Truck won't shift out of 4wd.

[Powerstroke]

I have a 2005 F350 with electronic shift 4wd. This morning I shifted into 4HI to drive in a yard and not spin the tires in the lawn. After getting back to the road, I shifted back to 2hi. The hubs would not disengage and the truck remained in 4wd.

After several attempts to disengage using forward and reverse, the hubs disengaged so there wasn't any driveline bind, but the dash indicator said I was still in 4wd. Also I could still hear an extra whine from the transfer case.

After lots more attempts to figure this out on my own I thought maybe my electronic selector might be a culprit. I was able to shift my transfer case into 4LO, but the hubs did not engage. After driving a bit I tried to take the truck out of 4LO and the truck will not shift out.

The truck seems to chug and slip in gear from stops and such. I'm thinking that that transfer case is not shifting correctly because that is the only time it feels like the tranny is not working correctly.

I'm hoping this is covered by my extended warranty. If not I'm gonna have to figure some things out since i need my vehicle mon-sat.

[jeffreyd]

try taking it off road on softer soil and see if it will lock and unlock. i worked with a guy who bought a new truck that was 4 wheel and decided to see what it would do, on the pavement. being unable to turn well he jumped a curb into a dirt lot drove a bit then disengaged the front wheels. it would not unlock while he was on the pavement. just a thought.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Sounds like a "ford diagnostic tool" whack to the transfer case motor is in order!

[Powerstroke]

Airjer are you suggesting I use the BFH method? I thought about trying that but it was raining so hard last night I didn't want to crawl under there.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Maybe? lol

You don't have to get to crazy with it. A light tap on the can of the motor is usually enough to get things moving.

[Scott K]

To shift out of low, you need to be stopped, you need to have it in neutral, and have your foot on the brake.

[Powerstroke]

I'm fully aware of the procedures for shifting the 4wd. That's why this is so perplexing. The hammer trick didn't work and neither did a new round of engage/disengage procedures.

Called my local Ford dealer because I do have an extended warrenty and my main concern is I work mon-fri and I have school mon-fri so being without a vehicle is not an option.

The tech said there were multiple unrelated codes relating to the 4wd. After some searching they found a corroded ground wire behind one of the batteries. Cut it out and solder in a new one and they are testing it out. They also found the source of an unrelated Power Steering leak and fixed that free of charge.

They are working with me a little on the price but I'm kinda glad I brought it in. I have ZERO free time right now (literally about an hour a day) so the time to find a wiring problem is not in my schedule. I should get it back in the time I have between work and school.

Is having a lever shift transfer case and manual hubs really that big a deal? I hate electronics.

[fishing tech]

I have found more then a few shift motors that after you tap them with a hammer they start working again. Some come back and have them replaced others I am not sure about. I use my 4x4 1 time a month just to make sure the motor stays free.

[heat checker]

I had that problem on my 2000 F350. Stuck in 4Lo after unloading boat. I found a gravel road and canned it in reverse for a bit. Turned out the vacuum pump was going out. After I replaced that, no problems for a couple years. This year I had the problem on one occasion that it would't shift INTO 4Lo, after several attempts, I shut truck off and restarted. Next attempt, good to go? I did have problems with my hubs not fully disengaging this summer, and had them replaced with manuals for close to half the cost of the auto's. I'm with you, give me a stick and manual hubs and I'd be happy.

[Eric Wettschreck]

The hammer trick didn't work

The boilermaker motto....."If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer."

[SkunkedAgain]

I miss driving around in the snow with my old F-150. It was great to slide around a little, get to a red light and then to the chinese fire drill running around my truck to flip the hubs, jump back into the truck, shift into 4wd and drop the clutch!

The only automatic function I prefer is the automatic beer retrieval system.

[dougger222]

Have not had the best luck over the years with Fords auto hub system. My first truck a 99 F150 at 33,500 had a to have a $600 4x4 repair done as it was stuck in four low. Luckily covered under warranty.

All three of my Powerstrokes have had issues with the 4x4 and since all were switched to Warn aftermarket hubs the issues have all gone away.

Noticed with factory hubs if you don't use 4x4 for a long time it can be tough to get it in and out of 4x4.

[Powerstroke]

Dougger I've seen your trucks on fordtruckworld.

My hubs were fixed under warranty once already.