Yesterday my 2004.5 3500 4WD was put in 4WD LOW Range and it would not come out of that Range....

I am familiar with the CAD axle vacuum device that locks the axle together and turns on the dash 4wd light...

However I was wondering what else happens to put the truck in 4WD LOW range as compared to the 4WD high range when the switch on the dash is put in the 4WD LOW range position.....

I drove about 10 miles with it stuck in 4WD LOW Range, tried to go in reverse etc and it would not come out..

Got home to the yard, threw the switch to 4WD high and it released from 4WD LOW, and I put it back in 2WD, today it goes in and out of 4WD HIGH range and I am hesitating to try the 4WD LOW range again as it might get stuck and not release.....

 

I don't have a switch, I have a lever. The manual states to shut the truck off when shifting out of low range. I couldn't get out of low once, then I figured I would read the manual.

 

Thanks, I did try that, I shut it off and re-started but it still never released the 4WD LOW range mode.

After the slow 10 mile drive, I parked in my yard, tried the switch and it switched out of 4WD LOW Range much to my relief....!!!

 

04.5 wont have the CAD.

sometimes its difficult to shift out of low if the driveline is binding at all. i shift into neutral and try to be rolling 1-2 mph going straight when i shift in or out. i have the lever tho.

 

Your 04.5 does not have the locking front axle. Our trucks have the front axle engaged all the time. The transfer case is the only thing that engages the 4WD. You have the electronic transfer case and it has its own brain. I always thought they acted goofy at times. I have found that sometimes putting it in neutral or even shutting it off and with the key on trying to make it come out of 4LO. My truck now has a manual transfer case for the same reason you stated with yours. When I tell it to do something, it better listen.

Hopefully someone with a newer electronic transfer will chime in with a few tricks for you.

 

If it was me doing it the answer would be that I hadn't read the manual and was doing it wrong!!! Heheheheh.

With that said, the mechanism is a small electrical motor that moves the selector fork in the T-Case. It's possible that your motor hasn't been used enough and is struggling to make contact. Rather than not use it, I would take some time and engage/disengage low side repeatedly until I either had figured out the combination to make it work smoothly or had exercised the mechanism until it worked effectively. Driving it home in 4x4 low side would be what I'd be trying to avoid.

 

The only time I use 4LO is when backing my 5th wheel into its parking space (up a curb over a horse trail to my driveway). Using the low range lets me crawl very slowly. Anyway, I have the electronic switch. I put the truck in Neutral, then make the selection. I takes a second or two to lock in (dash light changes to confirm). The first shift into gear (usually reverse for me) slams a bit - but it works fine. To take it out of 4LO, I reverse the procedure (still placing the trans in Neutral for the switchover). I did have problems before using the Neutral trick. But, since using it, it always works for me.

 

Mine (electronic shift) will only go into or out of Low when the tranny is in neutral. Never had any problems with it.

The only problems with T-case shifting I've seen posted are with the manual T-cases. I think they have more issues than the electronic ones.

 

I only had a problem until I read the manual.

 

Thanks for the tips, I will try it in Neutral...

 

Mine will only shift out if I go from 4-lo to 4-hi then to 2wd. I think it just really likes what happens in 4-lo and doesn't want to stop

 

I have the lever and I've never had any trouble. How can a simpler device cause more trouble?
I've actually thought that the t-case shifts easier than any other truck I've used 4wd in. Also I never put my tranny in neutral, I just push the clutch in. I know pushing the clutch is "like" neutral. I think they suggest neutral over the clutch for safety reasons. Mine shifts like a dream! I wish the transmission was as smooth as the transfer case.

 

I think both the manual and electronic actuators need to be "excercised" once in a while to avoid problems. I have the manual lever and have never had a problem getting out of 4L0, although I have had some problems getting IN to 4LO. I also think the driveline can really get in a bind sometimes in 4LO. You are getting some serious multiplication of some serious torque. I can't even stop mine with the brakes in 4LO.

I did have a weird instance recently when trying tow/haul mode in 4LO. When I slowed down the tranmission wouldn't downshift. I could feel the driveline binding up and threw it in neutral and took it out of tow/haul, and the problem went away. I tried tow/haul again and could not repeat the incident. Guess I need to read the manual too...

 

I've seen this happen in trucks when they are on firm ground or pavement. I believe it has to do with air pressure and axl alignment on the sticky surface putting pre-load on the transfer case. Normally as soon as you put on axle on a soft surface like loose stone, dirt, or grass; they free right up.

 

Just on the bit about using it regularly, when I bought my 2000, the people who had it before me almost never used 4x4. Going in and out of 4x4 was REALLY notchy for a while, now it shifts like a champ. 4x4 low was brutal the first few times and now it shifts fine.

If you don't use it, you lose it. (or so I tell my wife...)