Powertrain Malfunction / Service 4x4

[Ducati1098]

@Ducati1098 great Ford has decided to make clutch pressure switch codes now transfer case actuator codes.

They love making things as difficult as possible

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[Brian_B]

Interesting side note
This also disabled Auto High Beams

Another interesting note: it will shift into 4L but not 4H with the WSS out. I still get the “slow to <3MPH” message, and the message goes away when you slow to stop (and comes back if you speed back up), but it never shifts, just flashes the light on the goat dial. I haven’t let it sit too long to see if it faults out or not.

Before I had monkeyed with the WSS I did have it in 4H - with the rear end up I could see the front and rear drivelines spin when turning a rear tire by hand. So I think this is a WSS related thing I caused in my troubleshooting and not related to the original issue.

I’m sure it’s looking for input from all 4 WSSs, it’s definitely getting vehicle speed - but interesting it will go into 4L without them

 

[Oldhippie]

When I had an wheel sensor “event” 4 low and high still worked but not lockers or goat modes (along with other stuff like traction control and antilock) my gues is your issue is, as Ducati says, in the TC actuator motor region…but I am a idiot on this electrical crap…give me old time switches and levers…

 

[Tricky Mike]

I get "service 4x4" alerts about 50% of the trips I take. I used to freak out but I'm realizing it's just part of having a 6G. They always go away on their own or after disconnecting the battery.

It seems more likely to do it during high wheel slip situations (snow/mud), so my hunch is there is an allowable differential range between the sensors and it thinks something is wrong if you exceed that. What do you think @Ducati1098?

 

[Brian_B]

Put the front end up today - had wife cycle 4Lo and 2Hi a few times - FAD isn't connecting - front wheels stay unlocked.

So I pulled the FAD off. The interior gear moves freely, the FAD motor isn't bound.

That FAD harness is a SOB - I guess I'm not smarter than the harness, took me longer to figure that bugger out than anything.

Tried cycling 4Lo/2Hi with the actuator out of the front diff - no movement, nothing

Pulled the connector, measuring for voltage at Pin 1 or Pin 2 to chassis while cycling - nothing. Although on the wiring diagram (https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/transfer-case-technical-discussion.52097/page-3#post-1557121) - it also shows position sensors, so not sure it would send power if the position sensors aren't where they need to be - not sure if there is a Troubleshooting guide for this or not.

So I'm not entirely certain if it's the AWD module or the actuator that's failed, although if my no voltage reading is to be believed - bad board. Or FDRS somehow flashed my AWD module with the FAD delete (which may explain why I'm all of a sudden getting the <3MPH warnings).

I tried with ProCal going back to Stock files, since the Performance FDU uses ProCal to do the FAD delete - but not sure that would have affected the AWD module since I never ran the FAD delete on mine in the first place. Anyway, it was quick to try -- it didn't do anything differently though.

Not sure on the FDU inner gear for the FAD how that works either. Using a small screwdriver: going CCW facing the opening, I hit a hard stop, but it definitely didn't have the axles locked in. Going CW I spun it a while and could hear a click and get it to pop through something, but couldn't find the spot where the axles locked back in.

Fuses 6, 7, 8, 24, and 54 all checked good

Any suggestions from here? I think my next bet is probably hook FDRS back up and see what it tells me - which will probably wait until I get the WSSs fixed so I'm not looking at multiple, potentially irrelevant, conditions.

I've never faked the VIN out, I do have ProCal but it's a year+ old revision (afraid to update it due to recent changes) - so I can only think that FDRS would be the only place a FAD delete would have come from, although I didn't do anything other than run the update (I know, you should never update something that isn't broke, but I'm a sucker for updates). Given that I don't get any error codes about the FAD, I don't get the wrench until the system detects incorrect wheel spin, and I'm getting the "Slow to <3MPH" messages I'm thinking somehow my system got FAD deleted, or the AWD module is just bad. But not really saavy enough in FDRS to know what exactly to look for here other than boot it up and poke around.

 

[Brian_B]

Also, not exactly sure how that FAD works on the inside, but sure seems like you could pull the gear off the actuator, hard welded or bolt it to a plate and lock it in if you wanted to, if you could find the right position..

 

[Ducati1098]

I get "service 4x4" alerts about 50% of the trips I take. I used to freak out but I'm realizing it's just part of having a 6G. They always go away on their own or after disconnecting the battery.

