I have a 2003 super crew. Using 4x4 yesterday and started sliding down slippery slope, steering wheel locked up like ignition was shut off. truck came to a stop and everything went back to normal with the exception 4x4 no longer worked.
Check fuse and it was blown, replaced fuses still didn't work. Moved selector switch several times in and out of 4x4 and could hear motors,selonoid, relays moving and making noise. crawled underneath and removed cover for actuator, had my son move selector switch and actuator moved back and forth.
Not sure where to go now, any advice or suggestions would be well appreciated. Is it the shifting fork inside transfer case?

Thanks Bluegrass, didn't readily find any bad wires but just talked to another guy and he said if the motor on the back side of the transfer case is bad that will blow the fuse.
even though the little actuator on the differential is moving while moving the switch, if the transfer case motor isn't working the 4x4 still will not work. going out to check that now.
Anyway removed motor on transfer case to make sure that was operational, and it was.
so I now know that the motors on the transfer case and differential are working.
Drive shaft going to differential turns when switch is put in 4x4.
Whats left? the differential itself or is there something in the wheels themselves that is not working?

Another question I have because I'm new here is am I doing this right? I mean as far as posting and getting the questions where they can be seen.
Don't appear to be getting very many responses or is that normal?

 

Based on what you describe;
It sounds like a major short circuit in the 4X4 system that blew the fuse.
The power apparently dropped long and low enough at the fuse box to cause the steering lock to apply from momentary 'lack' of power..
As you know, you need to step on the brake pedal so get the shifter out of lock and the steering wheel to go out of lock.
If replacing the fuse did not bring back the 4x4, I suspect a lead has burnt in the harness at some point.
Your going to need look at this situation very carefully because it is a major concern based on what happened.
It could be a different cause but find the cause one way or another.
Good luck.

 

Thanks Bluegrass, didn't readily find any bad wires but just talked to another guy and he said if the motor on the back side of the transfer case is bad that will blow the fuse.
even though the little actuator on the differential is moving while moving the switch, if the transfer case motor isn't working the 4x4 still will not work. going out to check that now.

 

Anyway removed motor on transfer case to make sure that was operational, and it was.
so I now know that the motors on the transfer case and differential are working.
Drive shaft going to differential turns when switch is put in 4x4.
Whats left? the differential itself or is there something in the wheels themselves that is not working?

Another question I have because I'm new here is am I doing this right? I mean as far as posting and getting the questions where they can be seen.
Don't appear to be getting very many responses or is that normal?

 

You need to stop posting new threads - start ONE and keep with it. The moderators will probably merge your posts all into one thread if they get my report.

 

glc: If I'm understanding you correctly every single person that logs on to this site reviews every single forum? So if I posted in sub woofers and speakers about the firing order of a 2012 super crew 5.4 liter engine I would get the proper response I was looking for correct?
I realized I had made a mistake where I had posted to get the most optimal responses so I posted on a more proper forum. If that is a bad thing then I apologize. I made one little mistake and your acting like I robbed a bank or something when you could have been much more polite and answered my question or perhaps recommended a better place for me to post. But instead you decided to stir the pot. If you are one of the managers for this site you are not very polite and helpful.
I was desperately looking for help from the best expertise people I could find but instead got a response from a person that just can't be polite and has to cridisize everything other people do. If that's the way this site is controlled I'm asking the moderators or managers to please un-register me from this site immediately. I do not want to be part of a site [that is supposed to be for helping people] where they have people that just can't keep their mouth shut when somebody makes an honest little mistake.
I apologize to anyone that maybe offended by this and will miss communicating with a fine bunch of intelligent people that only want to help others. Thank you all that responded politely.

 

need2kno, if you still looking, I would ask you to reconsider staying.
.
Forums can get a bit impersonal because we take each other in different ways being a one dimensional medium.
.
If the case motor runs ok, look at the Vacuum actuator up front on the front carrier housing.
It is located under a plastic cover with 3 bolts.
It is on the driver side and the shield the oil drips on when the filter is changed.
There you will find a vacuum device that moves a lever.
The lever has a yoke that moves a splined sleeve to lock the axle to the carrier output shaft.
The vacuum control solenoids are located on the firewall behind the battery.
One supplies vacuum to pull and lock, the other pulls the opposite way to unlock.
The solenoid on the firewall that operates the actuator may be frozen, a line off or cracked etc.
Check out the operation to see if it works in and out of 4wd.
Good luck.

 

Sorry about that - you DID ask if you were "doing it right" and I answered honestly, informing you how it should be done.

The correct forum for this issue is either 1997-2003 or Other Powertrain (not both).

I doubt it - I'd more suspect that you would get a rather snarky response, if you even got one at all.

We're not bad people here - you seem to be a bit too sensitive in my opinion.