Hello everyone, I have a 2004 new bodystyle 4.6 4x4 automatic transmission with manual shift 4x4.
When we had snow heer I went to put the truck into 4wheel drive but it struggled going in, made a couple of loud banging noises and fiinally after 2 minutes went into 4x4. I thought it was because I havent used the 4x4 in awhile. Well, it has done this multiple times during the snow storm but seem to get a little better. One time it took a good 5 mins to engage. YOu could hear it trying to go in with the banging.
Now something new is happeing, this has happened twice. I park the truck come back out and start it up and pull away I start to hear a grinding noise under the truck around the transmission and transfer case area, it goes away in several minutes. The transmission shifts perfect...
My gut feeling it is a transfer case problem, has anyone else had this problem or can advise me...Thanks..

 

I had something similar last month. It sounded like playing cards in a bicycle spoke. Turned out the hubs were not fully engaging.

They ended up changing the 4x4 hubs and vacuum solinoid. Just dropped it off today due to the fact that it is not coming out of 4x all the time.

 

Thanks, got to digging a little further and notice that there has been a problem with the vacumn solenoids on this particular turck. Ill have my mechanic to check. Thanks very much...Mark

 

had the same intermitent problem, sounded like rocks in a blender to me. Replaced the IWE sensor and haven't heard it since.

 

Spike Strider,

if you dont mind me asking how much were the hubs? i just changed my IWE solenoid and that still wont allow me to engage my 4 wheel drive