Hey Chris, welcome to the 'dark side' of the wire. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Hmmm I remember you. Not sure if you recall but I contacted you a while back regarding your built Amigo. Alway did like the removable tops on those. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Anyhow, based on what you've said so far, I wonder if(I may certainly be wrong here) either your automatic tranny has given up the ghost based on the fact it doesn't move in drive or anything... or the xcase chain broke or the xcase gears have grenaded (I've never heard of that happening). <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Well the good news is I'm one of the least technical guys on here and hopefully one of the more technical guys can help with some better insights for you. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

When I first got my 2002 MS the stick also got stuck between 4H and AWD as I was trying to shift to 4H in a cold snow storm. The 4H light wasn't on, but the stick wasn't in AWD mode either.

I went to the dealer and they had to R&R the cabin shifter, and retighten and lube the rods in there. ~$200 It's fine now.

But mine must have been stuck in AWD, it didn't have a problem turning the wheels. If you have the Part-Time 4x4 sytem it may be stuck in neutral.

I agree. It sounds as though it's hung in a neutral detent in the tcase. Yank on it till it moves. Be sure you're in neutral on the trans shifter, but you knew that...

OK, jerking on the shifter sounds like a plan. I always like the BFH approach -- however, I have one issue with it. I tend to be "Lenny" -- for those of you that don't know, that's a reference to "Of Mice and Men" in which there was a character that had a tendency to destroy and/or kill things he cared about due to his overexertion of strength.

That being said, anyone have a similar model Montero they could take a picture of the shifter in? I'd hate to lean on it to no end only to find out I'm trying to force it the wrong way and it's going to break off in my hand. Don't laugh -- it wouldn't be the first t-case shifter I've ripped off. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Of course, the other one was cut/extended for my 3-inch body lift, and I'm not the world's best welder of hardened steel. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />

So, let me know if someone can post up a pic of where the shifter SHOULD be in 4HI, and in 2WD...

I'll try to get a pic of where mine is at the moment. She said she tried to go from the cupholder (I have one of those ones that wedge between the seats) toward the radio, that's when it stopped... So I don't know if I have to go up, down, or if, in fact, I have to go back, to the right, and down....

Thanks again guys,
Chris

OK, so the saga continues....

My girlfriend just got home from work (see that? She woke me from a dead sleep to come get her, I flat-towed the truck home and got her on her way, and I've been screwing around with this ever since... And now she's home from work already...)

Anyway... So, after drawing her pictures and trying and trying and trying to get her to explain what the hell she did to this thing... Here's the further information I have been able to gather.

The truck WAS, in fact, in 4-Hi when she got in it -- as I had recalled. I left it that way knowing I would need it in the morning to drive her to work. Instead, she took it the way it was.... And then tried to SHIFT to 4WD. Except, she was already IN 4WD. So she didn't move it "toward the radio" -- she moved it toward her LEG AND toward the radio. GRRRRRRRRR. Oh, and did I mention she did this while she was driving down the street???

OK, so at this point, here's what I believe to be the case. The transfer case lever is stuck between the 4-Hi position and the 4-Lo position. When the auto-shifter is in Neutral, the t-case shifter is just about even with it, and it has about 1/4-inch of play front and back, but about 2 inches of play side to side.

Any words of wisdom now that we know she was moving (over 10MPH) while trying to shift from Hi to Lo?? I've been leaning on the stick and can't get it to do anything....

From where she was when I first arrived on the scene, I would bet she was probably in the 30 to 40MPH range when she attempted this. She did mention that she was in neutral, but honestly, I think that was more of a lie to cover up than what actually happened....

So what do you think?

Still tryin' to figure this one out. Part of the problem is I don't really want to crawl underneath it in the snow unless I have a good idea of what the hell I'm looking for....

I just took some video of what it does when I'm shifting through the gears, but unfortunately, I can't figure out an easy way to post it.

Basically, when I'm in Neutral it's idling just over 1,000 (cold start). Then I shift to Drive and it goes UP to about 1200... But still no motion anywhere. No forward, no back, no nothing... And believe me when I tell you I've STOOD on the t-case shifter in various different directions, and can't get it to move beyond the aforementioned 2-inch by 1/2-inch play.... And really "stood on" isn't appropriate terminology. It's more like leg pressing from the driver's seat. And I can leg press WELL over 1000 lbs, so I'm not sure I really want to put that much into it. I have visions of the t-case shifter snapping off, going through the radio, taking out the firewall and the rear main... This could get ugly... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Com'on, someone out there has the magic fix, like, "Rev the engine to precisely 1400 RPMs while opening and closing the door 16 times within 10 seconds, while holding the radio power-off button, and when the radio display reads, 'GO' you'll have two seconds to throw that shifter in gear!"

Com'on.... Someone has that magic fix, I just know it....

OK, got a little more information out of her.... Apparently it was in 4-lo, and she pulled it out of 4-lo while moving. Good stuff...

So now my thoughts are moving in a different direction. Who can explain to me the vacuum actuation on these things, and how it might work? Specifically, is there anything that might "still be actuated" now that she ripped it out of gear while moving, that might be restricting my ability to put the thing back into any kind of gear?

OK, now she's denying that it was in 4-lo... But I did happen to find a TSB on this: TSB0023004

Anyone have full details on it? Everywhere I look I can only find the summary, which is pretty useless. It says, "A condition may exist where a vehicle is attempted to be shifted from 4-lo to 4-hi while moving, which could leave the lever stuck in 4-hi." That's great... BUT HOW DO I FIX THE DAMN THING????!?!?!? Ugggh...

Might be too late for me tonight on this one -- although I do have to figure out how to get it off the street and into my driveway... Since it's supposed to snow again tomorrow.

Not that this is 100% relevant but my first mitsu truck it was an 86 I had I tried something similar to your girlfriend (damn I feel dumb after saying that) but it just ground a lil bit when I tried moving it and after it ground I apperantly hit the neutral spot and while still moving/keeping RPM's I just wiggled it a lil more and the T case just went into a gear and I pulled over and engaged 2wd and was good to go

Get under the truck, and spray the $hit out of the transfercase shift rod with PB Blaster. Let it set up and then get in there and really hammer on that shifter until you get it back into either 4WDhi or 2wd. Might help to run the truck so everything has a chance to warm up inside. I had a similar issue about it not wanting to shift. Turned out snow had gotten around the shifter under the truck and froze everything solid. might help to store it inside if you can do that. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />