I picked up a new (to me) dodge yesterday. It is a 2003 Quad Cab 2500 Hemi, 5 Speed, w/electronic 4x4.

I'm trying to understand how the 4x4 is set up. Obviously electric control **** in the cab, but currently just flashes in 4hi and 4lo, so only 2wd is working.

Is my understanding correct that the axles are always spinning, and the switch just operates the transfer case? Or is there a vacuum actuator on the passenger front axle in the 2500?

Any basic list of things to check, fuses seem fine. The truck has been sitting for a few months, with heavy mud on it, anything this may have triggered to cause the 4wd to stop working? Thanks for any help.

 

Check under the truck to make sure the motor that shifts the transfer case through its ranges is still connected to the transfer case. I hear that the arm that connects the two comes disconnected pretty easily without modification.

 

Oh, and welcome to the forum o.o/
Hope you find what you're after.

 

I don't believe there is a manual shift lever or linkage on the electronic transfer case, that's a manual transfer case thing.

Most common causes with the electronic transfer case not shifting properly would be a vacuum leak, bad shift solenoid or a bad mode sensor in the shift motor itself...

 

Makes more sense... LoL

 

I took the dash portion out, the switch was connected properly, not lose or anything. Also started to clean mud off the transfer case so I can get an idea of what's going on under there.

Any other ideas, or way of testing parts is greatly appreciated

 

The only test I know you can do without parts to swap out is if your cruise control also stopped working when the 4WD shifter quit on you. The cruise also runs via vacuum and also gets a signal from the wheel speed sensor. If both quit on you then it's one of the two. If cruise still works then I'd lean more towards a solenoid or mode sensor.

Lord I love my good, old fashioned floor shifter! Only thing I have to worry about is the linkage falling out, LOL. But then I can always manually push the shift arm on the transfer case...

 

I agree. I always prefer a manual shifter, but a 2500 Hemi 4x4 Laramie 5 Speed for $3700 to too hard to pass up

 

$3700? I think we found your problem.

 

$3700?? Did you check to see if there's even a transfer case down there??