Jammed Hilux Hi Lo range selector

[Orville]

Gday all,
Has anyone experienced a jammed hi lo gear shift? My 2000 model 5LE 3.0 l diesel has jammed in 4WD H4. I cannot move the selector in or out of its H4 position. The 4WD light on the dash went out and also the car is in 2WD mode now even though the gear selector is now fixed in the 4WD H4 position? I assume something must has come out of alignment down in the trasfer selector area- has any one have any ideas or experienced this problem? Am I looking at a transfer case overhaul?

cheers - Orville

[SCANAS]

I take it you have auto hubs?

[Orville]

Howdy,
No they are manually hubs.

[Orville]

Me again, I meant manually operated hubs.
So the car was in locked hubs mode with H4 selected, then the problem happened. I gave the throttle burst - no front wheel spin - rear only.
I then dis engaged the the hubs so they were free wheeling. I checked the wheels by spinning the wheels - no front wheel engagement (before or after I dis-engaged the hubs). I am hoping its something adrift at the stick and not in the transfer case selector area. There was no noise to suggest anything broke or fell off. The car was under no load at the time either.

[callook]

Engage your hubs back in , start the car and engage first gear drive forward and then stop select reverse , the lever should free up then you can disengage your low range lever if it doent disengage keep selecting first and reverse a couple of times should be happy days!

[SCANAS]

You can try as prescribed above, be gentle though. Try unlocking the hubs and jacking both rear wheels off the ground and drive forward and reverse in a safe manner. Could you have wind-up in the transfer? Although if your only driving the rear wheels could be more involved.

[Orville]

Gday gents, yeah, gave the reverse gear , hubs in then out a try - no different. Still stuck in 4H and still doesnt engage 4H. It may be a selctor / linkage break? Although I thought I would have heard somthing? Thanks anyway.

[the_4br]

hey mate take the boot off the leaver then u should c 4 bolts undo them give the 2 rods a good soak in wd 40 then replace the shifter leaver back into the corect spot and it should b right same thing happend to me about 6 months ago all fine now

[Orville]

I like the sound of that - i shall give the WD40 a go and get back to you, cheers - thanks all for your thoughts, cheers
Orville

[Orville]

hey all helpers, problem solved - thanks mostly to "the_4br" dude.
You were close - it was the base spring circlip - it had come off allowing the inner spring to lift the transfer lever up and out of the groove sets not allowing range transfers to happen.
I cleaned it all up, greased the moving bits and reinstalled - wammo - all Good - 4WD light back on - took it for a quick spin - all better than ever - and 2wd to 4wd and back is now best its ever been.

Thanks heaps

cheers
Orville.