why am i stuck in 4 low? (1 Viewer)

[Phatt Millips]

I was offroading today and got to a part where I needed a little more umph cause I got stuck and I put it in 4 low. Didnt get me out and eventually I got pulled out. Now it wont get out of 4 low. Yes I know how to do it, foot on the brake and neutral but I'm afraid its broke because my car is not actually in 4 low. Its in 2 wheel drive and I dont think it will go into 4 high or 4 low now and wont change the light from 4 low. It drives like its in 2 wheel and doesnt rev up abnormally and drives fine on the road. Anything that I could have messed up?
I drive a 97 explorer sport btw with the electronic 4wd switch

 

[Combat Chuck]

Ford's a funny beast when it comes to their electronic 4x4 setups, you have to be in neutral to shift out of 4Lo.
This happened to me the first time I used 4Lo on my father's Ranger.

 

['74 UA FJ]

Uh, I would be in neutral in any vehicle going from high to low or low to high range. That's common sense.

 

[Combat Chuck]

Uh, I would be in neutral in any vehicle going from high to low or low to high range. That's common sense.

It's an auto, and yes, when I shift to low-range, I do so in Neutral.
When I was borrowing my father's Ranger (my truck was in the shop) I put it into "park" to shift in and out of low range, but it wouldn't disengage.
I don't trust electronically-shifting t-cases, and at the time thought the motor bound up on the gear selector, and began furiously reading the FSM to see if there's anything I was missing. Turns out, Ferd doesn't want a rash of busted t-cases when people get dumb, so they wired in a neutral safety switch that will not trip, even in park, even if the only difference between the two is a parking pawl.

 

[PALMER96FZJ80]

Did you ever get out of 4low? I have a Ford work truck 2 actually (2002Exploder/2008Expedition) and they did the same thing to me. Here is what I did and it worked perfect. When ever it gets stuck in 4low, back up strait as fast as you can for a good 100 ft, then stop/neutral/4low off/drive and it pops out every time. Hope you are good now.

 

[coveboy]

Here's how to get out of 4-Low in any Ford (or other truck really...):
Once you're through whatever you had to get throuh in 4low, shift into nuetral. Then shift to 4high, reverse about 50 feet, then nuetral, then 2 wheel, then reverse another 59 feet or so. Saves your transfer case and shifts your completely out.

 

[1973barnfind]

my buddy has a mid 90's Ferd F-150 and he said it used to do that. I know he put manual hubs in. he did some quarky stuff to get it in or out of 4 low. like moving forward, backward or something like that.