4WD won't engage. No lights. Just hear relay click

Hi, all,

I just finished changing my kingpin bearings.

I took the car out for a spin and all seemed good, however when I tried to engage 4WD, I just heard a relay click and nothing happened. No lights flash on the dash at all.

I am not sure whether this has anything to do with changing the kingpins. I probably haven't engaged 4WD for 6 months or more.

I don't think the vacuum cables can be the wrong way around, as I labelled them, and they don't even seem to reach the other way around.

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks,
Lee

Have a look in the wiki for 4WD problems, about 3/4 of the way down

www.bigjimny.com/mediawiki/index.php/4WD..._failure_diagnostics

No 4WD light suggests failure of the transfer box switch, a problem in the wiring, a blown fuse or a 4WD controller failure.

The transfer case switch or wir8ng is the favourite failure.

Robin

whats the year? did the vac hubs work before ok?

Thanks, Robin. I found that article after posting my message. I couldn't find anything relevant initially.

I guess I'll need to get that checked out.

I did check the 4WD fuse and that's ok.

Lee

Year is 2005 (VVT). I don't know whether the hubs worked just before the kingpin change. In hindsight I should have checked, but I probably haven't tried to use 4WD for 6 months or more

I'll check the transfer box tomorrow. I did remove my transfer box guard recently to change the rear cat, so maybe I damaged something

If was the hubs or the vacuum system you would get a flashing green light.

I never had a problem with my Gen3, but I understand that the transfer box switch and cable are easily damaged.

Robin

same yr as mine , did you sort it?  

I took a look under the car and couldn't see any loose connections or broken wires.

I'm just trying to understand, is there normally a noise from the transfer box when switching from 2WD to 4WD, or is the only noise from the vacuum hubs?

I don't hear anything at all. Trying to narrow down the electrical problem.

Just trying to figure out whether you'd hear nothing if the 4WD switch had failed. My understanding is that if the switch has failed, the gears in the transfer box still change, and there is just no signal going back to the 4WD controller to say that it worked and the vacuum hubs can be locked.

Hi,

See thie wiki article on how the 4WD system works.

www.bigjimny.com/mediawiki/index.php/4WD...ion_system_operation

Quick question, do you have a Push buttons or a lever to engage 4WD, the operation is slightly different.

I assume you have push buttons, when you select 4WD the controller moves the transfer box in to 4WD, once complete the green light starts flashing whilst the vac hubs are engaged. If the vac hubs engage and you get a vacuum detected the green light stays solid.

If the transfer box doesn't engage or the switch doesn't work to tell the 4WD controller that it can engage the vac hubs then you don't see the flashing green light and it doesn't even try to engage the hubs.

So for push buttons, you can hear a clunk from the transfer box, then a click from each hub, although you usually need to be close to the wheel to hear it.

If you are a lever then it is the lever which moves the transfer box and then everything else is the same as for push buttons.

Do you see a green light at all, even briefly?

Robin

Thanks, Robin

That was my guess. I have the push buttons. No lights come on at all, even briefly.

I just got my brother to push the button when I had my head right next to the transfer box and you couldn't hear anything.

Does that suggest the controller is at fault? Can it be anything else?

Thanks

take the switches out and test them with a fluke, and the power coming to them or not as the case maybe, there is a connection on the transfer box i think that was at fault on mine too.