My 2000 Dodge Truck Won't Go Into 4-Wheel Drive

Temperatures at or below freezing will increase delays shifting into four-wheel drive.

Some 2000 Dodge trucks were supplied with four-wheel drive as a factory option. Not all trucks have the option, and you can identify if your Dodge truck is indeed capable of four-wheel drive by looking for a transfer case lever on the floor in the center of the foot well, or a switch marked on the dash. The four-wheel drive designation will be identified on the pickup truck tailgate too. Problems going into four-wheel drive can be related to synchronization, environmental conditions and vehicular anomalies.

Instructions

1. Wait for the wheels to stop spinning before attempting to engage four-wheel drive. Because 2000 Dodge truck four-wheel drive systems aren't synchronized, the front and rear drive shafts must be moving at the same speed for the truck to go into four-wheel drive. If one wheel is spinning, the shift into four-wheel drive can't occur.

2. Drop your speed to below 25 mph if you can't engage four-wheel drive low. This transfer case ratio requires the engine to be operating at speeds significantly greater than two-wheel drive. Reduce the speed so the engine can catch up.

3. Stop the vehicle and shift when trying to get into four-wheel drive, if the outdoor temperature is cold. Temperatures at or below freezing will increase delays shifting into four-wheel drive.

4. Check weight and tire pressure, since this can cause difficulty shifting. Correct the defects. Look for uneven tire wear and replace the tires, if necessary.

References

• "Dodge RAM Pickup Owner's Manual"; Chrysler Corporation; 2003