help! transfer case stuck in 4lo

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StealthKJ

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yesterday I put my 04 KJ renegade transfer case in 4lo and when I went to go put it back in 2hi it remains jammed in 4lo. No crazy off roading took place and nothing seems to have broken. This happen about 2 years ago but I managed to get it unjammed in under 5 mins. This time not the case. Any recommendations?
 

StealthKJ

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I tried it in neutral, drive, and reverse both stationary and moving slowly on flat ground. And the lever on the transfer case is news to me.
 

dude1116

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Seeing that you tried it in drive and reverse I can see why it might be stuck.

Normal operating procedure states that you MUST shift the lever in neutral, and having the Jeep rolling around 3MPH will make the shift easier.
 

Porkchop

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Try it with all 4 wheels in the air keep you foot on the brake lightly so the wheels dont spin to fast. Uneven tire wear can make it hard to shift the T case. Might be worth a try if nothing else is wrong.
 

LibertyTC

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And if it still refuses to budge....

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StealthKJ

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I have all 4 wheels off the ground and it's still not budging. Other than the 1/4" slack in the cable it's not moving.
 

StealthKJ

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Update: I tried LibertyTC's "hammer time" method on the lever on the side of the Tcase with all 4 wheels off the ground and ****** in neutral and got the Tcase in neutral. Well, at least we're moving in the right direction.
 

LibertyTC

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Open the fill plug and put ur fingie down in there..U got Clean red ATF+4 fluid in there right?
It should be full just level with hole, or some might come out indicating no fingie needed.
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It can be easy & Fun to go in and out of part-time or 4 Low...if...
You only do it on slippery surfaces Like Mud, Wet Grass,Very Loose gravel or my favorite SNOW!~
And all of ur 4 shoes (slang for tires) are worn evenly, rotation helps!!
Never on dry pavement....With Command -Trac.
Cant imagine trying this on pavement...
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So why try it with your transfer case...?
Transmission in neutral, moving slowly straight (Never in a turn !) forward into 4low, trans into drive.
Coming out is same, trans into N-moving slowly straight forward on loose surface, pull up into N on case, back into Drive!
Also having clean ATF+4 every 36k miles and a level check in between (every 6 mo) is a good idea!
SO is actually testing/using the 4x4/engaging every once in a while good idea, to keep things moving and snot not getting sticking in there.
 

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StealthKJ

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Well, got it back in 2hi. The problem turned out the control cable had seized. Tcase seems fine and I checked the fluid to be sure and it's ok (as it should be, just changed it 10k miles ago) as for the circumstances, it was shifted in neutral and in mud. buuuutt since it hasn't been out of 2hi since I left alaska in 2011 it's quite understandable why it didn't want to work. Thank you, everyone for the help! It's much appreciated!
 

TwoBobsKJ

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Glad to hear it's back to normal. I've gotten into the habit of putting mine into 4WD on a regular basis (4 Part Time, Full Time and Lo) to keep everything freed up and all components of the T-case used. Seems to help it move into and out of 4WD much more easily.

Go out now and have fun with your Jeep!

Bob
 

profdlp

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...I've gotten into the habit of putting mine into 4WD on a regular basis...

Same here. Cycling stuff "on" once in a while is good for it. Usually the hardest time starting your lawn mower is the first time you use it in the spring. If you turned it over every few weeks over the winter it would probably be in better shape. Besides, I don't want to find out my 4WD is out of commission when winter gets here and there is already snow on the ground.
 

Jeepgeek95

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Can't you climb under there and move the lever on the Tcase? I've done that when my bushing crapped out.
Hi. The same thing just happened to my '05 renegade. What direction should I turn the lever it if it's stuck in low range? Sorry I'm a bit of a noob with this.
 

DadOSix

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Hi. The same thing just happened to my '05 renegade. What direction should I turn the lever it if it's stuck in low range? Sorry I'm a bit of a noob with this.
So - this may be too simple, but think of the selections on the stick = 2h, 4h, n, 4l.

I’m thinking you popped the cable bushing off at the t-case.

4 selections, 3 clicks of the lever

You are at one end of the range with 4l, you want 2h, so all the way to the other end of the range.

I’ve done it before in the snow, but i’m not certain if you want to move the lever on the t-case forward or back. I THINK 2H is with the lever moved all the way toward the rear of the jeep.

My bushing popped off when i went to shift from 4hi to 2h. 1st time i missed and went all the way to 4l.
 

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