Electronic 4WD engagement is potentially dangerous

Submitted: Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 20:42
ThreadID: 77012 Views:5364 Replies:12 FollowUps:11
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My Ford Courier has one of those dopey knobs on the console to engage 4WD. Recently it has failed to engage 4WD.

After three days in the Ford workshop (under warranty, fortunately) the diagnosis was a faulty sensor.

Here's how it works. 4WD will not engage without the clutch pedal depressed. This miserable little sensor had failed and therefore the 4WD system assumed the clutch was engaged, hence it refused to go into 4WD.

Never in a million years would I take a 4WD with electronic selection into remote areas.

Give me an extra "gearstick" anyday.

Jim.

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Reply By: Member - Scott M (NSW) - Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 20:48

Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 20:48
Amen to that !
AnswerID: 409524

Follow Up By: pop2jocem - Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 22:10

Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 22:10
X2 but what are we going to do when the powers that be decide that for "environmental reasons" all older non electronic everything vehicles are to be taxed into extinction. I look at the earlier 4WD's and think sure they weren't as comfortable or accessorised as the new beaut models gracing the showroom floors but if I was contemplating a remote area trip I know what I would choose.
A lot of the new models don't even appear to have somewhere to attach a simple recovery device as a high lift jack without tearing off half the fancy and totally unfunctional (is there such a word) plastic.......lol

Cheers Pop
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Reply By: Member - Flynnie (NSW) - Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 21:41

Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 21:41
Agree. The electronic systems can be convenient but useless when it really matters.

A pet hate of mine is sensors that prevent you doing things. I remember once in some vehicle I could not reverse it for about 10 minutes (had to read the manual) until I pressed the brake before putting it into reverse. Partly why I got a landcruiser cab chassis.

I have heard of F250s being crippled by failure of a sensor and no doubt other vehicles suffer the same.

Flynnie
AnswerID: 409533

Reply By: 2000 Red Rodeo - Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 21:57

Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 21:57
This is my No 1 reason for not buying a new or newish 4wd. Sadly most of the new utes all have it.

I don't understand why a small gear stick was considered such a hardship by manufacturers and as as result were expected to put up with push buttons and knobs that don't work when you need them.

And they call this progress!!

Geoff
AnswerID: 409536

Reply By: Lex M (Brisbane) - Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 22:50

Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 22:50
Seriously. Did it take three days to diagnose or weren't the parts available?

Not much of an add for Ford either way.
AnswerID: 409545

Reply By: mikehzz - Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 22:55

Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 22:55
My car has a dopey knob behind the wheel who engages 4wd...
AnswerID: 409547

Reply By: Kim and Damn Dog - Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 23:18

Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 23:18
Come on Jim

If you blokes grew up in my time I think you would have a different view.

Back in the fifties you would never know if the bloody car was going to start or not.

If I had a quid for every time the old man and I bedded down under the truck I’d be a rich man (or the miles we had to walk for some help).

The cars we have now are reliable, compared to back then.

Regards

Kim
AnswerID: 409549

Follow Up By: Member - Tony V (NSW) - Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 11:41

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 11:41
An punctures..


Every trip at least 1, often more... tyres were not what they are today either.
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FollowupID: 679526

Follow Up By: Member - barry F (NSW) - Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 17:22

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 17:22
Good onyer Kim, you tell em!! My old man bought a new Vanguard in 1950.
The reason? ? Because it was one of the few vehicles he could buy at the time suited his needs & that still came with a crank handle! Yep, it did have a self starter, but no way was he going to trust this "new modern stuff"!!
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FollowupID: 679547

Reply By: Plugga- Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 23:41

Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 23:41
Hi Jim
Always used to have a problem getting our Nissan Navara out of 4WD, It had a knob on the dash. Now have a Land Cruiser with the extra stick which is so much better

Regards Plugga
AnswerID: 409552

Reply By: Patrol22 - Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 23:45

Friday, Mar 19, 2010 at 23:45
Reckon it is a lot easier to find a work around of a electrical sensor than try and fix a chain selected transfer case that throws the claw in.....and that's happened more than once I have witnessed. In 2009 I did what might be called a remote trip.....the Wapet, Kidson, Gary, Gunbarrel, Heather, GCR and then after a rest in Alice across the Simpson...in my electronic everything Nissan Navara D40. Gotta say it was the most comfortable I've ever been when outback touring.
Reckon you were let down by the Ford dealer Jim.....things break every now and then and we shouldn't let modern technology daunt us....just have to get back to the books and learn a bit more about it :-) - never too old for that!
AnswerID: 409553

Follow Up By: Member - TonBon (NSW) - Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 06:40

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 06:40
Well said Patrol22.
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FollowupID: 679498

Follow Up By: Maîneÿ . . .- Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 11:09

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 11:09
Yes, I have to agree, the FERD dealer has let you down badly, maybe they were just too busy to fix your problem and were working on the 'cash' jobs?

