Had a strange problem this afternoon. I was at the beach and I buried my truck. I set the dial to 4x4 Low and the "low range" didn't illuminate, just 4x4. I had help pulling the truck out and it first it was moving, then for whatever reason it felt like my truck just turned into a 7000lb anchor. I had to give it all she had just to get the wheels to spin. I disengaged and re-engaged the 4x4 and then the 4x4 low range came on. after that the truck was okay going but the brakes felt like mush. When I got back on pavement the brakes would barely hold the beast and I couldn't get it out of 4x4 low.

After resetting my edge tuner to stock, checking all the fuses, disconnected and reconnected the batteries, checked the hubs numerous times, and turned them back and forth numerous times, it was still stuck.

I then proceeded to drive home and starting pushing all the buttons, I pressed Tow/haul about 10 times and the truck popped into 2wd... brakes are fine, all seems well...

What the heck just happened. I'll probably take it in for a diagnoses next week.

Thanks for any help

 

I got my 350 stuck in low range one time, but i could never figure out why it wouldnt come out. All of a sudden the spedometer jumped to 50 mph while I was in park and the transfer case lever became moveable. I didnt have the brake issue though.

 

Did you put the truck in neutral when shifting from high to low?

My ESOF has only acted up once when I was in a panic situation and needed 4x4 10 seconds ago. Turned the dial too far (right inbetween 4x4 high and low) and it didn't do a thing. Shut the truck down, restarted, and it shifted into 4x4 fine.

 

I figured out the next day that I hadn't put it in neutral while shifting into low range... Which made me realize that the couple times I had been stuck I always had it in 4 high... oops. It's my first 4x4 truck so it's a learningexperience . Thanks for your responses though guys.

I think the whole weird braking thing happened when I got sand in my brakes

 

About the brakes feeling like mush, did you have to press on the brake pedal a little harder to stop it from moving? If ya did, the same thing happened to me when I use 4 low, but I think it has to do with the amount of torque being applied to all the wheels. In 4 high, everythings geared normally, but when 4 low is selected, you lower the gear ratios with the same amount of torque (quite a bit from a diesel) which multiplies it by the time it leaves the transfer case and into the wheels. It requires more brake pressure to keep the rotors from spinning. As soon as I put it back into 4hi, the brakes felt normal again.

 

Yeah, I have an edge tuner set at economy with a couple other minor mods... In low the brakes seriously would barely hold the truck unless the pedal was all the way to the floor. I know my truck has a ton of power, but the brake mush felt like a combination of things. I understand what you're saying but since I pressure washed and air blasted all the sand out the brakes have been much better in 4L. The 2006 also has larger rotors than the 2002, the brakes are pretty awesome

 

I've never had any problems with my brakes in 4x4 Low...