looking at monties question about 4wd operation

[mapper]

Drove a montero recently that I kind of liked but the 4wd seemed funky. I'll describe how it worked and tell me what you think, please. I know it goes into and out of 4wd but can't tell if CDL is engaging. I realized after the fact that I could have figured it out but I was too dumbfounded by the confusing dash indicators. Forgive me, but I've only owned AWD vehicles so I'm not used to this shifting into 4wd business.

selector in 2wd. car obviously was driving in 2wd indicators for front two tires blinked the whole time I drove even after backing up and shifting into and out of PND. Owner says it always does that and is an electrical gremlin.

selector in 4wd. Car engaged all four wheels, clearly in 4wd. Front two tires indicator blinked and LR indicator went solid NOT RR indicator (that never ever light up under any condition)

selector in 4hc. Everything acted similarly and CDL light blinked but never went solid. I'm stupid/dismayed by the lights and didn't try a tight turn to see if it scrubbed.

selector in 4lc. No noticeable change from 4hc condition. Again I was too stupid/confused to see if it felt like it was in low range. and I had a hard time finding the difference between 4hc and 4lc in the floor shifter.

Thanks!
:sombrero:

 

[Sabre]

Yeah, the notorious flashing lights. Google this and you'll find just a ton of information on it.

First things first. The light that never lit up is clearly burned out. They're little incandescent lamps and they burn out all the time. I replaced mine with LEDs and all is well.

Second, the flashing green lights: since you were certain that both 2WD and 4WD worked as they should, the blinking is clearly a gremlin. The activation of the front diff is by vacuum; if it doesn't work, that's a pretty straightforward thing to track down. Since it DOES work, you know that there's a fault somewhere, possibly in the microswitches, possibly in the wiring and/or connectors, less likely in the electronic control module.

Third, the flashing orange center diff light: yeah, this one is very common. There are a handful of switches on the top of the transfer case that are prone to packing it in. This is a PITA to track down, although the workshop manual does show the readings that the switches are supposed to give when metered. Again, because they're on the top of the thing they're a true pain to get at, but not impossible. Some folks have loosened things up and lowered the thing a bit to do this.

Mine had the flashing green lights when switched to 4WD when I got it, largely because the PO had never used it in this mode! It just needed cleaning and exercise, and it works perfectly. It also had the center flashing orange and the t-case was non-functional. I broke every electrical connection I could reach for cleaning. It solved the problem, but a cross-country drive (to Moab, wouldn't you know it) put it back into flashing mode and the diff lock and low range were again out of service. Of course, this happened on Elephant Hill. What joy it was to back down. Eek.

I've never heard of any of these transfer cases actually breaking internally, though anything is possible. It's far more likely that it needs to be dropped and properly assessed for needing those switches replaced.

The Monteros are blessed with what is widely regarded as the strongest, most reliable driveline components of any 4WD vehicle. It's a pity that the fancy electronics are so fragile. I suspect that some really careful attention given to water and dustproofing the connections in advance of offroad travel would be a good thing.

 

[MARKSMONTE]

In my 91 Montero the flashing lights ment the front hubs were not engaging. They would slip in and out. I dont know if it was one or both. The FWD had almost never been used before I purchased it. The more I used it the better it worked.

I would get that thing on some gravel and make those tires spin, then you can be sure.

You didnt say what year it was. That makes a diffrence. My 99 is a vacuum accuated front and rear diff. My 90LE is limited slip front and rear diff. The sensors work very much the same.

Test it on loose ground to be sure. Probably something minor, these are tough vehicles.
Have fun

 

[mapper]

Test drove it in snow. I know the 4hi and 2 hi work alright so I can definitely understand that being just an indicator gremlin.
It's the CDL that has me worried. The truck is a gen 2.5 that has a lot of issues in addition to the 4wd stuff.

Most problems are little fiddly things that will just take time but I know I don't want to replace major driveline components. Unfortunately it seems the truck has been neglected so, at this point, I'm just trying to determine if it's even worth the time and effort if the guy accepts a low-ball offer. Somehow I think he wont jump on a low ball anyway.

 

[Sabre]

As I posted in another thread, I'd go for a high-mileage rig that was well cared for than a low-mileage Monty that had been neglected.

Of course, YMMV.