For any qualified person to take 3 days to find and replace an electrical sensor was not working is a complete joke.

Maybe should have bought a Misson or Toyuta ?

Maîneÿ . . .
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FollowupID: 679520

Reply By: Muntoo - Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 00:34

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 00:34
How are they potentially dangerous?
AnswerID: 409559

Follow Up By: Member - Lionel A (WA) - Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 07:56

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 07:56
Coz.....Your faced with climbing a steepish track and cant engage 4wd, after a bit of cussing you decide to attack it in 2wd.
Half way up traction is lost and as your sliding back the fuel tank ruptures on an old fallen branch you dont see. Pondering the situation, you light a smoke which inadvertently sets fire to the vehicle and surrounding bush.

As the extingusher is buried beneath all the camping gear you decide to drive the vehicle into the croc infested river 2 metres away. This does put the fire out but the dog jumps out and gets taken. Still in 2wd your not going to drive out of this one in a hurry so decide to float down stream till you reach shallows.
When you finally get there, luck has it that another 4wder is camped nearby and winches you out. After a few well earned beers you climb under and try to repair the fuel tank, but unaware your laying on a venomous snake which strikes you several times. Thats ok though, theres a fully stocked first aid box somewhere in the car. The only problem is the instruction booklet got used as toilet paper a few days ago, so you knock back another dozen beers to dilute the poison and head for the nearest town.

Half way there, absolutely shickered, you hit a tree. Put the bullbar straight through the radiator and and your head into the windscreen. You wipe the blood from your face and open another beer.

At this point, the missus who has quietly been knitting next to you, pulls a needle out and shoves it in your ear............you die !

' potentially dangerous '...........you bet...........lol.


Cheers.......Lionel.

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FollowupID: 679501

Follow Up By: Member - Axle - Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 08:22

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 08:22
HAhahahahahahahahahaha!, What an imagination!!, Not far wrong Though!




Cheers Axle
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FollowupID: 679503

Follow Up By: Member - Donks1 (NSW) - Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 08:24

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 08:24
HA HA HA hA hA HA hA ha


Steve
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FollowupID: 679504

Follow Up By: Member - MUZBRY(Vic) - Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 09:12

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 09:12
Gday
You must smoke lots of weed, and eat lots of speed.
Murray
Muzbry
Great place to be Mt Blue Rag 27/12/2012

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Follow Up By: Mike DiD - Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 09:25

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 09:25
"' potentially dangerous '...........you bet...........lol. "

- hopefully that talent gets put to good use.
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FollowupID: 679508

Follow Up By: Gazal Champion - Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 18:34

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 18:34
Hey Lionel, ever thought of makin a movie out of it???
Bruce.
At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.

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Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 09:29

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 09:29
You could even take it a little further.

My previous vehicle had an extra gear shift to engage 4WD.
Now, with an automatic gearbox, you need to place the auto shift selector into neutral before you can engage 4WD Low range.

The knob behind the wheel (me) was on a mission around Skytrek and came to the section where you are required to change into 4WD low range before heading up a steep section.
I made 2 attempts to drive up the track and each time lost traction at "the hump" about half way up.
After backing down the second time and counting to ten I realised the low range selector was not fully engaged and I was in fact only in two wheel drive. After remembering to shift the auto selector into neutral first, then select low range I cruised up effortlessly on the third attempt.
Boy did I have egg on my face. I was the lead vehicle in a convoy of three (fortunately friends) and after taking some light hearted ribbing from them accepted the fact I simply had a "seniors moment".

My current vehicle has the push button selectors on the dash and I agree the physical selector is better as you can not always "see" the status indicators to show you are in the right range. However, as I found out that day, you cannot necessarily "feel" the stick moving into full engagement.


Bill.
Bill


I'm diagonally parked in a parallel Universe!

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AnswerID: 409590

Reply By: Alloy c/t - Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 18:29

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 18:29
And with a 3 button Holden Rodeo ,Colorado/Dmax the fix is ,, Ign off , hold all 3 buttons in at same time , switch Ign to on while continuing to hold all 3 buttons for 30 seconds , release buttons , start vehicle , select 2 or 4 or low range as required ,, simple reset of the computer , works every time.
AnswerID: 409645

Reply By: Wilko - Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 21:09

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 at 21:09
Hi Jim,

My Pajero went into "limphome mode" (60km perhour and no power) on Thursday arvo whilst at Apollo Bay. It turned out to be a faulty sensor.

The Mitsubishi dealers around the area were great but said I'd need to get to Warnabool to get it fixed.

It was a slow and steady trip but at least i got to see a lot of the scenery lol

If I was half way across the simpson or somewhere remote I'd have been getting a tow for sure

Give me my old rodeo (or any other no computerised 4x4 ) any day at least i've got half a chance of fixing what ever breaks.

Cheers Wilko

AnswerID: 409672

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