spartacus_33

Good afternoon...

I had a weird issue this morning on the way to the gym:

The roads were very slick and icy and I had seen several accidents, so I pulled over and shifted into 4H. It pulled rather stiffly, but the light indicating that I was in 4WD was lit up on the instrument cluster. After a couple of miles... I stopped and attempted to shift back into 2WD. Again it was very clunky/stiff... and it appeared to go into 2WD, but the light for 4WD did not go off. I shifted into 4L, back to 4H and clunked back into 2WD. The dash light (4WD) went out and no matter where I put the 4WD shifter... it never would come back on. I pulled into a parking lot and kept messing with the different 4WD modes and the shifter just didn't feel right. When shifting into 4L it just "fell in"... and when I tried to move (in 4L) I got a repeated clunk, clunk, clunk as I moved.

Since the light won't come back on and since when I try to shift into 2WD... it seems like it wants to slip back into 4H. When I push (force) lever back into 2H... it's still really doesn't seem to want to stay there.

Sorry for the long drawn out story... but has anyone had any similar experience? I have a call into the Jeep dealer, but have not received a call back yet.

Since this JK was produced before 2009, and has the "Lifetime Warranty"... does anyone know if this will be covered?

Thanks,
Steve

jkman77

The clunk and stiffness is normal. The calbe end may have broken very common problem and easy fix or i assume there is a switch on the case telling the light when to come on.

genesbro

Because of the way the tcase works it is better to be rolling at least a little when going into and out of 4hi and 2hi. With it being cold and icy that would make it even more stiff it you weren't moving. Hopefully you don't have the cable end broken thing.

spartacus_33

Still a little concerned that as I actually move the Jeep ahead in 4L, I can hear (and feel) a repeated clunk, clunk, clunk....... Also.. it doesn't appear to want to stay in 2WD. If I push it there... after a few feet of driving, I can actually move the 4WD shifter left and right as if in Neutral.

rinkishJK

everything your describing is normal. the clunk is due to the low gear ratio in low and the 6spd. mine does it all the time in 4low.. the trick is to try and minimize how often it does it by being gentile with the gas.
the side to side play of the shifter is normal too..
mine has done and still does these things.. if it popped out of 2wd u would know.

spartacus_33

Normal? Hummmm... I've had this Jeep (bought it new) for almost 3 years and 32,000+ miles and have never seen or felt this... especially the repeated clunking when moving forward in 4L. Also... I'm not so concerned that it has popped out of 2WD... it just looks (and feels) like it is sort of stuck in 4H, as it kind of crunches when I try to force it into 2WD and doesn't seem to want to stay there.

spartacus_33

Just to close the loop on this thread.... I took my Jeep in to the dealer today and sure enough, the transfer case cable had come partially out of it's bracket, thus causing improper gear meshing and was unable to make electrical contact for turning on the 4WD dash light.

It shifts in and out just fine now..... and no more clunking in 4L.