Need to trouble shoot 4wd dashboard switch, fuses and solenoids on a 97 F 150, stuck in 4wd Low, can someone help?

 

Be a little more clear.
Does not turn to 2H? or ?
To get into 4L you had to stop, go into neutral and put foot brake on.
What has been done to get into this situation?
There are a number of things that go on to achive 4L so they need to reverse to back out of it.
There is GEM control module, 2 fire wall relays, a tranfer case motor to do internal driveline changes, a contactor circuit board and axle vacuum actuator.
So you need to detail the situation then, look at the most preferred location first.
Fuses don't enter into it unless everything is dead.
Good luck.

 

My 97 Ford F-150 was stuck in 4W Low and the dash board electronic switch would not make its usual clicking noise when turned to any of the selections 2W, 4W or 4W Low, even with the shifter in N and my foot on the brake. It got this way probably by operating the switch with my shifter not in N and/or not putting my foot on the brake to make the low shift. I drove it this way on short trips for several days at a top end of 35 MPH asking around to find an answer. After talking to a couple of mechanics who told me to try tapping on the transfer case motor while someone else turned the switch, I thought I might just try one other thing first. I took the negative battery cable loose for about 3 hours, (don't know if time was a factor just got distracted). When I reconnected the battery, started the truck, foot on brake and shifter in N, I turned the switch from 4W Low to 4W and "CLICK", fixed. Can someone tell me how this fixed the problem? Just curious. Thanks for the reply, Bluegrass

 

I don't think anyone can tell you just what the reason was.
If I had to guess, it involved either the GEM or the firewall relay or even a harness plug.
The tranfer case motor has 3 positions. 4L is the last operate position so it had to reverse all the way to 2L and do the front vacuum actuator disconnect operation.
The whole operation has to be understood by anyone working on the issue or they are just guessing.
Hope it was a fluke and not likely to happen again. Look at the possibility of a windshield leak onto the GEM under the dash.
Good luck.

 

You have a bad GEM. I had the same exact problem. I replaced everything except the gem and still could not get it back into 4H or 2H. I found a used GEM with my exact serial and programming code on Ebay for $100. I replaced it and havent had trouble since. The original issue is your front windshield is leaking around the A-Piller allowing the GEM to get wet.