Jeep Wrangler 4x4 light stays on
Terry Howe
>I have a Jeep Wrangler, `88, I-6, automatic. I put her in 4 hi the other
>day, drove though some icey mud, and when i was through it, put it back
>in 2wd. Well the 4WD light is still on, but, the front is disengaged. Is
>this just a stuck light or a warning that something could be messed up.
You probably iced up the axle disconnect system. Maybe it isn't sealed
properly. I haven't worked on this system, so I can't give you details.
It shouldn't cause any immediate problem, but you might want to have it
checked out. The front driveshaft will spin, but the xfer case will be
in neutral, so no binding.
--
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Terry L. Howe '81 CJ-7 te...@bcappd1.att.com |
| Rocky Hill, N.J. 08553 http://hertz.njit.edu/~txh3202/jeep.html |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
The Rodeo Cowboy
>I have a Jeep Wrangler, `88, I-6, automatic. I put her in 4 hi the other
>day, drove though some icey mud, and when i was through it, put it back
>in 2wd. Well the 4WD light is still on, but, the front is disengaged. Is
>this just a stuck light or a warning that something could be messed up.
>thanks
>--
>.....................................................................
>- till...@wfu.edu | Jay Tilley | irc nick = BPaladin | D e B a B a -
>.....................................................................
>- Handle: Black Paladin | Sysop of The Dark Castle BBS 910-785-9007 -
>.....................................................................
I have a '90 Cherokee which does the same thing. The mechanic said
it was a vacuum pump switch problem. The light turns on when i engage
4wd, and it goes off when it wants to.
Dan
Jay Tilley
Mark J. Scango
If I'm not mistaken their is a little pin on the end of the sending unit
that gets dirty or rusty that causes it to stick in the depressed state
which shows 4x4 on. Remove the sending unit and CRC the pin while you work
it in and out to free it up. This might help. I've had my hands on too
many different vehicles to remember if it's on the front axle by the
lockup mechanism or if it's on the transfer case. Most probably behind a
shroud on the front axle at the end of the vacuum motor if I'm not
mistaken. Look for a wire attached to a push-on plug at the vacuum motor.
That would be the sending unit. It should just unscrew like a spark plug.
Then again, I could be wrong... ;-)
--
Mark J. Scango mark...@mail.microserve.net
mark...@proshop.microserve.com
"With free advice, you get what you pay for"
Steve A. Porter
> many different vehicles to remember if it's on the front axle by the
> lockup mechanism or if it's on the transfer case. Most probably behind a
> shroud on the front axle at the end of the vacuum motor if I'm not
> mistaken. Look for a wire attached to a push-on plug at the vacuum
case. If you're lucky, it's just the switch. It could be the vacuum
motor or the line, or it could be somethin in the actual disconnect
gear.
chuck_cowman,_4x4xnorhtwest
>I have a Jeep Wrangler, `88, I-6, automatic. I put her in 4 hi the other
>day, drove though some icey mud, and when i was through it, put it back
>in 2wd. Well the 4WD light is still on, but, the front is disengaged. Is
>this just a stuck light or a warning that something could be messed up.
>
>thanks
>
>--
chuck_cowman
joe
>
> I have a Jeep Wrangler, `88, I-6, automatic. I put her in 4 hi the other
> day, drove though some icey mud, and when i was through it, put it back
> in 2wd. Well the 4WD light is still on, but, the front is disengaged. Is
> this just a stuck light or a warning that something could be messed up.
>
> thanks
>
> --
> .....................................................................
> .....................................................................
four wheel drive, the inside light stays on for a minute or two.. I
don't think it is a problem worth fixing.. (as long as you know your
hubs are still not locked) joe
Steve A. Porter
> You probably iced up the axle disconnect system. Maybe it isn't sealed
My 4WD light quit working for a while this weekend after some
freezing weather. After it warmed up, it started working again, so I
agree-it probably has something to do with freezing up.
BTW, I've had a lot of problems with this system, and I'm looking
into swapping manual locking axles like in the CJ.
You can tell if it's just the light, or if the disconnect system is
not working by jacking up one tire and spinning it. It should spin
in 2WD, but should lock up in 4WD.
chuck_cowman
>day, drove though some icey mud, and when i was through it, put it back
OOPS! I messed up the first time. Lets try again. Sorry.
This seems to be a common problem in the Wranglers. I've suffered the same problem
twice now. On your front axle, right side, between the carrier and the spring you will
find a small box like assembly on the aft side of the axle tube. This is the shift motor
for your axle disconnect and is where the problem lies. It is easily removed via the
four small bolts that hold it on (10mm I think). A small amount of axle oil and maybe
some water will drain out when you open it up. Inside you will find a sealed vacumn motor
that pushes the fork attached to the axle coupler. This vacumn engages an electrical
switch that activates you "4x4" dash light. Your solution is to either replace the motor
assembly (ie $$$ around $90) or try cleaning and lubricating it. I've done both and would
recommend trying to clean it first. It seems to work best when used alot. I have not
found any adjustment capability for the switch. I also have not noticed it being any
better or worse in cold weather or hot weather. If you do by a new assembly, take your
old one with you to the parts counter. Chrysler has used several versions with different
vacumn and electrical connectors. Hope this helps.
gall...@deltanet.com
>
>I have a Jeep Wrangler, `88, I-6, automatic. I put her in 4 hi the other
>day, drove though some icey mud, and when i was through it, put it back
>this just a stuck light or a warning that something could be messed up.
