stick shift, it does not want to go into a gear until you either move a little or let the clutch out a bit? Same idea.
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