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No 4wd on my Passport.
Car: Honda, Passport, 1996 - Back to Fix-It - Honda Repair Manuals
Q.hi, I have a 96 honda passport ex that for some reason will not go into 4wd. Last winter I used the 4wd all of the time and it worked great, now it will not. When I shift the stick into 4hi, nothing happens, no idicator light, no power to front wheels. called a local tranny shop and they said there are some fuses to check, but I can find any. Took the shifter cover off and followed wires to some sort of sensor on the back of the t-case, but it's all plugged in. The wires are black from an exhaust leak and maybe heat damage, but no broken or crossed wires at all. Please help as I do need to get to work in the morning and I have about 2feet of snow in my driveway!
Answer Sometimes the actuator that engages the 4wd gets stuck. If its not that there are 2 relays that operate it. They also rely on vaccum to work.
Its possible there may also be a vaccum leak and the relays are not getting the signal they need.
There are 2 fuses under the dash you can check. One is labeled METER. The other is labeled ELEC. IG.
If both these are good than the i would also look under teh hood. In that fuse box there is a relay that activates the shif on the fly. Have someone push the 4wd button and see if you hear it click on and off as you operate the switch. If you do that means the system is getting power and its possibly the solenoids of the actuator that has gotten stuck or gone bad.
Addition How would I check if the actuator is stuck? Also, I do not have a push button 4wd system, it uses a shifter on the floor, so I am not sure if/where I would have a relay for that. As for vaccum lines, where would they be located? I am not seeing any lines associated with my t-case.
Addition I checked both fuses in the vehicle, neither were popped. Under the hood, would you happen to know which relay works the on the fly shifting? Again, I don't know if that applies to my car as I do not have push button 4wd, but an actual shifter....
Answer Oh right. The earlier ones had the stick. There is a switch that is activated by the levers inside the transfer case. That switch tells teh solenoids its in 4WD by re routing the vacume trough different hoses.
Yes you still have the relay. Both the systems are still considered shit-on-the-fly.
The only way to check it is to physically test for power and ground to both the solenoids. Than you will need a vaccum pump. On the front axle is the actuator. There is a black pice that is shaped like a circle. Going to it are 2 vaccum hoses. By pulling them both off you can apply vaccum to one or the other ports. That will move the actuator.
Have you tried moving the car while shifting the 4wd stick? Maybe the splines of the front axles arent lined up and thats why it wont go in.
here is the fues box and its labels.
Addition yeah, i was moving the car in the driveway, but just a little bit because I had to traction. I do not see any vaccum lines on the front axle. Also, in the engine compartment there are no relays that I can see that are labled pertaining to the 4wd. If the switch in the tcase is bad, is there a way to replace it, or, bypass it?
Answer Usually its not the switch. In order to see the actuator and the vaccum lines you need to take teh metal skid plates off that are under the motor. Than you will see the front axle. Attached to the axle is the actuator and right next to that is the solenoids.
The switch is on the drives side of the trans. Just above the catalytic converter.
Does the stick actually go int 4Hi ?
Addition yeah, I can swithc it into 4hi and low. I know the indicator light is not burnt because it comes on when you turn the key on. I will remove those plates and check and get back to you. Which relays are for the 4wd?
Answer Ok. The light wont come on untill teh front axle actuator is engaged. But its good that it comes on with the key. Thats the bulb doing a self check.
If you have 2 people there i would start the car. Have them put the stick in and out of 4Hi. Look at the attached pic in the post above. Find it in the under hood fuse box by the battery. Put your hand on it and see if you can feel it clicking. That will save you from having to lay in the snow only to find out the relay might have been bad.
Addition ok, so I did the test on the relay lastnight, and yes it does click. Once when you put it into 4hi and once when you take it back to 2hi. Also, I looked all over the front axles and diff. And could not locate the actuator, do you have a pic of that? So now it seems that we are down to that, something with the actuator.... if it is stuck, how do you free it? What does the relay under the hood control?
Answer The relay under the hood supplies power to the 2 vaccum solenoids. By the actuator. So when the system is on 2WD the actuators open in a sequence allowing vaccum to dissengage the actuator. When in 4WD it engages it.
If the actuator is stuck than its more likely a mechanical problem that may require the removal of it from the front axle.
Here is the picture. If you notice the black bar that runs from one side to the other towards the top of the pic. Thats your steering linkage. Pretty much where the arrow points that says front axle switch. Thats the actuator.
Addition Hey sorry that I didn't get back to you before this, the holidays were busy here but thanks for the help. I will try and get to that actuator soon.
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