What is a surefire way i can tell if my 4wd is working. First off i only have the pushbutton so its single range only.

 

We had this bank parking lot buy our apartment and it was a sheer ice, smooth as glass. Anyways took the suby up to it to double check the 4wd. Put it in neutral engaged it and hit the gas. Looked out the drivers door and the tire wasnt spinning. But the thing is i feel it kinda bog down, like its in a lower gear.

 

Any suggestions.

 

Ben

well my guess is you have an open diff and the wheel on the passenger side broke loose thus makeing the drivers wheel stay. am i right.

Put the car up on jackstands or a lift.

 

Run it in 4wd and see whats what.

What is a surefire way i can tell if my 4wd is working. First off i only have the pushbutton so its single range only.

 

We had this bank parking lot buy our apartment and it was a sheer ice, smooth as glass. Anyways took the suby up to it to double check the 4wd. Put it in neutral engaged it and hit the gas. Looked out the drivers door and the tire wasnt spinning. But the thing is i feel it kinda bog down, like its in a lower gear.

 

Any suggestions.

 

Ben

 

Do you hear it clicking and engaging when you hit the button? Is the 4wd indicator light coming on? If both are yes, chance are it's working. Like was pointed out, you have open differentials at each axle. If one tire has no traction at all the other won't get any power.

 

Easy test is to go to a paved parking lot, put it in 4wd, and make a few slow tight turns. If you feel binding, like the brakes are on, then it's working. Don't do this too much. It can damage the drivetrain but for a minute to test is fine. You might need to go back and forth in a straight line a few times before the 4wd will disengage after doing this.

i did a test on ice with and with out 4wd engaged, their should be a marked inprovement in the acceleration on ice, in 4wd drive. or you could have an observer look from outside?

theres a 4wd indicator light. I have a dl so i dont know if i have a light that lights up but try this. with the single range push button.

 

We had snow and it was plowed in the parking lot. There was a drift pushed up on one of the parkings. I put the front end on the snow and the rear on dry pavement and pushed the 4wd button. The front tires just spun nothing from the back. Something pooped out on me. Or never really was working right when i got it.

 

Ben

Do the vent selector function all work? Can you get at the dash, defrost,and floor all to blow heat?

 

What I'm getting at is that you may have a vacuum leak, plug, or disconnection. The 4wd is engaged by two vacuum solenoids mounted to the drivers side strut tower. The vacuum for there operation i supplied from the manifold, via the reserve tank mounted to the other(pass) strut tower. This tank also supplies vacuum for the vent controls, hence the first questions.

 

With the engine running, pull the supply vaccum hose from the solenoids and check for vaccum. Got vacuum? good. now have someone hit the button while you listen closely to the solenoid(also feel it to tell if it clicks)to see if it operates.

 

If you get clicking, then I suspect the vacuum actuator that actually pull the lever on the side of the trans is stuck or leaking vac. In that case you need to first try to move the lever on the side of the tran by hand from underneath. It's near the very end of the trans, passenger side, with a cable attach to it. The actuator is on the drivers side middle of trans but the cable croses over the top and run to the back to the lever.

Yes i have defrost and heat but it isnt very powerful but i think that has more to do with blockage in the vents and an old blower motor.

 

I tried the engageing the 4wd and turning sharply in either directing. No clicking no bindeing nothing. So blah one more thing that needs checked on. Man haveing kids takes alot of time out of the simple things.

 

Hey Mcbrat you better set aside some time for me please because weve got lots to go over:grin:

 

 

Ben