- First Name
- Brian
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- Sep 14, 2023
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- Central CA
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- '23 BB 4dr 7MT, '22 BSport OBX, '87 B-II XL
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- Big Bend
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- #1
So I'm a bit baffled
A few weeks ago I was checking out some stuff on my rig for someone here - I had the entire rear end jacked up, and was watching the driveshafts as I spun the tires. While doing so, I got a Service Vehicle Soon - Check 4x4 message and the wrench. I spinning the wheels by hand, and I figured it was just a speed sensor seeing that wheels were going in opposite directions and freaking out. The codes cleared next time I started up the Bronco and it drove fine - no DTSCs were stored on Forscan.
I didn't think anything of it after that. Went wheeling once - 4H and 4L, no issues. Nothing crazy, not a lot of wheel slip anywhere, but no issues either, so all good.
So this past week - up in the snow. Wednesday we went up to go get my son, who got stuck out on a trail. Once the snow got about 6" deep I shifted into 4H. No problems. About a mile down the road - Service Vehicle Soon, Check 4x4. There were times where the vehicle would get stuck on flat ground - I didn't have anyone that could help out, I couldn't tell if the front end was spinning or not, but we had a rough time getting up and getting down. We didn't make it all the way to get the kid, we ended up having to call in the Sheriffs after it got late and we were down to winching ourselves out every little bit. There were times when trying 4Hi where the truck would really struggle from a stop in 1st, I stalled it out a few times - it didn't quite feel right - like I was up against a rock or steep lip, but was just on fairly flat snow. In Crawl it didn't do that, nor 4Lo.
So we get the kid back - he got to ride in the Search and Rescue Snow Cat and we had to bail him out of the Deputy Station at 2Am. He's fine, but the truck is still up there - just wounded pride: he got stuck, and I couldn't get to him in my fancy Bronco.
Today, we go the long way around the mountain - a lot less snow that way, but a couple of hours longer. I switch my tires back out, thinking that was my issue the time before. We hit the snow line about 3 miles before we get to where he's stuck. Shift into 4H once the snow is about 6" deep, and immediately get Service Vehicle Soon - Check 4x4. And immediately stuck, on level pavement, where I had slowed to shift into 4H.
One odd thing to note here - this is also the first time I've seen the Bronco tell me to slow to 3MPH to shift to 4Hi.
Son gets out as we shovel, and notices the front wheels aren't turning. Shift into 4L - we hear the transfer case shift, but still no front wheel power. And then my locker decides it doesn't want to work either, so ... 2H open diff for the final 3 miles up was painful. We were able to get to his truck and get him out, eventually, but 4x4 never worked the entire time.
As soon as we get out of the snow and on level ground - we stop: kid had to bolt his tail pipe back on, and we had a code reader so hooked it up while the wrench icon was still lit -- no service codes active with his reader. I tried the ProCal tool - same thing, no codes active. So ... I dunno at this point. The wrench light clears every time I shut down the Bronco and start it back up, so I pull over on a dirt service road, go into 4H, I hear the transfer case shift, and gun it to spin the tires out a bit. Sure enough, as soon as the rear tires break loose, the fronts just drop out and the wrench comes back.
We get it back home, I disconnect the battery lead for a bit and get all my recovery gear offloaded and stuff. I notice Ford pass has logged 3 events -- the Wednesday night in the snow, and two times today -- the first time in the snow, and again after we stopped to check the codes. I connect Forscan to check DTSCs there: A lot of "ECM unable to connect" from where we had the battery off - only one code that wasn't that that:
AWD Module
P181F - Clutch Control System Performance
Status (-6C)
DTC Maturing - Intermiitent at time of Request
Malfunction Indicator if off for this DTC
I was able to fix my locker - open circuit when i checked, pulled the connector off the diff and got good resistance across the coil, plugged it all back in and worked fine. So I figure the connector must have pulled loose? I'll have to dig into that a bit more later.
We jacked the rear end up - engaged 4WD and watched drive shafts. 2Hi - just the rear drive shaft spins. 4Hi - both drive shafts spin. We can hear the transfer case engaging. We spin the wheel a good bit, like I did in the very first test, but we can't get the wrench to pop back up. The wiring harness to the transfer case was on tight and none of the wiring looked disturbed.
Take it for a spin down the road - a little bit of 4Hi, but no dirt or snow to really push it on though. But all looked good, and no service messages.
I am swapping tires back around tomorrow, and will pull and check the wheel speed sensors while I have the tires off. Resetting everything by pulling the lead seems to have rebooted and corrected whatever the issue was, but really need to get it back somewhere where I can make the tires slip to see.
I have the Standard transfer case - no 4A. I did also not too long ago do a round of updates with FDRS (in there mainly to update the bumper config for the winch), and the AWD module was one of the modules that got updated.
I've read of a lot of similar issues - but couldn't find anything that wasn't either related to 4A, or resulted in a 4WD module being replaced (which may be my issue, who knows). Any other suggestions of things to try or check out? Not really keen on just taking it into the dealer, would rather see what I can figure out myself first.
