4x4 Low won't disengage
 

F150 XLT 1997 4x4 Automatic. Major problem is that once into 4x4 Low it does not want to disengage back to normal 4x4 or 2wd. Tried when stopped in nuetral & also stopped and putting in Reverse & also putting in drive with no change or disengage. Finally it came out but not sure what did it after trying the same things over and over again. During this ordeal the indicator Light showed regular 4x4 when switched to regular 4x4 but truck was still in low 4x4 range.

Any ideas???
Thanks..

Im having the same problem mine wouldnt come out of low finally it came out. Now i cant get it to go into low at all. It will go into high fine but it doesnt click or anything when i put it in low. I am wondering if it is just the switch in the dashboard
CJ

Those air lines that attach to the two solenoids on the firewall by the battery are prolly leaking enough to cause problems with engaging and disengagement - check all those lines - You should have one main one running down to the axle and a breather running up from the axle.

Check all these for leaks -

https://www.f150online.com/galleries...943-194535.jpg

Those have to do with the front axle, not the transfer case. It has nothing to do with 4 lo.

Beachwalker, if you have a manual shifter, check to make sure the linkage is not loose. If ESOF, you will have to check on the shift motor.

They control the actuator. I would say the front axle has plenty to do w/4LO. I seriously doubt any of the two that need help have a manual shifter :rolleyes:

The T-Case motor is back on the transfer case , it has a blue housing - check your connections back there, follow the wires, check all connectors .

Then check you voltage to the motor per manual .

Test the switch voltage as well, in all positions..

A Haynes or Chiltons book will have these procedures, If you have trouble finding them, feel free to ask , me or someone else in the forum may have them handy..

Good Luck

my brother had this problem with 2002 f-150 4x4. he would put the truck in reverse and that would take it out of 4x4 low. FYI

If stuck in 4lo, it will feel like 4 lo whether 2 or 4 wheels are engaged. The front axle engaging has absolutely nothing to do with 4lo. That is entirely the transfer case.

Engagement comes from the transfer case - what gets engaged ? The front axle- The "4" in 4low means 4WD . 4WD includes the front axle..:fyi:

So what are you saying , when you put the truck in 4 low , the front axle doesn't turn or engage? .. Your hilarious dude..

Like I said 4low has everything to do with the front axle - stupid argument..

Rant all you want - I'm done . Mann this trans forum really sucks most of the time..

The 97-03 have 2 separate engagements. The transfer case, which is either through amanual shifter or and electric motor. And the front diff, which is done through by a vacuum motor mounted on the diff and controled by 2 solenoids mounted on the firewall. If something happens to the vacuum motor or solenoid system the front axle will not be powered by the driveshaft. Period. The axles themselves are always turning, they have CV joints, not hubs. All connection between front driveshaft and front axle is at the diff.
They can also be engaged without the transfer case being in 4wd if there is a problem with the disengage solenoid or the tranfer case itself.
Do a search for the 97-03 and the front axle not engaging. There are a lot of them here.

If the actuator locks and doesn't disengage via bad solenoid , bad airline, your going to have problems disengaging the transfer case. It might not be able to let go of the front axle because of said actuator problem. I said this in the beginning first thing because it's the first thing I would check.

When it happened to me - the red and blue line leading to the different solenoids then to the axle were severed by the battery that came loose in 4wheel drive..It would not disengage until fixed. After the repair I heard it disengage right after I started my vehicle...

You said the the two have nothing to do with each other , that's just wrong and you should stop passing bad information...

The transfer case will disengage the front driveshaft. Driveshaft will still turn, due to the locked up front diff, but it will be freewheeling within the TC. Only way you will know the front diff is engaged is it will be hard to make tight turns.

Your not going to learn much being afraid of it (learning)..

Seems to me that if the actuator motor is working for 2hi /4hi then it should work for 4lo as well, but im not sure thats just me talking. Kingfish and Jbrewe have mentioned 2 different areas to look into. Might as well hit them both while you have the hood up. Seeing as how the truck is 10 years old I wouldnt be suprised to hear those front lines jbrew is talking about wont hold a vac. The engine heat and just age will take its toll.

Yes you might want to learn how the 97-03 F150 4x4 system works.

LOL, sure, I'll keep that in mind.:rolleyes: