A4WD light flashing after 5 minutes of driving

[JaylanS04]

Hey guys I have a 97 expedition xlt 5.4 and my 2wd, 4hi and 4lo all work as they should. But when shift to A4WD, after 5 minutes of driving the light starts flashing slowly. I’ve gotten into a snow bank and floored the truck and sometimes all 4 spin and other times they don’t. I don’t know if it’s for sure working or not. Thanks in advance.

 

[brhulen]

Why are you driving into snowbanks? I thought the idea of using 4wd was to keep you out of them. Are you sure all 4 tires are spinning, if so you must have also front and rear. Given the age of the rig i would check out the vacuum lines to the actuators to see if they may be leaking.

 

[Vancouver Bob]

A quick Google search and found a couple of things that might help...

Flashing 4X4 light is the check engine light for the Transfer Case.​

If you have a reader (or can take to most any car parts place) you can maybe get an error/diagnostic code.

Another seemingly useful link...

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/639058-1999-ford-expedition-4x4-blinking.html​

I, personally, have never had this happen so can't speak from experience. Hope this helps.

 

[JaylanS04]

A quick Google search and found a couple of things that might help...

Flashing 4X4 light is the check engine light for the Transfer Case.​

If you have a reader (or can take to most any car parts place) you can maybe get an error/diagnostic code.

Another seemingly useful link...

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/639058-1999-ford-expedition-4x4-blinking.html​

I, personally, have never had this happen so can't speak from experience. Hope this helps.

I have plugged in a reader before and it said the transfer case output shaft sensors are bad. I don’t know where those are as I’ve looked online and haven’t found anything.

 

[mnachreiner86]

In my 2000 I had a similar experience once. Now granted it was full time A4WD without the 2 Hi but I was driving to a fishing spot in a field in the dark and rolled through a wet spot where a pivot had broken. It sank to the hubs and despite my best driving efforts wasn’t going to come out. The 4x4 light started flashing, I let off the gas and flipped to 4 hi and drove right out. As stated earlier I think something in the transfer case notes that the situation is too much for A4WD. A4WD is best suited for ice, wet conditions and light snow. If you’re driving through snow banks or mud, go ahead and be in 4 Hi BEFORE you need it.


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[JaylanS04]

In my 2000 I had a similar experience once. Now granted it was full time A4WD without the 2 Hi but I was driving to a fishing spot in a field in the dark and rolled through a wet spot where a pivot had broken. It sank to the hubs and despite my best driving efforts wasn’t going to come out. The 4x4 light started flashing, I let off the gas and flipped to 4 hi and drove right out. As stated earlier I think something in the transfer case notes that the situation is too much for A4WD. A4WD is best suited for ice, wet conditions and light snow. If you’re driving through snow banks or mud, go ahead and be in 4 Hi BEFORE you need it.


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The reason I drove into a snow bank was so I could see which wheels were spinning. It was in a parking lot where the rest was just clear cement.

 

[Jose A Herrera]

From my experience on my 2004 xlt when driving on A4WD (Auto 4 wheel drive) is more like an Automatic 4x4. Which means not all 4 wheels spin at the same time Unless the computer picks up that you need it. It should drop the rotation of the wheel to the same speed almost work like All wheel drive. At least thats what it has done to me. The only thing for me is that the wet traction control is off since i bought it and haven’t fixed it. The only benefit of it being of the on 2H it work like posi read and on slippery road I can drift or fish tail all over. There is a youtuber that claim that it also locks the wheel like the old day while on 4x4 which should make it to where all 4 wheels spin. Unfortunately I can say how it work in the snow since we don’t get any down here close to the Mexican Border. I would ask to turn of the wet traction and see if that helps next time. It has helped me on rainy day, down dirt roads and sand. Unless it’s really nasty or flooded it’s 4x4Hi or 4x4Lo. And if I’m not mistaken the only expedition with all 4 wheel spin at the same time always is the Eddie Buarer. Their computer is set to All Wheel Drive and not 4x4. Which 4x4 is that each wheel spins at its own speed where it picks up traction and all 4 at the same speed. That’s why you should engage the right one depending on what surface you are traveling on and speed. Hi when you can travel over 20mph and Lo when below 20mph. It may be higher then 20mph but i play it safe to not damage the gears.

 

[Jose A Herrera]

oh yeah and while you are driving on A4WD the light will flash to let you know that you are on a surface where it has engaged the 4x4 and if doesn’t flash then you are in 2hi with the 4x4 hi ready to engage in 1-2 seconds. This I got straight from a Ford Technician at my local Ford Dealership. The only warning signs that you should have are on the left and to the bottom in your instrument panel. Like service engine, abs, red brake, wet traction off, low oil pressure, hi temp, ext..... Also the OD should display your warning message to from the computer.