2007 automatic. wife was coming home from church last night. put it in 4-low. Would not come back out. she drove it to the dealer this morning when she noticed it. about 4 miles on pavement. $196 later for computer "upgrades" and a short test in their parking lot it is "all okay now".
Also said you need to stop to shift into 4wd low. Also the ticket said there were "multiple updates" done on the computer. And that it showed no codes even though it was not working.
Anybody want to tell me what is going on? Yeah, I would have stopped fully if I had been driving and wanted 4 low. And I would have used 4 H. But the abs brakes were giveing her fits on the ice and she could not go slow enough.

 

It is called gear bind.The front and rear tires travel a slightly different distance in turns.The drivetrain basically gets locked up.When that load is present it will not come out.To unload it try reverseing a number of times while moving shift lever if manual or leave switch in 2hi if electronic.I beleive there is a short discussion in the owners manual

 

I agree with bob4x4. I have also has some bind enough that I have needed to put the xcase in N and shut the truck off, then go back to hi range.

 

Sometimes shifting while at a very slow roll with the auto trans in N will do it.

My 2001 Silverado is an auto with an electrically shifted transfer case. About the only way I can get it out of 4 low is pointing the truck down hill, put the auto in neutral, then let off the brakes, letting it just creep, then push the button.

Autos can be particularly bad if left in gear since they will load the transfer case.

A very slow roll (just a snails pace) can help going in to 4 low. Going to 4 low isn't synchronized so the very slow roll can help things to line up.

 

My owners manual provides instructions for the transfer case. Mine is manual, with the lever on the floor.

To get out of 4Low, you must be moving slowly foreward, and transmission must be in Neutral.

 

Sometimes unequal tire pressure can cause it to bind up. Reverse is your friend.

 

My truck tends to bind up every time I go into low range. I've found backing up slowly and put the truck in N and turn the dial to 4 hi. That usually does the job,but I've done the reverse thing and put the dial in N and trans in N. Shut the truck off,restart in N and dial to 4 high. I did find a bad vacuum line when it was stuck in low and couldn't get it out. The line was starting to crack due to age. It doesn't seem to bind up as much after replacing the line.

 

Most likely cause, gear bind. Most likely the dlr got you for $196 of phantom repairs as there's no "computer upgrade" that I'm aware of that will get your truck out of 4 low. Just a switch with a servo motor that shifts the transfer case. Not even a front axle lock on the newer trucks, the tires are hooked up all teh way to the front driveshaft, ie: the only disconnect for power to the front wheels is in the xfer case.
Why would you put the truck in 4 low anyway? Presume church to the house is on roads and not up or down the side of a mountain? FWIW it's much easier to lose traction or spin out in 4 Low due to the extra torque at the wheels.
Personally I'd go back to the ******* (watch, the word before the parentheses will be ****'d out like a swear word!) and demand an explanation how computer upgrades fixed your transfer case.

 

Mine's an 04 and may be different. But, I use 4LO for backing my fifth wheel into its parking space (involves crawling up curbs and over some loose dirt on the way). Anyway, I have the electronic shifter and always put it in N for several seconds before making the change. I don't recall having to put the trans in N.

 

my 06 6sp hangs up in 4lo occasionaly; backing up on level ground, wheels straight helps

 

My mom was in my dads 06 last night taking a few pics for me and it hung up in 4LO. The rig was off and the ebrake set when she moved it into 4LO, she couldn't get it back into 2H without starting it and letting the clutch out in N, and this is a manual xcase. There must have been just a touch of bind introduced when she pulled the xcase thru N.

 

Your dealer may have done some programming changes, but none that affected shifting to or from 4 Lo. How long did they work on the truck? That's almost two hours at $100/hr. Sounds like they took you and your truck for a ride. What dealer?

 

Thats what I am wondering. Cant imagine what programming changes they did and if it was required it should have been covered under warranty (you would think). I am probably wrong but something doesnt smell right and its not your transfer case.

 

1. shut the truck off
2. trans P
3. shift the transfer to 2wd
4. start truck
5. drive in reverse a few feet

i havent driven or owned a 4wd where i did not have to do this, even have to do it in HMMWV's

 

SLOWLY is key...slower than a normal walk,just a very slight roll,walking speed wont work .