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Part Time 4WD Light Problem

bjoehandley

NAXJA Forum User
I can't seem to get the Part Time light on my '98 Limited (it's got a 242 in it) to turn off while in 2wd. Drives fine in full time and has the Full Time light on like it's supposed to, and drive like it's in 2wd in 2wd, but the Part time light will not turn off when I drop it into 2wd. Short of checking the air in the tires (it was 1º when I left work) and picking the front axle off the ground, I've tried a few things that have worked to get it to 2wd with no luck. Then Dad borrowed it before I left for work and got it back into 2wd and I left it there for the drive go work, but it came back on as soon as I started it to go get lunch 30min ago.

You guys ever run into this?
 
This may help, but understand that the 242 is a bit stubborn.

Here's how the factory suggests you shift the transfer case and I've been doing this since these things were new and I worked at the dealership. Quoted from the owner's manual.

"To engage, shift the transfer case lever from 2H to 4H while the vehicle is moving at any legal speed". I let off the gas, throw the lever, and then tap the gas and let off.

4L position: " To engage, slow the vehicle to 2-3 MPH , shift the transmission to Neutral, then shift the transfer lever to the right and pull firmly rearward to 4L".
 
I've done just that, this will be my 10th winter with the truck and we've had five 242 equipped trucks since '92, but I've never seen this before without there being some sort of bind in the transfercase and/or front axle. It doesn't get used daily now that I have my 200 as a DD, so I wonder if it's gunked up or something.
 
I almost forgot, I put it into part time in the snow covered part of the lot at work on the way back and drove in a figure 8, and put it back into 2wd........went into 2wd and stayed there for the drive home:dunno:
 
A bad wire is a possiblity, we have a bunch of squirrels here so one could have munched on it while the truck was parked. Kinda think I've put more miles on it in the past couple weeks than I had between the March Chicago Floods and a few weeks ago.
 
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