No Low Range

[Extremesolo]

I have an 2000 F250 and the truck will not engage in 4-lo. I disconnected the wires from the transfer case and sprayed some electrical contact cleaner on the connection and the 4-lo worked once but now it will not engage again. It will engage 4-hi but the indicator light for 4-lo doesn't light up and it does not want to lock in 4-lo. Any ideas would be helpful.

[Banshee34]

Are you in gear when you are trying to engage?

[Extremesolo]

I do not think it matters whether I am in gear or not. Meaning, I have tried it both ways and it still will not engage.

[00f250]

Actually it does matter. I believe you have to be in Nuetral with your foot on the brake for the transfer case to go into 4-LO. Thats assuming you have the Switch activated T-case. Maybe others will know the answer.

[mschn99]

You got most of it dave. Vehicle must be in neutral, stopped, with your foot on the brake. Then click the switch to 4 low and sometimes it takes a few seconds to engage. If it wont engage, either the 4x4 shift motor on the transfercase is bad or the switch is bad. A way to sometimes check the motor is to tapp on it like you would on a starter while someone else operates the switch.......

[Lone Ranger]

Originally Posted by Marc

You got most of it dave. Vehicle must be in neutral, stopped, with your foot on the brake. Then click the switch to 4 low and sometimes it takes a few seconds to engage. If it wont engage, either the 4x4 shift motor on the transfercase is bad or the switch is bad. A way to sometimes check the motor is to tapp on it like you would on a starter while someone else operates the switch.......

So Ford Guru Marc, All Hail !!!! Is it a vacuum operated TC swithing to 4x4? If the vacuum pump is down is there any way around that in a remote setting? The vacuum pump is not an impressive little unit..

Thanks in advance... Lone Ranger...

[Extremesolo]

Thanks guys. I did not get an owner's manual with this truck and I was not engaging it properly. I kept trying to engage it while the truck was in park. It seems to work fine now.

[Banshee34]

Yahooo! Glad it's all figured out now and you know it works.

[Dave in MT]

Thank you, in an opposite sort of way. I got stuck up to the axles this weekend in the snow; took about 3 hours to dig out. In the end, my rig was stuck in 4WD low. It was like the switch was broken, and I had to crawl home at 20 MPH. Read the above thread; just went outside and started it up, put my foot on the brake, shifted into neutral, and within a few seconds the low range light went out and I was able to switch back to 2WD. Thanks very much; I was stressed about having tranny repair this week!!

[seattlepsdtech]

I assume you are stopped , in neutral and your foot is on the brake.Try tapping lightly on the shift motor with a hammer while someone is doing as described in the first sentance. if it engages cool,but you still may need a shift motor.