4wd Dash Buttons Not working...please help a newbie....

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Why is it a "parts" truck? Wrecked?

that we know it worked in. But it still won't work. I got out

And if all of the wires check out ok there is a strong possibility that the servo motor is just stuck. It happened on both my '91 and '92. I removed the servo motor (had to cut the single brown wire going to the transfer case and solder it back together when done), took it apart, cleaned it thoroughly with carburator cleaner, lubed the bushings with motor oil, and lubed the worm gears with vaseline (it's a long way to the auto parts store from here--was all I had on hand). It has been working fine since (6 months or so). Mark everything before disassembly so you'll get it back together the way it was. Those wires you mentioned that had no voltage to them might be the indicators for 4H and 4L and would not have power to them unless the transfer case was in those positions. I should also add that the motor brushes have little slots that the brush wires fit into to facilitate reassembly. Position the rotor between the brushes and release the wires with a small screwdriver etc. and check to make sure they are not stuck.

The other method that has been mentioned here many times is to tap (gently) on the servo motor while someone pushes the 4X4 button. Sometimes it will get it moving again.

Then, after you get it all working again, you can look into getting manual locking hubs because the autohubs have a very high failure rate. But then you are lucky enough to have a "parts" truck available.

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Is it possible to get rid of the servo motor and install a lever to shift the transfer case? my motor's been flaky lately. I'm thinking of replacing it with a lever (and replacing the auto hubs with manual while I'm at it.) It's a '94 XL with auto trans.

I've read several posts over the years about folks considering some kind of manual shift instead of the motor, but I don't recall having read about anyone who actually did it. The good news is that according to the Hayne's manual some of the manual and electronic shifting Explorers use the same transfer case (Borg-Warner 13-54) so it may be possible to find the manual shifting mechanism on a junker and install it but I suspect if you have an automatic transmission it may present problems as it is unlikely that Ford would put a manual 4WD shift on a truck with an auto trans. There was also another transfer case used (BW 44-05) that apparently was electronic controll only.

Aside from that I have removed my servo motor so I could shift into 4WD when it was either that or not go anywhere. I drove through some serious mud with it exposed and it didn't seem to hurt it any, but I wouldn't recommend doing it for any length of time without sealing the transfer case again.

Thanks for the information. Sounds like it's not so easy as just removing the motor and replacing it with a lever.

Where I work we had a fleet of Ford Broncos and they were all auto transmission with the manual transfer case shift lever. But I've never seen an Explorer configured that way.

I'll probably remove and clean, lube and replace the brushes(?) on the motor and maybe it'll last another 10 years. Thanks again.

It would present some complications to try and juryrig something. For one thing the 4WD position indicators are on the servo motor. I think the amount of turning on the transfer case shaft is around 90 degrees so some kind of gearing would probably be necessary in order to operate it from inside the truck. Or just take off the servo motor and put a little trap door in the floor and someone in the back seat could reach down and turn it with a pair of pliers ;-)

Actually I'm surprised they did the Broncos that way. Everything now is buttons, buttons, and more buttons. They even put electric windows in pickups that only have two windows and it's close enough to reach over to roll it up or down. Being the kind of guy who keeps cars for a long time I just look at all of this electric stuff as more things to go wrong.

The motors get very little use so chances are the brushes are still fine. The first time mine got stuck I just sprayed WD-40 inside the servo motor and it worked for about 6 months. On my wife's '92 I used the WD-40 and that was a couple of years ago. Still works. Now I try to remember to push the 4WD button every couple of days to prevent it from getting stuck again. Meanwhile I never drive in the rain without a socket set and a tarp or something to lay on in case it fails and I have to crawl underneath and remove the servo motor again. But at least it's possible. Let me know if you find a good way to switch to manual. To me it would be a big improvement.

I'll definitely try the WD 40. The push button 4 WD is a gimmick I could live without, just another thing to go wrong (usually at the worse possible time). I'm putting manual hubs on it soon, I'm not gonna wait till one of the auto hubs fail. (Happened to me in a Bronco on soft beach sand, wasn't fun.)