4x4 won't work!!

I have a 94 s-10 with push button 4x4. Whenever I try to push 4 low or 4 high the button blinks a couple of times and goes right back to 2 high.
If anyone has had this problem or knows how to fix this please let me know. Your help is much needed. Thanks!

Reset your computer by pulling the negative battery cable for 10 minutes and try.

If not, you will need to replace the transfer case vacuum actuator.

Good luck.

if you have access to 4 wheel high you shouldnt have a actautor problem. i dont know if this will help but at a complete stop turn the 4 wheel low button and put the vehicle in reverse and start moving slowly in reverse, then stop. this should put you in 4 wheel low. if it doesnt then check your actautor and wiring. if those are good then its time to look at the transfer case. good luck!

Put it in neutral and then push your button.

Yes, 4LO is usually in neutral.

Resetting the computer will do nothing for a '94. Check your fuses, relay and actuators in that order.

Some people have had this problem solved that way so don't discount it right off the start.

the thing that always worked for me was puting the truck in (N) push the 4L button and as soon as the light starts blinking put the truck in park, that should force it to ingage. It works for me, and it eaven sayd to do that in the owners manual.

It works!! I took the nuetrual off the battery like you guys suggested for 10 minutes and then hooked it back up and it works just like it used to when I bought it. Wow. That saved me alot of time and money. Thanks a million guys!

It works!! I took the nuetrual off the battery like you guys suggested for 10 minutes and then hooked it back up and it works just like it used to when I bought it. Wow. That saved me alot of time and money. Thanks a million guys!

You are welcome.

It is too bad some people discredit my advice in this thread before trying it.

I am glad my advice helped you.

Ok, I have to ask a question but am gun shy of being accussed of something, but here goes.

I understand that the transfer case signals the ABS what state it is in but I can't see how removing the cable to clear the computer would help in a '94?

Can anyone give a straight and forward answer?

Not being rude here but, can anyone explain why on a '94, disconnecting the battery cable causes the 4WD to correct itself?

Wanting to understand this, I looked at a schematic the other day and could only find a sensor that told the ABS when it was in 2WD or 4WD.

when you disconnect the power the computer has to relearn the sensor values.

What sensors are there on a '94?

More problems. Cranked up the s-10 this weekend and pushed the 4high button for the heck of it and it went back to doing what it did before (blinking and not switching to 4x4). Put it in Neutral and the 4low works though. Didn't have time to try the battery trick again, but does this mean I have a short or something somewhere that caused a reset or something of the sorts???

I have been having the same problumes....Can't get my 4-hi or 4-lo to engage. The odd thing is, when i put my s-10 into neutral my 4-lo blinks then it may or may not stay lit. (both lo & hi lights go on if it dose work, the lights that is.) both my Lt & Rt rear tires engage but my front ones wont. my rpm's run up like it's working but there not. it's driving me crazy, So I feel for u man. any way, any suggestions.

Oh, one more thing .
someone told me that there is a switch that can get wet and cause the 4x4 not to engage. is that true?

FaithNoMore: I would try taking the nuetral cable off the battery like I did. That definately worked, it just didn't stay so I've got to figure out now why it didn't. At least if you try and it doesn't work, you've eliminated one problem. My 4lo will still engauge in nuetral, but both lights light up. Am going to try the battery trick again this weekend and see what happens this time.

FaithNoMore: I would try taking the nuetral cable off the battery like I did. That definately worked, it just didn't stay so I've got to figure out now why it didn't. At least if you try and it doesn't work, you've eliminated one problem. My 4lo will still engauge in nuetral, but both lights light up. Am going to try the battery trick again this weekend and see what happens this time.


Did you drive through some water like I DID ??? My 94 ZR2 did the exact same thing.... I drove througn some VERy deep water repeatedly and it wouldn't shift the next day. pulled the battery off and it was fine for a short time ... went back to not shifting ... had a couple of hot days, tried unhooking the battery again .. it has been working fine ever since ... (June 2004) and I have even went through more water and still no problems ... water must have hit it just right or something ..

Keep on trying to unplug the cable ....


Branden

i am having wierd 4x4 troubles as well
it works great for a few days...then nothing.
the green and red lights do there test light up when i first turn the key..
then i press the button and nothing...no 4x4 at all.
then i do the remove the battery cable thing and bamm...4x4 again:/
i get the loss of power forces the sensers to reset and relearn....but why? is this nessesery in the first place?
is it related to the 4x4 computer...do they go bad over time?
im totaly stummped :(

Calling mr.blazer Lt!!!
you seem to help alot.....got any jedi tricks for a noob like me?

Big b
Yes I did drive through some deep water...undoing the battery seems like a good idea (though what a pain thats going to be). Like I posted befor, I was told there is a sensor on top of the differential that if it gets wet the 4x4 wont engage, the only sensor i've been able to find deals with the Anti lock breaks. I'll give the battery a try though i'm sceptical.

I have been watching this thread closely , because I have a similar problem. I unhooked my battery cable and that worked for a while, but now ii can shift into 4hi or 4low no problem, it's when I try to shift back out that's the problem now. Only after I repeatedly push the 2 hi button does it shift back. Sometimes I have to restart the truck to reset the actuator before it will work. Any ideas would be a help.

Yes, you electronic transfer case actuator is faulty.

Replace it and check out the junk yard for the part and save some money.

this unplug the battery thing is wierd.......
mine works perfect for about a week.....then not at all...no hi no lo....then i do the batt again...and walla...it work again.....
the question i have is why the need for the unpluging batt in the first place...and why does it seem to be a problem plagueing many of us?
whats the root cause?
i was told that the Vacuum transfer case actuator prob needs replacing......by LT.
i havent had the time to get the truck to the shop..
and get it replaced....but ill be doin it soon.
and ill let you guys know if it fixes my prob.
maybe that will help some of you guys with symptoms like mine.

Might be the electronic transfer case motor on the electric push button models.

Thanks BlazerLT that is what I figured. I put a new motor on last fall and it only worked for a short while. So naturally I should have guessed the actuator. your help is very much appreciated.

If it was defective, I believe they will cover it under warranty.