95 ZR2 4x4 Not Engaging

mussinc · #1 10-30-2004, 05:30 AM

I have a 95 ZR2 in which the 4WD will not engage. When I push the button I can hear it under the truck trying to click in, but it will not. If I lock it in to 4 HI and drive forward a bit I hear a banging sound like the gears and not lined up. I have tried several different methods and it will not engage completely.
I have heard to look for a fuse, but no one knows where it is on a 95.
I have heard to look for a circuit on the passenger side, but where?
I have heard alot, but no helpful solutions....

Any advice would be greatly appreciated...the snow is coming soon and I live in a hole.
I'm going

and I feel like doing this

movin2stereo · #2 10-30-2004, 07:21 AM

Did you try putting it in neutral before you push the button?

mussinc · #3 10-30-2004, 05:44 PM

Tried the neutral thing as well as the neg. battery post thing. Nada....

mussinc · #4 11-01-2004, 06:39 PM

Anyone???

83XFIRE · #5 11-02-2004, 03:39 PM

Go to www.zr2.com and re-ask this question. I see it on there all the time, but it never concerned me and I had no clue so I never botherd to read. Plus everyone has the same truck, and there is a lot of info on it with these trucks of ours.

83XFIRE · #6 11-02-2004, 03:40 PM

By the way, your haveing too much fun with the smiles, lol.

mussinc · #7 11-02-2004, 05:56 PM

I am a memeber of zr2.com, just trying to post in as many places as possible for some good answer.
The opinion of one wise man is good, but the opinion of many is beneficial.....

mussinc · #8 11-05-2004, 08:17 PM

I have a 95 ZR2 and have recently not been able to get my 4wd to engage at all. I have tried the fuse thing, tried the neg. battery post thing, so far nothing.

Where is this fuse on a 95 ZR2? Anyone know...I cannot find a fuse box under my hood? I did find one in the fuse box on the side of the dash...fuse was not blown.
I have also heard of a circuit in the glove box...which one is it?

I Also, found that when I get underneath and roll the front driveshaft I can hear it trying to engage but not going in all the way. Would it be normal at this point to hear a chattering noise when I roll the front shaft by hand. (Hate to say it, but it sounds an aweful lot like a blown rear differential I had in an old car of mine...hate that sound.

When I drive forward or reverse in 4 hi it sounds like the 4wd is trying to engage but cannot or is not meshing gears properly.

I did some manual investigation today...Here it goes. My vacum actuator (under battery) seems to be working fine, front axle appears, sounds, and feels to be engaging, fuse is OK, hoses are OK.
Here's the problem, I dropped the front end of the front drive shaft, while in 4 hi I started the truck, the front axle knuckle(were the U-joint attaches) still turns, the front drive shaft still turns while disconnected in 4 hi.
While reassembling the front drive shaft I pushed back on it and it felt like it locked in, I hooked it all back up and took it for a ride, felt OK for about 1/4 mile then the chattering noise was back and the 4WD was gone. When I had the front shaft off I narrowed the chattering noise to the transfer case. Does anyone have a skematic drawing of the transfer case on a ZR2? I need to get an idea of what I am dealing with inside this case. I believe that for some reason something inside mt T case is not engaging or shredded.
Any help would be much appreciated....

mussinc · #9 11-10-2004, 08:05 PM

Anyone????

BlazerLT · #10 11-11-2004, 03:35 AM

Replace the Electronic transfer case encoder motor.

mussinc · #11 12-02-2004, 01:02 AM

Nope...saved me $400+ dollars by replacing the vacum actuator under the battery tray. If anyone has the same problem I did above do this first...look for a guy on eBay named "yourpartstore"...he sells the actuator for $70 shipped. It would have cost me $50 to have some at my local dealer just look at it!

vtmecheng · #12 12-02-2004, 07:52 AM

If the 4X4 stops working on an S10 from '95 on, the front diff. actuator is always the first thing to check. Don't always assume it is working because it moved when put in 4x4. Always check to see if it pulled the cable fully, if not then you know it is not working right and must be replaced. I know on my '95 I tried that posi-lock thing but it didn't really seem to fit well, I was worried it would not fully engage the front end.

mussinc · #13 12-02-2004, 07:10 PM

More bad news...It's not over...
on my way home from work today I decided I would do a test run again with my 4WD. I shifted it into 4 HI on a flat section of my gravel lane I heard it pop in, then after driving about 100 feet it started to bang and chatter again, thinking it was a fluke I decided to try again on about a 45 degree slope, again it started to bang and chatter...it is definately in 4WD because I watched the front tires break traction and I could feel them grab. What do you think is the problem...electronic shift motor or junk transfer-case?

BlazerLT · #14 12-02-2004, 07:35 PM

electronic shift motor not keeping the transfer case in 4x4 probably.

don't keep doing this or it will eat your transfer case.

mussinc · #15 12-02-2004, 09:18 PM

I just purchased a good used T-case w/ electronic shift motor all intacked and working for $50 from a guy in my area...took it off his Blazer last winter when he fried his tranny. He got a new tranny with the T-case and electronic motor on it...instead of separating the new case from the new tranny his just put it all up in one piece. I figured for $50 I can't loose...

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