2016 Ram 3500 not disengaging 4 wheel drive low gear

[bobbolotune]

Someone in this forum mentioned using the 4 wheel drive low gear for climbing up blocks to level the camper. So I started doing this, which is a great improvement over that I used to have to gun the engine then slam the brakes to get onto the blocks. In 4 wheel drive low gear the truck just drifts onto the blocks. It became so easy that I started using blocks more frequently.

So one morning I am in 4 wheel drive low gear in the middle of nowhere. I drive off the blocks, turn the knob in the cab to 2 wheel drive. But the truck seems to still be in 4 wheel drive low gear. Which I am not going to get very far at the max speed of 4 wheel drive low gear.

After a lot of switching the knob between 2WD and 4WD and driving back and forth, finally it went back to 2 wheel drive.

Have others had this problem?

It had been raining for 2 days so everything was wet if that is a factor. I was talking to someone in a campground who had the same truck and he said this happened to him once, and when I asked he said that yes it had been wet conditions. He said that since it happened to him that one time he drives backwards then forward a little after turning the knob and hasn't had trouble since. He had no idea if this is actually a fix or if he just randomly hasn't hit the problem since.

Myself, I used to stay in Drive when I turned the knob back to 2WD, then it would say to shift to Neutral to complete the switch. Since this happened to me this one time I now shift to Neutral before turning the knob back to 2WD. Then I do what the guy in the campground said of back up a little then forward a little. But I can't know if these changes fix the problem or it is random chance I have not hit the problem since I started doing these things.

I am taking the truck in for service. My question is whether this is something I should ask them to look at. The problem is that I have switched into 4 wheel drive since and it did disengage no problem. So it isn't currently a problem, which is hard to ask a mechanic to fix it when it isn't broken.

The truck is still under warranty so if there is a problem I would like to get it fixed. But I am clueless if this is something that a mechanic can look at and fix when it currently isn't happening.

Anyone here know more about this than me? Have others had this problem?

There is that front drive shaft fitting on the 4x4 that you are supposed to lube with each oil change. If it is possible they are not doing that. Whether that could have something to do with switching between 2WD and 4WD.

Since this happened, I am now hesitant to drive onto blocks. Hesitant that I could get really stuck somewhere not able to switch to 2WD.

Also, whether using 4 wheel drive low gear every time I move the truck is going to wear something out like it isn't designed to be used that much.

[stevenal]

Just sold my old SuperDuty this past year. The buyer took it to the Ford dealer for a pre-purchase inspection. The report said it would not go into 4WL. I got into the truck afterward, and showed the buyer it did indeed go into 4WL. You just need to read the manual and know it will not shift in any gear but neutral. Park won't work either. Switching between the two high gears can be done in any gear.

[wnjj]

deltabravo wrote:

bobbolotune wrote:
Someone in this forum mentioned using the 4 wheel drive low gear for climbing up blocks to level the camper.

It may have been me that mentioned this technique. I started doing it about 3 years ago.

My truck shifts to 2 wheel high faster if there's zero tension / bind on the drivetrain, which means I almost always shift the truck to Neutral.

To the nay-sayers that say "why won't a big ole Duramax / Cummins / Powerstroke with eleventy-thousand foot lbs of torque crawl onto the blocks in 2wd with 4000lbs of truck camper in the bed - try it in 4LOW and see it much easier it is.

9 times out of 10, I have to raise the nose of the truck. In 4 LOW, little or no throttle application is required, so it just walks the front tires up on the blocks.

In 2wd, application of the throttle is required, then when the truck gets on the blocks, it's "jam on the brakes so you don't overshoot the blocks"... the the truck and camper rock to and fro.

That's "my story" and it works for me.

I do the same with low range. Jamming on the brakes also tends to slide the blocks.

[deltabravo]

bobbolotune wrote:
Someone in this forum mentioned using the 4 wheel drive low gear for climbing up blocks to level the camper.

It may have been me that mentioned this technique. I started doing it about 3 years ago.

My truck shifts to 2 wheel high faster if there's zero tension / bind on the drivetrain, which means I almost always shift the truck to Neutral.

To the nay-sayers that say "why won't a big ole Duramax / Cummins / Powerstroke with eleventy-thousand foot lbs of torque crawl onto the blocks in 2wd with 4000lbs of truck camper in the bed - try it in 4LOW and see it much easier it is.

9 times out of 10, I have to raise the nose of the truck. In 4 LOW, little or no throttle application is required, so it just walks the front tires up on the blocks.

In 2wd, application of the throttle is required, then when the truck gets on the blocks, it's "jam on the brakes so you don't overshoot the blocks"... the the truck and camper rock to and fro.

That's "my story" and it works for me.

[wnjj]

mkirsch wrote:

bobbolotune wrote:
The RAM manual talks about switching into 4WD but says nothing about switching out. It doesn't talk about binding and releasing binding when switching. As far as I can find, and I did look carefully.

They don't mention it because it's not common and something that most will never have to deal with.

Neutral and foot off the brake should be adequate to release any binding.

I respectfully disagree. The binding is between the front and rear axles and not just between the transmission and transfer case. Some movement with the wheels slightly turned is often needed. On flat ground that may require going back into gear to move some.

[mkirsch]

bobbolotune wrote:
The RAM manual talks about switching into 4WD but says nothing about switching out. It doesn't talk about binding and releasing binding when switching. As far as I can find, and I did look carefully.

