Question:

Recently I purchased a 1997 XLT 4dr 4WD with the SOHC V6.  It has the Auto/4WDhi/4WDlow settings on the dash switch.  In the last 2 weeks, after being parked for a while, when I get in and start off, it feels like my front hubs are stuck in 4 wheel drive, even though I have not engaged the system.  I back up to disengage the hubs and this sometimes works.  I also go to 4wd and the light comes on the dash to let me know the hubs engaged.  I go back to auto, back up and drive and it seems to take care of this.  Last night, after a difficult time in getting it to disengage, my 4wd hi and low lights blinked for over a 2 mile trip to the grocery store.  On the way home, they did not reappear.  Is this a speed sensor problem that causes the hub to engage?  It seems like its the passenger side wheel that is sticking.  It is usual for this to engage without going into the 4WD hi setting?  Any advise will be helpful before I seek out a mechanic.  PS  Mileage is 58K, so out of warranty. Greg

Response:

The wheels on the standard 4wd 1997 Explorer are always connected to the axles and there are no disconnecting hubs, auto or manual. This is different than early Explorers before Control trac. In the Auto position the front wheels are getting around 5% of the available power, which increases as the automatic system detects rear wheel slippage. Switching to 4WD-Hi or -Lo basically locks the transfer case to provide a 50/50 split of power without waiting for wheel slippage. However, if the computer gets confused about whether a rear wheel is slipping, usually because of bad speed data from one of the Hall effect speed sensors in the transfer case, it will first try to lock up the t-case to stop what it thinks is slippage, and if it persists it disconnects and flashes those lights as an error signal. Replacing the sensor isn’t a particularly big deal, and reports that just cleaning them (or the electrical connections) has helped have been posted. The GEM computer should also store the error code for the problem. Good Luck.   =Vic= Bear Gap, PA – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Recently I purchased a 1997 XLT 4dr 4WD with the SOHC V6.  It has the > Auto/4WDhi/4WDlow settings on the dash switch.  In the last 2 weeks, > after being parked for a while, when I get in and start off, it feels > like my front hubs are stuck in 4 wheel drive, even though I have not > engaged the system.  I back up to disengage the hubs and this sometimes > works.  I also go to 4wd and the light comes on the dash to let me know > the hubs engaged.  I go back to auto, back up and drive and it seems to > take care of this.  Last night, after a difficult time in getting it to > disengage, my 4wd hi and low lights blinked for over a 2 mile trip to > the grocery store.  On the way home, they did not reappear.  Is this a > speed sensor problem that causes the hub to engage?  It seems like its > the passenger side wheel that is sticking.  It is usual for this to > engage without going into the 4WD hi setting?  Any advise will be > helpful before I seek out a mechanic.  PS  Mileage is 58K, so out of > warranty. > Greg

Response: