ceracer33

i just purchased a 97 f150 lariat 4x4 ext cab. truck is a 4.6l with auto trans. 130k miles. its a little rough around the edges. i have searched around on this forum and found answers to some of my questions, however some i could not find answers too.

the biggest problem i have with the truck right now is the 4x4. (edited with new found info) it would appear that the transfer case is bad. when i put the truck in 4hi or 4lo and move forward or backward, i can hear what sounds like gears or something slipping at the back of the transfer case. do these transfer cases have a chain that may have slipped off or something?

my next problem is the dash board lights and a/c control lights are not working, the truck did not come with a manual for me to see which fuse is it. hoping its a blown fuse, but can anyone tell me where that fuse is located?

any and all help is greatly appreciated.

TheJMC

Here is a link to download your owners manual: https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenan...ls/default.asp Check your fuses and then replace any that are needed. As for the grinding t-case that is obviously not normal. I doubt that the chain is grinding but it could be. Is your t-case manual or electric shift on the fly? Have you checked the oil level? It uses ATF btw.

ceracer33

thanks for the link to the manual. mine has the electronic 4wd. if its not the chain what else could it be? thats sure what it sounds like, and also you can feel it start to try and pull right before you hear the noise. it would seem that it slips as soon as it gets a strain on it. if i engage the 4wd and drive slowly it does fine, but when i accelerate is when it makes the noise. does it in forward and reverse. i will check the fluid in the t-case tomorrow. could being low on fluid cause it to slip? obviously being low on fluid would cause damage, but i wouldnt think my problem would go away by filling it up if it were low. it definately sounds like something is messed up internally. its loud.

TheJMC

Chain stretch is not a common failure for this transfer case. There is really only one way to check it out and that is to disassemble it. The teeth on the lockup hub could be rounded. The chain could have jumped. One way to check for a grinding chain is to lift and support the front wheels off the ground and crawl under and turn the front driveshaft. It should turn but if you hear grinding it is most likely the chain.

ceracer33

ok i put the truck on the lift today and while turning the front driveshaft i hear no noise at all. i had the truck in 2wd, should i try it in 4wd?

still haven't had a chance to check the fluid level yet, however i do have another question.

i found a black tube hanging down near the trans bell housing. it looks like a dipstick tube, but i have both the trans dipstick and the oil dipstick under the hood where they should be so i have no clue what this thing is. its obviously not suppose to be where it is, appears to be bent and there are a couple of brackets on it to bolt it somewhere, but i dont see where its suppose to bolt. all i can tell about it is that it goes up above the transmission and back towards the rear of the truck. i can't tell if it actually goes into the transmission or what. anyone have a clue what this is?