They don't mention it because it's not common and something that most will never have to deal with.

Neutral and foot off the brake should be adequate to release any binding.

[bobbolotune]

Siletzspey wrote:
Maybe a wild goose chase or worth considering. At ~180k miles, my Ford Expedition started failing to down shift from 4WD-High to 2WD-High. After much reading, I learned that failing transmission *sensors* can cause the problem, and that disconnecting the battery momentarily can cause the computer to reset things and get back into 2WD. It sounds off the wall, but I had ~4 lockups that were all solved by disconnecting the battery.

Thanks. Good to know this tip. If ever all else fails it might be worth trying to disconnect the battery.

[Siletzspey]

Maybe a wild goose chase or worth considering. At ~180k miles, my Ford Expedition started failing to down shift from 4WD-High to 2WD-High. After much reading, I learned that failing transmission *sensors* can cause the problem, and that disconnecting the battery momentarily can cause the computer to reset things and get back into 2WD. It sounds off the wall, but I had ~4 lockups that were all solved by disconnecting the battery.

My 1988 Toyota 4x4 taught me about binding and backing up, and my Expedition taught me about failing electronics.

--SiletzSpey

[Reality_Check]

bobbolotune wrote:

Reality Check wrote:
What's the manual say? It's easy for some of us to know who actually has knowledge and who's giving advice based on their cousins here say, but if it isn't so clear, you might be best to just go read the instructions from the source.

The RAM manual talks about switching into 4WD but says nothing about switching out. It doesn't talk about binding and releasing binding when switching. As far as I can find, and I did look carefully.

Shame on them and good on you for looking. As others have stated and you have picked up on, the binding is normal. It's a finesse thing to get it out of 4L, but not a big nor difficult thing to learn. The backing up is related to unlocking the automatic hubs, not necessarily releasing the pressure in the transfer case, but the backing up a bit could help in that regard.

I think others have covered it, but when switching from 4L back, the vehicle should not be moving (Neutral or park). Most that I know/drive with, use Neutral, as often during this dance, just releasing the brake a bit and allowing inches of movement while in Neutral, is enough to release the bind (can't do that very well in Park). Just seems to be a common solution that is easy to use.

[bobbolotune]

Reality Check wrote:
What's the manual say? It's easy for some of us to know who actually has knowledge and who's giving advice based on their cousins here say, but if it isn't so clear, you might be best to just go read the instructions from the source.

The RAM manual talks about switching into 4WD but says nothing about switching out. It doesn't talk about binding and releasing binding when switching. As far as I can find, and I did look carefully.

[Reality_Check]

bobbolotune wrote:

old guy wrote:
most say to back up at least 6 ft to make it easier to get out of 4 low and into 2h

I realize after reading through all of the responses again that I am still unclear on one point. Should I do this back up before or after turning the knob inside the cab from 4WD low to 2WD?

What's the manual say? It's easy for some of us to know who actually has knowledge and who's giving advice based on their cousins here say, but if it isn't so clear, you might be best to just go read the instructions from the source.

[covered_wagon]

Ramp Digger wrote:

towpro wrote:

covered wagon wrote:
Binding has happened to me on every 4wd that I've owned. It normal till you drive back or forth to unbind. Binding happens because the front is designed to spin a little fast than the rear differential. This affords better control in icy conditions and are all supposed to be this way.

I think you will find exactly the same ratio front and rear in any modern 4x4 truck.
But I have seen an old electric company pole truck with different ratio in front so it could steer in mud

Now that I think about it I had a 1986 F-250 4x4 that had a 3.55 rear axle ratio and a 3.54 in the front. It was that way from the factory as I bought it new.

That is a good truck back then. I think they might do the faster front spin with the transfer case now a days, but I'd have to talk to my 4wd shop to be sure. If the rear spun faster you would have a fishtail effect in icy conditions. So to help with that they make the front spin faster, just by a little

[Ramp_Digger]

towpro wrote:

covered wagon wrote:
Binding has happened to me on every 4wd that I've owned. It normal till you drive back or forth to unbind. Binding happens because the front is designed to spin a little fast than the rear differential. This affords better control in icy conditions and are all supposed to be this way.

I think you will find exactly the same ratio front and rear in any modern 4x4 truck.
But I have seen an old electric company pole truck with different ratio in front so it could steer in mud

Now that I think about it I had a 1986 F-250 4x4 that had a 3.55 rear axle ratio and a 3.54 in the front. It was that way from the factory as I bought it new.

[covered_wagon]

On mine if gear bind happened going forward I roll backward just a wee bit to release if binding happened while rolling in reverse I have to go forward just a little to release. But you should try disengaging with the trans in neutral first. Your not supposed to run 4wd on hard pavement because you can cause damage by going beyond just a simple gear bind.

[wnjj]

bobbolotune wrote:

old guy wrote:
most say to back up at least 6 ft to make it easier to get out of 4 low and into 2h

I realize after reading through all of the responses again that I am still unclear on one point. Should I do this back up before or after turning the knob inside the cab from 4WD low to 2WD?

The 6 feet thing is for auto hubs which is an older thing. You should switch back to 2wd when in neutral, then put in in drive and pull forward while turning the wheel a little. If it’s still in, shift to reverse and back up a bit. Usually 2-3 feet is enough.

Moving with the wheels turned means the front driveline turns further than the rear. In 4wd, that’s what causes the binding. Trying forward and reverse will unbind without knowing which way it was bound.