4wd not engaging?
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
Joined
·
1,957 Posts
That is exactly why. here's the suggested diagnosis route: Check the brake fluid levels, then check your plugs and wires for the abs sensors at all four wheels, then the sensors and wires at the master cylinder under the hood, then pull the sensors and clean them. if that's not any of it, then I would suspect you have damage to sensor or tone rings due to parking brake failure...that's what happened to me.
![]()
this is quite common, though mine literally exploded, usually it's as simple as the pads de-laminating from the shoes and damaging the sensor. The most common cause is a broken wire to an ABS sensor or low brake fluid/bad sensors on the brake fluid res. check levels, wires, and clean the sensors first as they are the easiest to fix and this costs nothing to check and clean.
However, you should be able to engage 4wd... several people have told me that it doesn't work, but it does, it worked for me for almost a year every time.
Turn off the truck completely in park, wait ten seconds, turn selector to 4hi, start truck. It should engage.
same thing for returning to 2hi,
4lo same thing, but in 'N' instead of 'P' both ways.
Also be very careful with the brake pedal on loose surfaces and slick roads, as you do not have ABS and can very easily lock up the brakes until it's fixed. However, other than that, you can drive it without issue.
However, you should be able to engage 4wd... several people have told me that it doesn't work, but it does, it worked for me for almost a year every time.
Turn off the truck completely in park, wait ten seconds, turn selector to 4hi, start truck. It should engage.
same thing for returning to 2hi,
4lo same thing, but in 'N' instead of 'P' both ways.
Also be very careful with the brake pedal on loose surfaces and slick roads, as you do not have ABS and can very easily lock up the brakes until it's fixed. However, other than that, you can drive it without issue.
Joined
·
741 Posts
Around a year ago I had a similar issue. From time to time when I started up and pulled out of a spot (steering wheel full lock and low speeds) my VDC, ABS and diff lock lights would all pop on at the same time and I could not engage 4wd. The problem was intermittent. Every time it was persistent enough to make me want to go to the shop, it would go away for a month or so then come back.
Long story short, I swapped out my cv axles that had destroyed boots on them. Ever since then (about 3 months ago I think?) I've yet to see the issue repeated. 4WD engages/disengages quickly and the lights have stayed off since that day. Along with the above solution, maybe check your drive axles for damage/obstruction.
Long story short, I swapped out my cv axles that had destroyed boots on them. Ever since then (about 3 months ago I think?) I've yet to see the issue repeated. 4WD engages/disengages quickly and the lights have stayed off since that day. Along with the above solution, maybe check your drive axles for damage/obstruction.
Joined
·
75,499 Posts
this... I'd start there.That is exactly why. here's the suggested diagnosis route: Check the brake fluid levels, then check your plugs and wires for the abs sensors at all four wheels, then the sensors and wires at the master cylinder under the hood, then pull the sensors and clean them. if that's not any of it, then I would suspect you have damage to sensor or tone rings due to parking brake failure...that's what happened to me.
this is quite common, though mine literally exploded, usually it's as simple as the pads de-laminating from the shoes and damaging the sensor. The most common cause is a broken wire to an ABS sensor or low brake fluid/bad sensors on the brake fluid res. check levels, wires, and clean the sensors first as they are the easiest to fix and this costs nothing to check and clean.![]()
However, you should be able to engage 4wd... several people have told me that it doesn't work, but it does, it worked for me for almost a year every time.
Turn off the truck completely in park, wait ten seconds, turn selector to 4hi, start truck. It should engage.
same thing for returning to 2hi,
4lo same thing, but in 'N' instead of 'P' both ways.
Also be very careful with the brake pedal on loose surfaces and slick roads, as you do not have ABS and can very easily lock up the brakes until it's fixed. However, other than that, you can drive it without issue.
My slip and brake light are coming on and off intermittently and I really hope I don't have this problem again... I'm hoping it's a bad sensor.
Lee, how did you get a picture of my rear hub? Mine looks remarkably similar. All my e-brake parts are in a plastic grocery bag and most are unrecognizable. They completely self destructed as I drove down road with a loud clunk. If my sensor wire is damaged, is it easily replaced.
The four wheel drive does not seem to working at all right now, gave me a few pucker moments driving to work on an icy road the other night. Thanks for the heads up on no longer having ABS. But I already learned that and nearly the hard way, just rode up the bank a little.
The four wheel drive does not seem to working at all right now, gave me a few pucker moments driving to work on an icy road the other night. Thanks for the heads up on no longer having ABS. But I already learned that and nearly the hard way, just rode up the bank a little.
Joined
·
1,957 Posts
The wires are probably ok.... you will need:
-new sensor
-new e-brake hardware
-new e-brake shoes
-new tone ring
-new rear axle seal
-new rear axle bearing assembly
-X2 if it's on both sides
Those teeth are what the magnetic sensor reads to see if the tires are all moving at the same speed. with the teeth ground down like that, it will always read the slip/abs fault. When you start the truck, before you move it, the abs/slip lights should not be on until you actually move and get up to 6-8 MPH. you have that window to get 4x4 to engage/disengage. This is why selecting 4hi before you start it will fool the computer and allow 4x4 to be used. as i said, several have told me it doesn't work, but it did for me every time...
To fix that, the rear axle will need to be completely pulled, and then the old tone ring pressed off and a new one pressed on. when you do that, there's no reason not to replace the seal and bearings. Some here have re-used those, but with limited success and just seems a bad idea to me. If you have a shop do it like I did, they will probably destroy the seal and bearings when they pull the axle. its a very common issue, and i suggest to everyone, even if your Titan is brand new, to gut the e-brake hardware and shoes and replace it all with even just Duralast stuff, keeping only the toggle box from the OEM (They are expensive and hard to source) . the bare basic auto-zone shoes and hardware are FAR beefier and strudiaer than the OEM stuff, and you can completely do both sides for around $60 (or even just remove all the ebrake hardware completely for free) and avoid a several hundred dollar repair like you are facing. even if you can do all the work yourself, you'll still be out over $200 for parts. The situation sucks and is a well documented weakness of the Titan. Best of luck man
Joined
·
1,957 Posts
no problem, that's what the forum is for!
and dead river, intermittent sounds like a res sensor, dirty wheel sensor, or partially broken wire.. if the tone ring is thrashed, it's CONSTANT
and dead river, intermittent sounds like a res sensor, dirty wheel sensor, or partially broken wire.. if the tone ring is thrashed, it's CONSTANT
While I was looking for the parts I need to repair my ABS and 4wd I came across the Dana Spicer axle assemblies. They appear to have all the parts already in them. Has anybody had any experience with these and do they truly come with everything I need?
Joined
·
3 Posts
My truck did this last winter. Turned out ice forming in wheel well ripped wire for front hub apart. Glad I kept old hub. Just changed the wire. Fixed
My 4xr would not kick in till I got abs and slip lights to go out
My issue
Is now front wheels lock in but indicator lights just keep blinking
I turn off my VDC now it seems to not do well on my 2004 when all 4 wheels spin on snow or grass ther is a bang as all 4 wheels lock up and it seems like the 4wd is not working until it resets and then another bang and all wheels lock up again it seems to help in mud to turn off the VDC but until it snows again i will know if the VDC is the problem you have to turn it off each time you start the vehicke and engage 4wd.
My problem was due to the emergency brake self destructing and taking the sensor tone ring with it. Replaced it with a Dana axle assembly from rock auto, new e-brake assembly's and Power Stop rotor and pads. All for about half of what stock parts cost. The problem is really solved now since my Titan is now the property of a local Ford dealer. While I liked my Titan, the negatives out weighed the positives.
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!