It seems more likely to do it during high wheel slip situations (snow/mud), so my hunch is there is an allowable differential range between the sensors and it thinks something is wrong if you exceed that. What do you think @Ducati1098?

It really shouldn’t happen that frequently.
There’s a TSB for intermittent 4wd fault messages. It’s only for 21-22’s but it has us reprogram the AWD module and check the battery for low state of charge. Maybe have something to do with yours doing it that much.

I’m sure there is some allowable range, but I don’t know for sure. They really don’t give us that much information. I’d also guess the system is probably less likely to freak out about wheel slip situations if you’re using a goat mode. Not sure if you’re using them or just manually switching to 4wd.

 

[Snacktime]

Front fad is gear driven coupling. I can tell you if you pull out the actuator and hit 4wd the actuator will run for a while. I would wait for your abs sensor before troubleshooting further. The actuator not working may be a function of the abs codes.

 

[Brian_B]

So SOB.

Right after posting all of this, I put it all back together. Dielectric in the connector. Reinstalled ProCal tune. Checked the torque on the fuse block (it did tighten maybe 1/4 turn but wasn’t exactly loose). Battery was on the charger for the tuner and showed full charge. Before I dropped it off the jack stands, I gave it one more shot, haven’t had anything else odd lately

The front locked in. Just like it was supposed to.

So - best I can figure - maybe the FAD got overranged or something and freaked out? Me monkeying with the gearing got it back into some recognized position and it started picking back up? I can't say for certain - could be a bad tooth on the internal gear or something and it'll eventually knock itself right back out of whack. Could have been wonkiness from the fuse block, but that’s kind of a long shot.

Just odd that I never got an error code for the FAD -- seems I recall a lot of folks that were trying to update to M210s from M190s were throwing codes left and right because of the missing FAD, and I never threw a code for it at all - just the P181F and only after I get into a situation where I need the front to pull torque.

 

[Snacktime]

So SOB.

Right after posting all of this, I put it all back together. Before I dropped it off the jack stands, I gave it one more shot.

The front locked in. Just like it was supposed to.

So - best I can figure - maybe the FAD got overranged or something and freaked out? Me monkeying with the gearing got it back into some recognized position and it started picking back up? I can't say for certain - could be a bad tooth on the internal gear or something and it'll eventually knock itself right back out of whack.

Just odd that I never got an error code for the FAD -- seems I recall a lot of folks that were trying to update to M210s from M190s were throwing codes left and right because of the missing FAD, and I never threw a code for it at all - just the P181F and only after I get into a situation where I need the front to pull torque.

Let me know if you anything other than the front actuator for the m190 as I killed mine trying to dummy it out.

 

[Brian_B]

Let me know if you anything other than the front actuator for the m190 as I killed mine trying to dummy it out.

Do you recall what code it was throwing while you were trying that out?

 

[Brian_B]

For the locker issue - one of the rubber o-rings internal to the connector for water resistance broke and now the harness fits loose. So will be replacing that as soon as the part comes in. That one is pretty straightforward at least.

 

[Brian_B]

Finished the fluids out today.

Transfer case looked great. No issues there. About 30k miles on it

Front diff - I spoke about it earlier. A lot of wear metal in the oil - more so than I’ve ever seen out of the rear end by far, but no shavings or anything. Also about 30k on that.

Engine oil isn’t really pertinent to this but I did find my catch can was 100% full. 5k/3mon on that since last change (and I clean the catch can every change) - that may explain why I was having some minor issues coming from a stop out of first.

Still waiting on WSS sensor to see if the FAD was the only issue or if I can get it to repeat.

 

[Brian_B]

New WSS came in today. To get the old one out I heated up a screwdriver, jammed it down into the plastic and used it as a pry bar

The old sensor was missing the o ring. That hadn’t been touched, to my knowledge, since being installed at the factory. So yay for Ford QC. With the o ring missing there was a clear line of dirt and rust right where the o ring would have been.

Cleaned all that up and the new part, with the o ring, slid right in. All codes cleared. Verified by hand that 4H engaged (4L was previously tested).

All looks good - haven’t had it in a situation where I need to pull torque through the front end; I could have gear slippage or something going on.

I do not think the WSS started my issue - it only became an issue when I went to pull it out to check it. I’m not sure what was hanging up my FAD — it definitely would not turn when I had it off, but after playing with it and putting it back together it started working again.

So, I still don’t really know. Time for the next snow run I guess and see if it breaks again.

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