>
>thanks
That light on means that the front axle is still engaged! Even though you
push the lever to 2wd, that only disengages the transfer case. The front
axle is 'disconnected' by a vacuum actuated "shift motor". First check the
vacuum lines for leaks. Make sure you are getting proper vacuum to the
motor (If not, a vacuum pump or "sucking" on one of the two tubes will
manually disengage it. In my experiences it has never been an electrical
problem.
Hope this helps!
Terry Morris
>>day, drove though some icey mud, and when i was through it, put it back
My 89 Wrangler light doesn't come on...does that mean that when I shift into
4WD that I'm not really there?? Or is the "light" mearly a safety precaution?
Otherwise does all of this talk mean that the actuator could be defective?
Since I'm relatively new (2 months) in 4x4 lingo's, should I have this looked
at?
Thanks,
Terry Morris
tlmo...@ti.com
Curt
that the switch is just stuck because the front end does not bind up
when turning sharp corners. Generally I don't worry about it, and it
will always will unstick if I quickly move the shifter from 2H<->4H
several times.
-Curt
till...@wfu.edu (Jay Tilley) wrote:
>I have a Jeep Wrangler, `88, I-6, automatic. I put her in 4 hi the other
>day, drove though some icey mud, and when i was through it, put it back
>in 2wd. Well the 4WD light is still on, but, the front is disengaged. Is
>this just a stuck light or a warning that something could be messed up.
>
>thanks
>
John Collier
>
> till...@wfu.edu (Jay Tilley) wrote:
>
> >I have a Jeep Wrangler, `88, I-6, automatic. I put her in 4 hi the other
> >day, drove though some icey mud, and when i was through it, put it back
> >in 2wd. Well the 4WD light is still on, but, the front is disengaged. Is
> >this just a stuck light or a warning that something could be messed up.
> >
> >thanks
> >
I've had this same problem with my '94 Wrangler. The 4wd light stays on
even after I switch back into 2wd. I've found that if I just pump the gas
a few times (sometimes it takes many times) the light goes off. Not a
major problem.
John.
Dave DeVilbiss
> >
> > >I have a Jeep Wrangler, `88, I-6, automatic. I put her in 4 hi the
> > >other day, drove though some icey mud, and when i was through it,
> > >put it back in 2wd. Well the 4WD light is still on, but, the front
> > >is disengaged. Is this just a stuck light or a warning that
> > >something could be messed up.
> > >
> > >thanks
> > >
>
4WD light would stay lit for a period after i disengaged it. Sometimes
moving backwards a little would help. Most times, I would just drive
until the light turned off. Now, after having the vacuum switch on
the transfer case replaced, it turns on and off without delay. I
think the replacement switch was under $20.00 and I would have done
it myself but I have no garage and no time to do it. It looks like a
a simple job though.
Good Luck . . . Dave
| \
** ___/|_ /._\_____
**| ___ \__| ___ | ......./
**|_/***\_____/***\_|# ....../
**@** **@** ../
*** *** / Only . . . in a Jeep!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
DeVi...@octave.larc.nasa.gov (Dave DeVilbiss)
bout...@vcx.net
>I have a Jeep Wrangler, `88, I-6, automatic. I put her in 4 hi the other
>day, drove though some icey mud, and when i was through it, put it back
>in 2wd. Well the 4WD light is still on, but, the front is disengaged. Is
>this just a stuck light or a warning that something could be messed up.
>
>thanks
>
>--
>.....................................................................
>- till...@wfu.edu | Jay Tilley | irc nick = BPaladin | D e B a B a -
>.....................................................................
>- Handle: Black Paladin | Sysop of The Dark Castle BBS 910-785-9007 -
>.....................................................................
I just went thru this on an '89 Cherokee. Mine had at least two
things wrong. The first was the actuator on the vacuum switch on the
transfer case was stuck in the "depressed" position. I couldn't get
it loose so I bought a new one, it was less than 20 bucks. It's easy
to check too, just pull off the vacuum line assembly, and unscrew.
The actuator *should* be sticking out a little more than a 1/4 of an
inch and move in and out relatively easily.
The other part of the problem had to do with a vacuum leak caused by
the "boot" that connects the vacuum lines to the front axle that locks
and unlocks the hubs being oil soaked. This caused the hubs to remain
locked even when it wasn't in 4 wheel mode. I fixed this by cutting
the boot off and replacing it with individual, rubber vacuum lines.
I have no trouble with the light turning off (or on&off
intermittently) so I assume this solved the problem.
Also, when you buy a new gasket for the assembly on the axle you
should get 4 new screws and two little plastic tabs that fit over the
fork actuator (that's what moves the circular gear to lock and unlock
the hubs).
In the mean time if the light bothers you, it can be unplugged, mine
was mounted on the right side of the engine bay near the firewall and
it's a little blue thing with a vacuum line and an electrical
connection. Just unplug the electrical part.
Hope that helps.
Andy
-- The more you live,
The less you die --