gswartz

My wife never drives my 2007 f150 but yesterday she did. I got in it this morning and drove to work (about 5 miles) and when I got to work I noticed that the truck was in 4WL. I didn't notice any hesitation when I left and I was up to around 70 on the highway during that time. I'm wondering if she went to turn the heat on yesterday and instead put it in 4WL by accident.

I'm not clear from the manual if the truck doesn't operate in low if it goes over 3mph or if it just won't engage if you're going over 3mph? I'm afraid that my 4 wheel drive is trashed but I don't know and I'm not a mechanic so I don't know what to check or if there is something I can check. Does anyone know if it's made so that if you go over 3mph it gets out of 4WL into 2WD? Thanks.

Justice5150_99

Wow..... that's brutal. As far as I understand you have to be in neutral to even put the F150 in 4WL, so you should be good there. F150's won't even allow 2WD to 4WL on the fly like you can from 2WD to 4WH(which should only be done at speeds below 35mph). That being said, had your wife actually got it into 4WL she would have definately known it and you would have probably gotten a frantic call. You should be fine. I have always been told there is never a reason you should put your truck into 4WL as it will trash your transmission fast if you don't know what you are doing. Best of luck, and for goodness sake-keep your wife away from your truck!

As far as checking things, heavy clunking noises or failure to engage from 2WD to 4WH is a good indication it may need to be checked out by a mechanic. If everthing feels good and you dont have trouble with your turning radius, you should be good to go.

Chris

gswartz

Yeah, I let her drive it for the first time since I got it 2 years ago and this is what happens. So, if I was in park today and went directly to 4WL it wouldn't engage 4WL? I'd have to be in neutral first for a certain amount of time and then go to 4WL? I too think that had she really been in 4WL that I'd have gotten a call so I'm really hoping all is okay... but I'm just paranoid something's screwed up. Thanks!

Justice5150_99

No problem, and to confirm yes, you have to be in neutral to engage 4WL for that very reason, they don't want people accidentally doing that while going down the hiway at 70..lol. As far as checking things, heavy clunking noises or failure to engage from 2WD to 4WH is a good indication it may need to be checked out by a mechanic. If everthing feels good and you dont have trouble with your turning radius, you should be good to go.

Chris

TPPJR

You have to be in neutral AND have the brake applied to go into 4WL. Now if the 4WL light was on and it was not in 4WL then it should have been in 4WH and she should have notice something especially in turns and doubly if the road was dry (binding). So you may need to check things out to make sure that everything is working up to snuff.

Neggy

AND at a dead stop.

Nobody except a complete idiot could drive a truck in 4 LOW for more than a few feet before noticing something was wrong. I doubt the truck would go more than 30 MPH and it would be screaming while doing it.

Could you get it into 4 HIGH? Sure but the first time you tried to turn on dry pavement you'd notice something was wrong. I don't recall if there is a recommended speed limit for running in 4 HIGH, but I know they don't suggest engaging it at much over 50 mph.

I'd make sure that the 4 Low was actually kicking in when in Neutral with your foot on the brake. the transfer motors have a bad habit of not working, and require some gentle persuasion with a Ford wrench.

FirstFtruck

The (2011) manual calls for ideal shift to 4L is at 3 mph in nuetral, and it also says that if the truck is equiped with a E Dif it will disengage at 56 mph when in 4L. I didn't think the trucks would do 56 mph in 4L.

That being said, you would really have to think about getting it to shift to 4L, so no I don't think there would be any harm done to the truck.

Mark

Neggy

I would venture a guess that 2011 is a lot different from the 2004-2008 models.

the 2006 manual says it will not engage above 3 MPH if it is manually engaged 4WD, on page
222 of the manual ( http://www.fordf150.net/2007/2007-fo...ers-manual.pdf) when discussing the shift on the fly operation it contradicts itself by saying 4L won't kick in over 3 MPH but says the vehicle should be at a complete stop, in N, and foot on the brake to engage.


It has been my experience with Fords SOTF system that the vehicle has to be at a dead stop and in N to get the transfer motor to move the linkage into 4L

2004-08 models don't have locking differentials

FirstFtruck

Yah you are probably right

Directly out of an 06 manual......

Shifting to/from 4L (4WD Low)

1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop
2. Depress the brake
3. Place the transmission in N (Neutral).
4. Move the 4WD control to the desired position.

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Note:

normal.