I still remember the day that I bought my first car. I thought it was the most perfect vehicle in the world, and I vowed to care for it diligently. Unfortunately, within a few days I had forgotten about my promise, and I started tossing fast food wrappers in the back like everyone else. After awhile I realized that neglecting my car was turning the inside into a garbage pit, and I decided to learn how to take better care of my vehicle. I took a class on auto detailing, and it really helped me to turn things around. I want to teach you what I learned, so you should read this blog.
The ability to change the traction control system of your vehicle with just the push of a button, either on the dash or near the gear shift, is definitely a modern convenience that just about any driver can appreciate. But along with modern convenience comes modern technology, and technology in mechanical operations often means there is more of a margin where things can go wrong. If your push-button four-wheel-drive system gets stuck in action, there is no way you can continually drive your vehicle on the roadway without causing damage to your drive train, your tires, and possibly even your transmission.
To get out of the rut that your vehicle has you stuck in, you have to temporarily disable your four-wheel-drive system so you can head on over to see a truck transmission repair professional. Even though this sounds complicated, if you have a ratchet and a little knowledge, you can handle this temporary fix.
Locating and Removing the Transfer Case Motor On Your Vehicle
The first step in getting your vehicle out of four-wheel-drive is to track down the transfer case motor. This should be a pretty simple task as the motor is usually located in about the same position no matter what vehicle you have. Check under the driver's side of your vehicle and look for a capsule-shaped part that is bolted to the undercarriage. There will usually be either two or four bolts holding the transfer case motor in place, so all you need to do is pop those out with the right size socket and ratchet, and slip the motor out of its position. You will also have a few electrical connectors snapped together that will need to be disconnected before completely removing the motor.
Turning the Traction Control Cog to a Non-Four-Wheel-Drive Position
The transfer case motor is responsible for receiving electronic messages from a regulator inside that reacts when you hit the button to engage four-wheel-drive. When the motor receives these messages, it turns a cog that positions the traction control in the appropriate position. To manually take your vehicle out of four-wheel-drive, you have to do just what the transfer case motor is supposed to do, which is turn the cog. Using a pair of locking pliers, turn the cog in a clockwise position until you hear a click. This first click will likely be four-wheel-drive low range, but one more click and you will be back to regular two-wheel drive.
Once you have your truck back in regular two-wheel-drive, just replace the transfer case motor and make sure you do not try to put the vehicle back in four-wheel-drive traction again until you can get to the repair shop. This temporary fix can be a lifesaver if your vehicle gets stuck in four-wheel-drive, but get to a transmission repair shop such as Color Country Diesel Inc right away to appropriately address the issue.
Share5 August 2015
