I have a 2006 ford f150 xlt 5.4
The 4x4 doesn't work,
What do i check
The **** on the dash u turn to engage the 4hi or 4lo does nothing when you turn it to either.
Are you supposed to be in nutural whenyou engage the 4x4?
Anybody got any tips on what i can check and how?
I checked the fuses and i swapped the relays around.
Anyone got any ideas what to do?

 

Your silonide might be bad its rightbehind the battery there about $30

 

go to search IWE . good luck

 

Agree that you need to look up the IWE system and start to understand how the 4x4 set works on the F150.

Bascially, your engine pulls a vacuum using a hose from the brake master servo (drivers side engine bay), this hose routes behind the air inlet manifold and you will see it connect to some small pastic tubes on the passenger side near the battery and the ECU. These small plastic tubes new branch off to each front wheel and also to the solenoid on the bulkhead and also to a small vacuum reservoir hidden beside the battery.
The solenoid also has an electrical connection.

When you start your truck, the vacuum builds up and its this vaccum that disengages the IWE (Integrated Wheel End) on each front wheel hub. What this does is it sucks a toothed ring into its housing and allows the front hub to free wheel and not turn the drive shaft that goes into the front diff. To check this, jack up the front of the truck, start the engine and put it into neutrual. Rotate the wheel and see if the drive shaft is also engaged, if it is, the IWE is not being retracted. This could be a vacuum issue, so start checking all the lines and non return valves and the solenoid, or you may have stuck IWE's and that means undoing the front hub suspension ball joints and replacing them.

There could also be an issue with the 3 position switch on your dash.

If you are running with the IWE's always engaged, you will be losing about 1-3 mpg!

Good luck

 

When you say start checking the non return lines what does that refer to, lines that don't have a return back to the solenoid? Does the battery have to come out to get to the solenoid? What does it look like?

 

Doesn't sound like a vacuum issue.

When you turn the 4x4 switch does any 4WD light come on? If not, try tapping on the shift motor (smallish unit mounted on the 4WD transfer case) while trying the switch. Those are known to stick if not used regularly. Otherwise, there are 1 or 2 relays in the engine area (firewall) in addition to the switch itself that may be bad.

 

agree with 60DRB... no light needs to be troubleshot first... solenoid may be fine

 

X2 on what 60 said. Tap it with a rubber mallet mine froze up a while ago. Make sure you engage it once a month to prevent it from seizing up.

 

Had the same issue when I first bought my truck (used). Change the solenoid to the "updated" model Ford offers. Around $45 from dealership. Should fix everything.

As a question, when you switch to 4LO, you are shifting into neutral first, correct? Just covering all the bases... My truck wouldn't work in 4HI, but 4LO still worked.

 

then you did not have the same issue...he can't get in either...and to get from 4H to 4L you need to be in "N" with your foot on the brake.