problem with 4x4

i hope i posted this in the right place.1990 se5 xtra cab 2.6 OK here is the problem. i will be driving to work i see the 4x4 light will come on in the dash then i hear whining like it going into 4x4 so i have to pull over throw it out of 2 wheel drive into 4wheel high and sometimes it works, but when it goes into 4wheel high at 55 mph it sounds bad so i go to pull over and then it whines down and i hear a thump out of the transfer case. then i start up again and its fine. i also noticed when i first start the truck the 4x4 light comes on toocan someone please help me out thanks.

hello is there anybody in here?

Well, yes there are a few of us in here... Unfortunately, I have not ideas on your problem. Hopefully, someone will log in and have an idea what you are dealing with.

sounds like your transfer case is goin out or bad linkage

when's the last time you had your transfer case serviced and fluids changed. Sounds like you have some serious wear going on and as mentioned by yimmy bad linkage. I had a simular problem with mine and it was hard wear on the linkage and changing the fluids and some gear plates.

i did not have any fluids changed yet on the truck i picked it up about a month ago in brooklyn so since then i been doing other things to it like a little body work under coating it new gas tank grille but i was not worried about transfer case until it started acting up on me. you said that the linkage could be the problem that will make it go into 4x4 on its own when driving, the truck has 168,000 on it now but the whole top end was done. is it alot of money to get the transfer case done, and should i bring it to a mazda dealer or local mechanic. oh thanks for the reply.

I'm having the same problem. From what I have researched, there is a sensor at the back of the transfer case which tells the front axle to engage when the tranfer case is in 4wd. If the sensor goes bad or gets loose, it can allow the front axle to try to engage when it shouldn't be (i.e. while in motion in 2wd). Until I can troubleshot it further, I just disconnected the wiring from the vacuum solenoids that engage/disengage the front axle, and it drives fine, although the 4X4 light goes on and off whenever it wants. Your front drive shaft is not moving- it's just your front axle getting a false signal to engage.

is it manual 4x4 shift or push button?

It's a manual shift transfer case. The system is a bit unique in that it has what they call "Remote Free Wheeling", which allows the hubs to unlock when you are in 2WD. Because of that, it is not "Shift-on-the-fly-4WD" until you have stopped and put it into 4WD the first time. After that, it's shift-on-fly between 2wd-H and 4wd-H until you press the RFW ("Remote Free Wheel") button on the dash, while in 2WD. That disengages the front hubs. If you want 4WD after pressing that button, you have to come to a stop before you shift into 4WD.

The problem that I am having is that the front axle is being told to engage, even though the truck is moving , and is in 2WD. This causes the "4X4" dash light to come on, and the front end starts whinning. If the 4X4 light goes out, the whinning can be made to stop by pressing the RFW button, but that is only good until the 4X4 light comes on again.

I've been driving it with the solenoids disconnected for about a year, and have not had any problems; no front end whinning. If I go off road, I just reconnect the solenoids.

sounds like the transfer case computer has a short or is wore out..... ive had 2 bronco 2's one with manual and one with push button 4x4.... the one with 4x4 push button was engauging every time i turned the truck off.... it ended up being the transfer case "brain" computer had gotten some water in it and was shorting the signal..... so im thinking thats what it may be on your transfer.......