4wd problem

[omeKemo]

I have a 1999 Jimmy. It doesnt want to sence that it is in 4hi or lo. When i push the putton to go into 4hi i can feel and hear that it is engaged. The indicator light is supposed to stay illuminated when it is engaged, and its not. Could this just be a sensor problem, or is this a big deal? Thanks

[excheezhead]

Originally Posted by omeKemo

I have a 1999 Jimmy. It doesnt want to sence that it is in 4hi or lo. When i push the putton to go into 4hi i can feel and hear that it is engaged. The indicator light is supposed to stay illuminated when it is engaged, and its not. Could this just be a sensor problem, or is this a big deal? Thanks

just like anything else, your gonna get dirty. trace the hoses/tubes from the actuator to the transfer case and see if any are off,cracked or missing. if it is electrinic, check ALL the connectors, plugs, wires, etc. before getting into the expensive stuff.
i've owned a lot of 4x4's, but always went with the general motors trucks that there is a shift handle and a tactile feel if it's in or not.
good luck

[omeKemo]

Originally Posted by excheezhead

just like anything else, your gonna get dirty. trace the hoses/tubes from the actuator to the transfer case and see if any are off,cracked or missing. if it is electrinic, check ALL the connectors, plugs, wires, etc. before getting into the expensive stuff.
i've owned a lot of 4x4's, but always went with the general motors trucks that there is a shift handle and a tactile feel if it's in or not.
good luck

Thanks for the help! But I have no idea where or what the actuator is or the transfer case is. Im not sure if there is an easy way to show me, but if you can that would be great. Thanks!

[excheezhead]

jack the truck up, or put he front end up using ramps, make sure you have jack stands etc. for safety , and get under the truck and look. there is a drive line going back to the rear end, and there is one going to the front. the one going to the front comes out of the transfer case, usually at the back of the motor but inbetween the motor and tranny. use a good lite and look it over. see if there are any black boxes or modules, or connectors going in/out. check these. any rocks, sticks, rodents, foreign objects here are bad. check and if there are rods or mechanical linkages, check them. for elecronic, have someone engage/disengage using the dash switch and watch to see what happens. listen, for any abnormal sounds. the hi-lo is gonna be hard to see, i think, but give it a try.
if all else fails and you need a shop to do it, at least you now know what the underside of you truck looks like!!! ask you 4wheelin buddies who does good work for a fair price. 4x4 parts are like boat parts, same stuff, just usually charge more because of the name.

[omeKemo]

It was a Vacuum Acuater Switch --- $87.00