2005 Ranger FX4 Level II. When I switch to 4X4 the indicator light comes on for about one second and then goes off. The truck is in four wheel drive but the 4X4 indicator light never comes back on.

 

Welcome to the forum

Could be a couple of things

2001 and up Rangers use a 4x4 shift module, it is connected to the dash 4WD switch and the shift motor on transfer case, it also turns on the 4WD lights, but............it only does that if the 4 contacts inside the shift motor are lined up for 4 high or 4 low

Do both 4WD lights come on with Key on, thats a bulb test, nothing else?

What about 4 Low, does that light come on and stay on?
And if it does, then select 4 high again and see if that light stays on now, if so that would confirm contacts may be dirty or contacts need adjusting, slight twist clockwise
If both 4low and 4high do the same thing then my guess would be 4x4 shift module is the problem

You can see the inside of the shift motor here: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums...-motor.123542/

4th picture shows where the gears are, Shift Rod is pointed at 2WD in picture, Rod can only turn counter clockwise from there, to 4high, then counter clockwise again to 4low, then clockwise back to 2WD
NEUTRAL is opposite 2WD, just FYI, its not marked but is there, you used to be able to buy an add on Neutral switch, so 4x4 Ranger could be Flat Towed behind RVs, it interfaced with 4x4 module and added Contact wheel settings for Neutral

5th and 6th picture down shows the contact wheel and the contacts, as the motor turns the contact wheel turns and the contacts connect and disconnect, thats how the 4x4 module knows "where it is" and when to stop turning the shift rod in transfer case and thats what turns on the dash lights, so there should be a delay when you shift, motor has to turn and stop, then light comes on

So could just be out of adjustment, but that should cause 4WD lights to flash when you select 2WD again because 4x4 module wouldn't "know" where it was

The 4WD lights get 12volts with key on and are then Grounded for the bulb test, then they are unGrounded until 4WD is selected, the 4x4 Module Grounds each bulb to turn it on.
So loose ground wire at the module, or dash connection, but something like that wouldn't be "regular", i.e. light is on for a second then goes off, it would be more hit and miss

 

When the switch is turned on both lights are on an when I switched to 4WD light comes on, stays on and it was in 4WD low.. Now I have a new problem, I could not get it out of 4WD low. I tried every thing I new with no luck, driving around stopping, trying the switch in all positions and it stayed in 4WD low. I let it set in the garage for about an hour and decided to try it one more time. With the switch in 2WD I started it and the 4WD low light was still on I backed out and down the driveway about a car length, while setting with the brake on and in neutral the 4WD light went off and I was back in 2WD?

Thanks for the quick reply and I am sorry for taking so long to answer

 

It reads like your shift motor's brushes are sticking, most common reason why people rebuild these motors

Shift motors biggest problem is disuse, its rotor and brushes don't stay clean because they never turn, so best practice is to shift to 4low and then back to 2WD once a month, don't have to drive it, just shift it, that keeps the rotor and brushes clean and moves the lube around for the gears.

You can take shift motor off transfer case, 3 or 4 bolts
Then plug it back in
Then run thru the selections, 2WD, 4high and 4low
Lights should come on and go off as they are suppose to
If motor should stop working, tap on it with hammer or wrench and try it again.
If it does stop then then that is the problem, rebuild or replace.

Could be the 4x4 module, not an uncommon failure especially the 2001-2005 models

 

That's probably it being as how I haven't had in in 4WD more than two or three times in the last three years. Thanks a lot.

Ken

 

I want to thank you RonD one more time. I have been switching it to 4X4 and 4X4 low every tine I get in it and will condition to do that for a few more days and then to it once a month as you suggested. Both lights now work and it goes in and out of both ranges of four wheel drive as it should. So i give you a big THANK YOU because you saved me a lot of money.
Ken

 

You did the work so Good Job

Thank you for the update and the BIG "thank you" :)

 

Just in case anyone has the same issues as Kenny wg, i had a (sort of) similar problem. When turning the engine on the 4x4 indicator lights did not illuminate briefly for the self test.
Switching dash switch to 4x4 high or lo had no effect. Checked fuse was ok Wiggled wires on transfer case and 4x4 module- no effect. Lastly tried disconnecting ground wire from battery and re connect after a few minutes. Voila, all lights and 4x4 working as normal. Hope this helps someone before taking stuff apart....

 

Good stuff, thanks for the fix

 

Ken did you clean are or replace the sift motor having same problem. I just replace control module cause I have nothing . Now light come on works great in 4hi but hit or miss in 4lo going in and out .

