Switching to 4x4 help

[Dman182]

embarrassing question, but seems I know less than I thought I knew. I recently bought a 2006 Wrangler, and I got stuck in the soft sand of an NJ beach
When I arrived, I put it into (what I thought) was 4H. It drove great! Parked my car, hung out, etc. I did not touch the 4WD stick again since first arriving. When I was leaving the beach, it was doing ok until a car stopped in front of me, forcing me to stop. When I pressed on the gas, no wheels were spinning. It sounds like it is in neutral... However again I did not touch anything. Drive on auto stick, 4H on 4x4. I jumped out of the car to give the car a push, and the car started moving again without issues.

How the heck does this 4WD work?!
or more so how do I even activate 4wd? I thought it was in. I was reading somewhere that people dont pull back hard enough to go into 4h? I was under the impression that the 4x4 kind of went back from 2H to 4H, to the right for 4H to N, and then back again for N to 4L. Is that right? Or is that 4h somewhere else Im missing?

I tested the 4x4 with the "drive in a circle" with 4H activated, and my car tires skipped around a bit. I put the car into 4L in a parking lot and it felt like a very heavy drive, going very slow but moving with gas. so I assume that working to.
If the car wasnt in 4H, would at least two tires still spin?

Thanks

 

[billiebob]

Jeep.com has some very good videos on their 4x4 systems.

 

[TJScott]

It sounds like it fell into neutral. There is a neutral between 4HI and 4LO in the transfer case. Sometimes it comes out of adjustment under the Jeep. It’s only a pinch bolt that holds it secure. I replaced my stock linkage with a Savvy cable because mine would always fall out of 4LO.

 

[Dman182]

It sounds like it fell into neutral. There is a neutral between 4HI and 4LO in the transfer case. Sometimes it comes out of adjustment under the Jeep. It’s only a pinch bolt that holds it secure. I replaced my stock linkage with a Savvy cable because mine would always fall out of 4LO.

dumb question, but is neutral the same thing as neutral with the transmission? because the car started to move once we pushed it out of being stuck

 

[TJScott]

The transfer case (4WD component) has its own neutral. It's possible it was close to in gear and upon pushing it, it slipped in. I don't own an automatic, so I can't say I know it all. 4HI, is generally the easy one to hit. 4LO, you have to pass neutral in the transfer case to get to and generally causes more issues. At least in my experience. This video gives you an idea of what the linkage looks like.

 

[pagrey]

I think what's going on here has nothing to do with 4wd. It sounds like you've got that figured out from how you describe your test. If you are stuck in sand only two wheels will spin, it might seem like nothing is happening. Did you check all four wheels and verify nothing was spinning or did it just seem that way? If it is slipping in and out of neutral on the transfer case you'll know about it, it makes a terrible grind.

 

[Steel City 06]

When in 4WD high or low range, there should be a 4WD light on the instrument cluster that lights up. I believe it goes away when the transfer case is in neutral. I agree with the other commenters that the TC was likely in neutral, even if the transmission was in gear.

Use 4HI for most loose surface driving, and 4LOW any time you need a lot of torque, low speed control, or are stuck. I recommend finding a gravel or dirt parking lot and practicing shifting the transfer case between 2HI, 4HI, Neutral, and 4LOW.

You can shift between 2Hi and 4Hi at any legal speed, as long as no wheels are slipping and you are traveling in a straight line. You can usually shift from 4Hi through neutral to 4Low at a standstill, but sometimes the gear teeth line up and they just won't go in. If this is the case, leave the transfer case in neutral, either let the vehicle roll slightly or put the TC back in either gear, the transmission in a low gear (and pump the clutch if a manual) and move the vehicle slightly, and repeat the shift attempt.

Ideally when shifting from 4Hi to 4Low you are rolling forward at a very slow speed (less than walking speed) with the transmission in neutral. This forces the gears to slip slightly until they catch and slide into gear. The transfer case shifts much like a primitive unsychronized manual transmission.

If you have significant issues with the transfer case popping out of gear, the shifter linkage may be improperly adjusted, and may need to be readjusted.