A few weeks ago I was checking out some stuff on my rig for someone here - I had the entire rear end jacked up, and was watching the driveshafts as I spun the tires. While doing so, I got a Service Vehicle Soon - Check 4x4 message and the wrench. I spinning the wheels by hand, and I figured it was just a speed sensor seeing that wheels were going in opposite directions and freaking out. The codes cleared next time I started up the Bronco and it drove fine - no DTSCs were stored on Forscan.
I didn't think anything of it after that. Went wheeling once - 4H and 4L, no issues. Nothing crazy, not a lot of wheel slip anywhere, but no issues either, so all good.
So this past week - up in the snow. Wednesday we went up to go get my son, who got stuck out on a trail. Once the snow got about 6" deep I shifted into 4H. No problems. About a mile down the road - Service Vehicle Soon, Check 4x4. There were times where the vehicle would get stuck on flat ground - I didn't have anyone that could help out, I couldn't tell if the front end was spinning or not, but we had a rough time getting up and getting down. We didn't make it all the way to get the kid, we ended up having to call in the Sheriffs after it got late and we were down to winching ourselves out every little bit. There were times when trying 4Hi where the truck would really struggle from a stop in 1st, I stalled it out a few times - it didn't quite feel right - like I was up against a rock or steep lip, but was just on fairly flat snow. In Crawl it didn't do that, nor 4Lo.
So we get the kid back - he got to ride in the Search and Rescue Snow Cat and we had to bail him out of the Deputy Station at 2Am. He's fine, but the truck is still up there - just wounded pride: he got stuck, and I couldn't get to him in my fancy Bronco.
Today, we go the long way around the mountain - a lot less snow that way, but a couple of hours longer. I switch my tires back out, thinking that was my issue the time before. We hit the snow line about 3 miles before we get to where he's stuck. Shift into 4H once the snow is about 6" deep, and immediately get Service Vehicle Soon - Check 4x4. And immediately stuck, on level pavement, where I had slowed to shift into 4H.
One odd thing to note here - this is also the first time I've seen the Bronco tell me to slow to 3MPH to shift to 4Hi.
Son gets out as we shovel, and notices the front wheels aren't turning. Shift into 4L - we hear the transfer case shift, but still no front wheel power. And then my locker decides it doesn't want to work either, so ... 2H open diff for the final 3 miles up was painful. We were able to get to his truck and get him out, eventually, but 4x4 never worked the entire time.
As soon as we get out of the snow and on level ground - we stop: kid had to bolt his tail pipe back on, and we had a code reader so hooked it up while the wrench icon was still lit -- no service codes active with his reader. I tried the ProCal tool - same thing, no codes active. So ... I dunno at this point. The wrench light clears every time I shut down the Bronco and start it back up, so I pull over on a dirt service road, go into 4H, I hear the transfer case shift, and gun it to spin the tires out a bit. Sure enough, as soon as the rear tires break loose, the fronts just drop out and the wrench comes back.
We get it back home, I disconnect the battery lead for a bit and get all my recovery gear offloaded and stuff. I notice Ford pass has logged 3 events -- the Wednesday night in the snow, and two times today -- the first time in the snow, and again after we stopped to check the codes. I connect Forscan to check DTSCs there: A lot of "ECM unable to connect" from where we had the battery off - only one code that wasn't that that:
AWD Module
P181F - Clutch Control System Performance
Status (-6C)
DTC Maturing - Intermiitent at time of Request
Malfunction Indicator if off for this DTC
I was able to fix my locker - open circuit when i checked, pulled the connector off the diff and got good resistance across the coil, plugged it all back in and worked fine. So I figure the connector must have pulled loose? I'll have to dig into that a bit more later.
We jacked the rear end up - engaged 4WD and watched drive shafts. 2Hi - just the rear drive shaft spins. 4Hi - both drive shafts spin. We can hear the transfer case engaging. We spin the wheel a good bit, like I did in the very first test, but we can't get the wrench to pop back up. The wiring harness to the transfer case was on tight and none of the wiring looked disturbed.
Take it for a spin down the road - a little bit of 4Hi, but no dirt or snow to really push it on though. But all looked good, and no service messages.
I am swapping tires back around tomorrow, and will pull and check the wheel speed sensors while I have the tires off. Resetting everything by pulling the lead seems to have rebooted and corrected whatever the issue was, but really need to get it back somewhere where I can make the tires slip to see.
I have the Standard transfer case - no 4A. I did also not too long ago do a round of updates with FDRS (in there mainly to update the bumper config for the winch), and the AWD module was one of the modules that got updated.
I've read of a lot of similar issues - but couldn't find anything that wasn't either related to 4A, or resulted in a 4WD module being replaced (which may be my issue, who knows). Any other suggestions of things to try or check out? Not really keen on just taking it into the dealer, would rather see what I can figure out myself first.
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