I was out today and got into a bit of a muddy situation while cutting some wood and got stuck. I put my truck in 4wd but the light just flashed on the dash and then eventually went out. It just stayed in 2wd and would not engage the 4wd.

Anyone ever have this problem or have any idea what my trouble could be?

 

it is pretty commen that the gears get outa sink. assuming that your no longer stuck, drive the truck a little and then try again, they should match up the next try if thats the problem.

 

do u have the button 4x4 shifter if so the silonoid (spell check) in the transfer cae could be out

 

When I was switching it earlier today I wasn't getting any noise from the transfer case at all. The solenoid wasn't making any noise.

So I go out this evening and just decide to try it and that DAMN 4wd worked flawlessly. I put it in and out about 600 times and it never missed once!!!!!

Do you guys think I should still bring it in to get looked at?

 

like i said sometimes the gears dont match up, when u put it in 4wd the gears have to mesh together, if they are offset a little then they wont slide in, it happens all the time in dodges. nothing to really worry about.

 

Yeah as stated above, easiest way to get into 4wd is to be moving slightly so everything can align itself and lock into place. That is the biggest problem with 4wd because you really need to engage it BEFORE you get stuck or else you will have the same problem you had. Not always, but a good precentage of the time that will be the case. More so with 4Lo, but it does happen with 4Hi.

 

if u have the elatric shift id say the silonoid is bad cause ive had those transfer cases apart and there a chain driven case and when u put it in 4x4 they go into 4x4 there is anuff play that it will go in

 

There has to be some movement to engage the truck into 4 wheel drive. If the truck is STUCK to where you ain't moving at all it's very possible that was the only issue. Getting out and rocking the truck back and forth will often pop it in. I had a '89 Dodge Raider (Mitsubishi Montero) 2 door that had such a short wheelbase and was so light I could actually rock it enough from the drivers' seat that it would engage if it didn't on it's own.

Best bet is to shift into 4 Wheel Drive BEFORE you actually need it...

 

I was moving back and forth but it wouldn't work. Then when I got unstuck, I drove around trying to get it to lock in. I backed up, hit some bumps, cut the wheels back and forth, stopped suddenly, shut the truck on and off a dozen times, but nothing would work. Then later that evening I went out and never moved it, just started it up in the driveway, and it went in perfectly. So I am thinking it was the solenoid.