 

Okay, so I've got an '05 4.0L 4x4 XLT 5-speed manual. When I switch to 4H 4x4 will illuminate for a second or so then go out. I can hear the transfer case module "click" behind the radio (actually it often produces more than one "click" as it will click again as the 4x4 light goes out). Notwithstanding the light and clicks, I can tell it is actually in 4H by the way it drives and pulls. In trying to diagnose this I pulled the transfer case motor, ran it through its paces and watched it turn to the appropriate positions. Based on the readings it would seem the brushes on the motor's rotor are dirty or shot. I got what was reported to be a direct bolt-on replacement transfer case motor but for the life of me I could just not get it to slide onto the transfer case shaft. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to the forum

You should start your own post

The dash lights are operated by the 4x4CM behind radio but via the position "sensor/contacts" in the shift motor housing

Contact wheel and contacts seen in pictures 5 & 6 here: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums...-motor.123542/

Its just a wheel with metal patches that turns when shift rod turns and the contacts opening and closing tells the 4x4CM where, what position, the transfer case is in
There is nothing inside the transfer case that does "position" sensing, that's all done in the shift motor

Brushes do wear out but motor just stops working and 4WD lights will often flash rapidly when that happens


As far as the shift rod they were all the same 1983 to 2011, as were the shift motors
You can see in the link above in picture 4, the shift rod is pointed at 2H(2WD), triangle shape
Make sure you plug in the new shift motor and BEFORE trying to bolt it on, select 4high(4high light should come on) and then 2wd to make sure its working, you can even do 4low to make sure that light is working, then back to 2WD
And then it should be aligned IF............you left transfer case in 2WD when you took off old motor
If transfer case was in 4high then change motor to 4high and install it

If you ever try to shift transfer case manually, pliers on the shift rod, be careful, there is a NEUTRAL across from 2H, and truck WILL ROLL AWAY if tires are not blocked

 

Thanks for the response. The OEM was in 2H position when I took it off, and the replacement seemed to be similarly aligned. Once the remnants of Hurricane Laura have moved through I'm going to connect the replacement and turn the switch to see if the 4x4 indicators light up and stay that way. If they don't then I suspect there is a problem with the transfer case module (which has been reputed to be problematic for the '01-05 years). If the lights turn out to be good on that one, then I'll leave it in 2H position and see if I can install it. Comparing the OEM to the replacement the female openings look identical, and they were both in 2H position (see attached).

 

Yes, they look the same and there were no changes in the transfer case shift rods over the full run of the Rangers, 1983-2011
The electrical connector was the only change and I don't remember what year that was

And yes, for sure test if 4WD lights work before bolting new shift motor up

 

Thanks. Here's the craziness about this issue. When I couldn't get the replacement motor on there I went ahead and bolted the OEM back and connected it up. I then went through several cycles of putting into 4H>2H>4H, etc. The 4x4 light would come on and then go off. I then did 2H>4H>4L, and the 4x4 Low light stayed on. Then I took it back to 2H. Mind you I didn't drive it at all. Then I drove it back to its parking spot in our drive and put it in 4H to back into the space (uphill, into gravel). 4x4 light stayed on, and went off when I put it back to 2H. The next day when I brought it back down and before I shut it off I put it back into 4H and the light stayed on.

This tells me: (a) the Transfer Case Control Module is fine, but (b) there was (is) an issue with the Transfer Case Motor. I hardly ever have a need to use 4H (let alone never a need for 4L) - maybe 5-6 times/year put it into 4H to pull out of a depression I back into in our yard so I can more easily load a motorcycle into the bed. We may get sufficient winter precip once every other year that where I've used it in 4H for getting about. So maybe lack of use (I saw some of other posts recommending cycling the transfer case into/out of 4H & 4L once of month to keep everything moving and lubricated) led to this. But I still think that Transfer Case Motor is the weak link in the switch>module>motor chain. I'll see if I can get this replacement on there after the Laura rain remnants depart tomorrow afternoon.

 

There is the plastic cover on the shift motor that you can remove to clean the contacts for the LIGHTS, its also adjustable, it reads like the 4x4CM is moving the shift motor to the correct location but it's right at the EDGE of that contact, so light comes on and goes off, so just slightly out of adjustment
And then when you shift to 4L and then come back its staying on the contact, but going to 2H and then back to 4H its just at the EDGE again

Look at this pic: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4f/8d...23af1d9d23.jpg

You see the grey plastic cover and the 3 screws, AND the adjustment slots, yours should look similar, you can try adjusting it one way just a little and it that doesn't work then go the other way, just a little