HOW TO: Diagnose your 4x4 system. ESOF
09-01-2018, 12:46 AM
#411
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The reason I posted is because I’m not sure if it’s a problem with the 4wd that’s causing this issue sorry if my post is a little confusing but it’s really stressing me out lol
09-01-2018, 07:22 AM
#412
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Credit to "blue2010XLT" for finding that schematic.
Now, maybe the next thing is to find which solenoid is which.
It looks like the solenoid with the "RED" wire is the 4 wheel, and 2 wheel is "GREY/BLACK". At any given time, one would energized, and the other de energized.
Last edited by johnday in BFE; 09-01-2018 at 07:33 AM.
09-01-2018, 07:48 PM
#413
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Hey Brad, when you can, how many solenoids do you have on the firewall? 1 or 2?
09-02-2018, 11:52 AM
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Great!!! Ford changed the system sometime in the early 2000's, I needed to make double sure what you had. That schematic is for the previous system.
What happens, is that when you start the truck, power is supplied to the solenoid, for 2H. The circuit is switched on the ground side. So it's important that you check at the solenoid connector, the power is always on going to, but interrupted going back. When you switch to 4H/L, the circuit is interrupted on the ground side, and you should show no power. Don't ground your tester anywhere but thru the connector.
If you have power at the connector when switching to 4X4, it looks like it's the switch. I went out yesterday, and verified this on my own truck.
If you don't have power when switching to 2H, the solenoid won't pull up, closing the vent, opening the vacuum supply, and supply vacuum to the hubs. Again, the switch isn't doing it's job.
That GEM, generic electronic module, I don't know enough about.
Likely shouldn't even say this, but I "think", in actuality, it works like a relay. I could be 100% wrong on that, but the rest, I'm sure of.
What happens, is that when you start the truck, power is supplied to the solenoid, for 2H. The circuit is switched on the ground side. So it's important that you check at the solenoid connector, the power is always on going to, but interrupted going back. When you switch to 4H/L, the circuit is interrupted on the ground side, and you should show no power. Don't ground your tester anywhere but thru the connector.
If you have power at the connector when switching to 4X4, it looks like it's the switch. I went out yesterday, and verified this on my own truck.
If you don't have power when switching to 2H, the solenoid won't pull up, closing the vent, opening the vacuum supply, and supply vacuum to the hubs. Again, the switch isn't doing it's job.
That GEM, generic electronic module, I don't know enough about.
Likely shouldn't even say this, but I "think", in actuality, it works like a relay. I could be 100% wrong on that, but the rest, I'm sure of.
09-02-2018, 12:06 PM
#416
Great!!! Ford changed the system sometime in the early 2000's, I needed to make double sure what you had. That schematic is for the previous system.
What happens, is that when you start the truck, power is supplied to the solenoid, for 2H. The circuit is switched on the ground side. So it's important that you check at the solenoid connector, the power is always on going to, but interrupted going back. When you switch to 4H/L, the circuit is interrupted on the ground side, and you should show no power. Don't ground your tester anywhere but thru the connector.
If you have power at the connector when switching to 4X4, it looks like it's the switch. I went out yesterday, and verified this on my own truck.
If you don't have power when switching to 2H, the solenoid won't pull up, closing the vent, opening the vacuum supply, and supply vacuum to the hubs. Again, the switch isn't doing it's job.
That GEM, generic electronic module, I don't know enough about.
Likely shouldn't even say this, but I "think", in actuality, it works like a relay. I could be 100% wrong on that, but the rest, I'm sure of.
What happens, is that when you start the truck, power is supplied to the solenoid, for 2H. The circuit is switched on the ground side. So it's important that you check at the solenoid connector, the power is always on going to, but interrupted going back. When you switch to 4H/L, the circuit is interrupted on the ground side, and you should show no power. Don't ground your tester anywhere but thru the connector.
If you have power at the connector when switching to 4X4, it looks like it's the switch. I went out yesterday, and verified this on my own truck.
If you don't have power when switching to 2H, the solenoid won't pull up, closing the vent, opening the vacuum supply, and supply vacuum to the hubs. Again, the switch isn't doing it's job.
That GEM, generic electronic module, I don't know enough about.
Likely shouldn't even say this, but I "think", in actuality, it works like a relay. I could be 100% wrong on that, but the rest, I'm sure of.
Just pull the connector from solenoid and put the probes in the holes?
09-02-2018, 12:10 PM
#417
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09-03-2018, 12:07 PM
#418
09-03-2018, 12:55 PM
#419
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Please correct me if I'm wrong, the initial problem was your IWEs won't disengage? If so, something we could try, is bypassing the solenoid. Take the vacuum hose off that supplies vacuum from the engine, and the one going to your IWEs, connect them to each other, and start the engine, hopefully, the IWEs will disengage.
IIRC, there is a video out there explaining this, I'll try to find it, and post it.
09-03-2018, 12:58 PM
#420
OK, always has power going thru the connector, that's telling me the switch may be bad, could be a problem with the GEM, but like I mentioned, I don't know enough about that. Knowing what I do, I'd change out the switch.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, the initial problem was your IWEs won't disengage? If so, something we could try, is bypassing the solenoid. Take the vacuum hose off that supplies vacuum from the engine, and the one going to your IWEs, connect them to each other, and start the engine, hopefully, the IWEs will disengage.
IIRC, there is a video out there explaining this, I'll try to find it, and post it.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, the initial problem was your IWEs won't disengage? If so, something we could try, is bypassing the solenoid. Take the vacuum hose off that supplies vacuum from the engine, and the one going to your IWEs, connect them to each other, and start the engine, hopefully, the IWEs will disengage.
IIRC, there is a video out there explaining this, I'll try to find it, and post it.
That will work, I have disconnected from the solenoid and used a vacuum pump and they disengaged and held for several minutes before I called it good.