4WD being funky

Well this has happened to me a few times now, I'll pull up the handle to put it in 4WD, and nothing happens. I can hear the TC make that whine noise, so somethings happeneing. Other times, like tonight, I pull the handle, it kinda makes the clunk, and I think it goes into 4WD. But the light wont come on, and it wont do donuts like it will in 2WD. I put it in park, reverse, drive, move all around and nothing, the light wont come on. Other times I'll pull the handle and its like there is no resistance, and nothing happens but I still hear the whine.

When it works, I get a little thud, and the light comes on, and its in 4WD. I searched a bit but I have no idea what to use for a heading, so if this has been covered before please hook me up with a link or two.

This is a 97' with 178K, no idea what tranny or TC I have, havent bothereed to find out.

Well, you have an automatic; if it's the four speed, then it's the AW (Aisin Warner) 4. As for the transfer case, what's the pattern on it? Is it 2H, 4H, N, 4L? If so, then you have the NP231. If it goes 2, 4 part time, 4 full time, N, 4L, it's the NP242.

Great resource:
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26256

Hope that helps at least some.

Well it sounds like I have the AW4 and the NP231. Any idea why it only works sometimes?

sounds bout like my xj ... '90... 309,000 miles and 4.5" skyjacker lift. Auto. My 4x4 does the same stuff and the light doesn come on. Let us know what happends with it all. Thanks. -Austin

1. check the engine and transmission mounts: when they wear out your linkage will become sloppy and you'll have a hard time engaging 4wd on the tcase
2. check the little bushings in the linkage: when they wear out there will be too much play in them as you're trying to shift into 4wd as linkage will be sloppy
3. if you have a tcase drop you need to make sure that you have reasjusted your linkage (but with 178K you should probably also address #1 and #2 as well)

Now to check the linkage, am I checking the stuff thats under the console, or are the misgevious parts under the Jeep? What am I looking for when I check the mounts, just cracks and weathering, and all around nasyness? I'll go crawl around under there tomorrow and see what I can see.

zfinger said:

Now to check the linkage, am I checking the stuff thats under the console, or are the misgevious parts under the Jeep? What am I looking for when I check the mounts, just cracks and weathering, and all around nasyness? I'll go crawl around under there tomorrow and see what I can see.

Click to expand...

Crawl under the jeep and have someone cycle through the 4wd positions. Look at flat arm piece on the tcase and while someone above says that it's in a particular position, try and rotate it a bit more by hand and see if you can feel it "Click in" more positevely. Also if there is slop on the bushings you should see that as the lever is being shifted.

That's a good idea. I think I'll look at in my Jeep just for kicks.

I've had my 4wd get a little funky on me as well. I have the 242 t-case and sometimes it wouldn't go into 4wd at all. Sometimes it wouldn't go OUT of 4wd either.

Now, for reasons I don't exactly understand, you need to make sure that your tires are the same size and make. Also make sure that the air pressure is the same on all 4 corners as well. It has to do with needing all 4 tires rotating at the same speed in order for the 4wd mechanism to engage properly. When I was having my problems, I bought 4 new tires (same size, brand) and the whole issue went away.

Fingers, it time to buy new back tires. They have no tred left. Just buck up and go buy the BFG A/T's. HAHAH sounds Familiar huh? That guy has a point the tred were in ur back is alot and u have brand new tires in the front. I wouold buy the new ones and see if it helps at all.

Hey, I tried. It just started snowing and everone incuding me has put off buying tires untill now. You cant get 2 tires with less then a 4 hour wait these days.