Help 4WD stopped wprking

DD MAN · 12-14-2004, 08:32 PM

Ok I had the transmission replaced a few months ago in my 1995 Blazer and now we had our first big snow fall of the year and my 4WD does not work. I looked in my Haynes manual but that was no help at all. Any suggestions on what could be causing it not to function?

andy84 · 12-14-2004, 08:46 PM

is the 4WD inop light lit on the dashboard?

DD MAN · 12-14-2004, 09:41 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by andy84

is the 4WD inop light lit on the dashboard?

No and the lights that indicate if it's in 4 hi or 4 lo work and I can hear it click after I push one but it just does not turn the fron wheels. The place that installed the tranny is going to look at it for me tomorrow but I was supposed to sell it this week and now this happens. Figures

So any suggestions would be great.

the_dubster98 · 12-14-2004, 11:19 PM

im new to the whole four wheel drive type but isnt the front diff. engaged via vaccum from the engine or something along them lines, maybe thats just the old rigs, cant remember for sure

andy84 · 12-15-2004, 01:32 AM

DDman, how do you know its not turning the front wheels? the reason i ask is because i think it is an open differential up front, so you might have one wheel spinning (on ice or mud) and the other front wheel is not moving. so if you are looking at the front left wheel from the driver's seat, it might not be moving because the front right is spinning.

DD MAN · 12-15-2004, 02:02 AM

hmm ok I will check that out thanks for the info. Now lets say that it's not spinning and the 4wd does not work what could it be? I suspect a vacumm solenoid.

andy84 · 12-15-2004, 02:35 AM

yes, that would seem like a good guess. but it should really be setting off the 4WD warning light if that were the case. there is a procedure you can do to put the transfer case in neutral. you might want to try that, and then put it back into 2wd and test the 4-hi again. it is described in the owners manual (i would go look at mine but its too cold outside

).

DD MAN · 12-15-2004, 05:05 PM

Ok well I had it looked at quickly this morning and they said it was either the vacumm actuator or the cable the goes to the front pumpkin. My question is how can I determin which of those 2 it is? Can I test the actuator?

andy84 · 12-18-2004, 01:23 AM

if you can find the actuator and take it out, it probably wouldn't be hard to test. just hook it up to the 12 V battery and see if it moves inside. This summer my dad and I spent several hours trying to get his windstar fixed--it kept throwing a OBDII code for a vacuum leak. the dealer couldn't find it but still replaced some parts and cleaned the intake manifold controllers which didn't fix it. and independent garage said it was the ECM computer. after taking everything apart (FWD minivans are hard to work on) we found it to be a vacuum solenoid that had some corrosion inside it ($12 part). anyway, moral of the story is that all you have to do to test the solenoid is hook up the electrical ends to the battery for a second (don't leave it on there), and make sure its not connected to the vacuum when testing.

DD MAN · 12-18-2004, 04:28 AM

Well I got it fixed it was the actuator. When I took it out the digaphram was ripped. Replaced it today and it works just fine.

2000_Diamond · 12-20-2004, 10:32 AM

Where is the actuator and how hard was it to replace, my wife's 94 blazer is giving us problems in 4 wheel drive, it takes longer then it should to engage and then to disengage it.

12-14-2004, 08:32 PM	#1
DD MAN Registered User Age: 29 Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 26 Location: User is: OffLine	Help 4WD stopped wprking Ok I had the transmission replaced a few months ago in my 1995 Blazer and now we had our first big snow fall of the year and my 4WD does not work. I looked in my Haynes manual but that was no help at all. Any suggestions on what could be causing it not to function?
	[Reply w/Quote]

12-14-2004, 08:46 PM	#2
andy84 Registered User Age: 25 Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 116 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: Help 4WD stopped wprking is the 4WD inop light lit on the dashboard?
	[Reply w/Quote]

12-14-2004, 09:41 PM	#3
DD MAN Registered User Age: 29 Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 26 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: Help 4WD stopped wprking Quote: Originally Posted by andy84 is the 4WD inop light lit on the dashboard? No and the lights that indicate if it's in 4 hi or 4 lo work and I can hear it click after I push one but it just does not turn the fron wheels. The place that installed the tranny is going to look at it for me tomorrow but I was supposed to sell it this week and now this happens. Figures So any suggestions would be great.
	[Reply w/Quote]

12-14-2004, 11:19 PM	#4
the_dubster98 V8 Member Age: 30 Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 2,808 Location: Rhode Island User is: OffLine	Re: Help 4WD stopped wprking im new to the whole four wheel drive type but isnt the front diff. engaged via vaccum from the engine or something along them lines, maybe thats just the old rigs, cant remember for sure
	[Reply w/Quote]

12-15-2004, 01:32 AM	#5
andy84 Registered User Age: 25 Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 116 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: Help 4WD stopped wprking DDman, how do you know its not turning the front wheels? the reason i ask is because i think it is an open differential up front, so you might have one wheel spinning (on ice or mud) and the other front wheel is not moving. so if you are looking at the front left wheel from the driver's seat, it might not be moving because the front right is spinning.
	[Reply w/Quote]

12-15-2004, 02:02 AM	#6
DD MAN Registered User Age: 29 Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 26 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: Help 4WD stopped wprking hmm ok I will check that out thanks for the info. Now lets say that it's not spinning and the 4wd does not work what could it be? I suspect a vacumm solenoid.
	[Reply w/Quote]

12-15-2004, 02:35 AM	#7
andy84 Registered User Age: 25 Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 116 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: Help 4WD stopped wprking yes, that would seem like a good guess. but it should really be setting off the 4WD warning light if that were the case. there is a procedure you can do to put the transfer case in neutral. you might want to try that, and then put it back into 2wd and test the 4-hi again. it is described in the owners manual (i would go look at mine but its too cold outside ).
	[Reply w/Quote]

12-15-2004, 05:05 PM	#8
DD MAN Registered User Age: 29 Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 26 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: Help 4WD stopped wprking Ok well I had it looked at quickly this morning and they said it was either the vacumm actuator or the cable the goes to the front pumpkin. My question is how can I determin which of those 2 it is? Can I test the actuator?
	[Reply w/Quote]

12-18-2004, 01:23 AM	#9
andy84 Registered User Age: 25 Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 116 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: Help 4WD stopped wprking if you can find the actuator and take it out, it probably wouldn't be hard to test. just hook it up to the 12 V battery and see if it moves inside. This summer my dad and I spent several hours trying to get his windstar fixed--it kept throwing a OBDII code for a vacuum leak. the dealer couldn't find it but still replaced some parts and cleaned the intake manifold controllers which didn't fix it. and independent garage said it was the ECM computer. after taking everything apart (FWD minivans are hard to work on) we found it to be a vacuum solenoid that had some corrosion inside it ($12 part). anyway, moral of the story is that all you have to do to test the solenoid is hook up the electrical ends to the battery for a second (don't leave it on there), and make sure its not connected to the vacuum when testing.
	[Reply w/Quote]

12-18-2004, 04:28 AM	#10
DD MAN Registered User Age: 29 Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 26 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: Help 4WD stopped wprking Well I got it fixed it was the actuator. When I took it out the digaphram was ripped. Replaced it today and it works just fine.
	[Reply w/Quote]

12-20-2004, 10:32 AM	#11
2000_Diamond Registered User Age: 33 Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 164 Location: Steeler Country User is: OffLine	Re: Help 4WD stopped wprking Where is the actuator and how hard was it to replace, my wife's 94 blazer is giving us problems in 4 wheel drive, it takes longer then it should to engage and then to disengage it.
	[Reply w/Quote]