Unable to move car forward or backward

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freeapache

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Sep 18, 2023
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I have a 2000 Wrangler TJ, manual transmission, with over 200k miles. Purchased it used a couple years ago.

Two weeks ago, I had an issue where after I switched into reverse gear, I was not able to back up until I hit the gas hard. Then the car did a small jolt and I was able to back up.

A few days ago, I tried driving it for the first time since, and while I was able to switch into first gear and reverse gear, I was not able to move the car forwards nor backwards after hitting the gas. I also tried doing this: depressing the clutch, then switching to first gear, then to reverse gear and then hitting the gas hard. No avail — it would just stay in place.

Any ideas as to what can cause this?
 
freeapache said:
Is that the lever that switches from 2hi to 4l and 4h? If so, there are three settings — what do you suggest that I do?
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Yes. Push it all the way forward into 2hi. Try shifting through all the ranges, but 2hi is where you want it to be normally. And there are 4 "settings" as you put it. One of them is neutral. We all suspect that's what's going on.
 
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freeapache said:
I also tried doing this: depressing the clutch, then switching to first gear, then to reverse gear and then hitting the gas hard. No avail
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Don't, don't do that. As suggested above, lift the rear and see if it will spin while in neutral. You need to isolate where it’s hanging up. I once had my rear axle lock up due to the cross pin falling out of the spider gears.
 
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SkylinesSuck said:
Yes. Push it all the way forward into 2hi. Try shifting through all the ranges, but 2hi is where you want it to be normally. And there are 4 "settings" as you put it. One of them is neutral. We all suspect that's what's going on.
Click to expand...

Okay, so by default, it was already on 2hi. I switched to 4L and when I put it on reverse, it did a brief jolt and then I was able to reverse and then go forward again. I stopped, switched it back to 2hi, and now I can reverse and go forward again. I'm afraid this is just a temporary fix though. What could be causing this?
 
BlueC said:
Don't, don't do that. As suggested above, lift the rear and see if it will spin while in neutral. You need to isolate where it’s hanging up. I once had my rear axle lock up due to the cross pin falling out of the spider gears.
Click to expand...

I didn't have a way to lift my car, so after I switched to 4L and was able to reverse and move forward again, I shifted to neutral, and was able to push my car by myself.
 
Sounds like your transfer case just came out of gear. This isn't terribly uncommon. The linkage underneath is less than impressive and gets worn and out of adjustment. There are some threads and YouTube videos on how to properly adjust it. The most commonly recommended fix (especially here) is to get a cable shifter for the transfer case (Savvy or Novak are the most popular here). The cable allows better adjustment and should be less likely to pop out of gear unless someone moves the handle.
 
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bbaldwin237 said:
Sounds like your transfer case just came out of gear. This isn't terribly uncommon. The linkage underneath is less than impressive and gets worn and out of adjustment. There are some threads and YouTube videos on how to properly adjust it. The most commonly recommended fix (especially here) is to get a cable shifter for the transfer case (Savvy or Novak are the most popular here). The cable allows better adjustment and should be less likely to pop out of gear unless someone moves the handle.
Click to expand...

How long will the transfer case out of gear be before it becomes a huge issue and I will no longer be able to change gears?

Will I be able to change the cable shifter myself? I'm not the most handy person in the world and I have a limited set of tools, but am willing to get the correct tools if this is something that can cost hundreds.
 
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