Hi I'm new on this site and I figured maybe you guys could help me. I have a 1997 Ford F-150 4x4 and I just put a new wiring harness in the dash about a week ago. But I'm not sure if that affected what my problem is now, I don't have four wheel drive my lights for 4x4 ans low range come on but it won't go into four wheel drive. Can anybody help me figure out what the problem is. Oh it's a manual four wheel drive shift NOT the electronic version with the **** it has the lever on the floor.

 

Not intimitely familiar with your model year setup, so I'm doing some speculating.

I suggest to first put it in 4WD, have a friend inch the vehicle forward or reverse, to see if the front driveshaft is turning.

This will give you direction as to whether the problem is with the transfer case or with the front hubs.

Are the front hub lockouts automatic (where you don't have to do anything) or manual (where you have to get out and dial them in)? Again, don't know how that model year is set up, but wondering if the hubs are automatic, whether this is done through a vacuum/electric motor, or mechanical engagement like the older trucks.

If the hub lockout is done via vacuum/electric motor, then you may have pulled something loose during your harness work.

Hopefully, some members that have your vintage will chime in shortly.

 

it does have automatic hubs, i used my repair manual to do some checking and it said to use a hand vaccum pump to test vaccum at the accuator on the front differential, i did that. But I'm still not wondering if that could be my problem with that accuator, maybe it's somewhat engaging but not enough to lock in the front end. I hope someone can tell me if I'm even the the ball park of being right.

 

why did you replace the dash harness? did you check the fuse box(es)?

 

You still need to put it on jacks and have a buddy climb up underneath it.

 

I had to replace the dash harness because a wire shorted out and melted my wires going to my light switch so i had no dash lights or park lights. The only way I could get them was if I put the fuse that ran that in and they would stay on all the time. And I used my fuse panel that was already in my pickup i never replaced that.