Hi,
Wife has a 2008 Liberty 4x4 auto. This winter she had problems with the Serv 4x4 light coming on,
and not letting her shift to 4x4 auto. As you can imagine, this thing is not safe to be on the road, in ice and snow under 4x2 drive. (Can you say spintop?) Tried shifting back to 4x2, shutting off engine and restarting in 4x4 auto, and it worked for about 2 minutes until the serv 4x4 light returned. Seems like the transfer case motor is engaging, because the interior lights dim for a second when engaged. Anybody know how I can get this thing to stay into 4x4 auto, until i can get some money to waste at the dealership? It's all bad enough that this thing wasn't even good enough for anybody to publish a service manual for it, now when you need a 4x4, it doesn't even work. Go figure?

You don't need 4wd in the winter,good tires is almost as good as 4wd.Check the tire pressures and tread depth,all 4 must be the same and all 4 tires need to be the same size and brand/model.

Fella, I don't know what winter means to you but, you can't drive around where I live without 4 wheel drive, if the road is full of snow and ice. Last time I tried with that thing in 2 wheel, I couldn't get up a hill, and watched as Front wheel drive cars passed me. Tires and air pressure are equal, that's definitely not the problem.

Trust me I know what winter is and if FWD cars are passing you your tire selection should be re-thought.

Umm, maybe a little harsh, but have to agree. Live in North East Ohio and use my 4 wheel drive for the fun of it. I can drive around unplowed streets around here in 2 wheel drive. I am only running all season tires as well.
Then again I also got around in winter storms just fine in my RWD Jaguar and my RWD Chrysler 300C... soo who am I to talk...

Now about the engagement of 4x4. Two reasons it won't engage. Bad servo motor in the transfer case, or the computer senses something wrong with a sensor somewhere and won't let you engage it. For example, I had a rear wheel speed sensor wire break and it triggered the 4x4, abs, and esp warning lights indicating that none of them were available.

There is no way I know of manually "forcing" it into 4 wheel drive, and I don't think I would want to if there is something else wrong. May do more harm than good.

I agree, with the snow we've had this season here in Pennsylvania, my jeep has handled phenomenally in 2WD. I have not had to use 4WD much at all.

Does your 4Lo work correctly? Also, did you try resetting it by removing the negative from the battery for at least a minute? Maybe it's just a computer hiccup, or it could be a bad sensor... just a thought.

_________________
--Erik--
2008 Jeep KK Sport - Red Rock Crystal Pearl
ATH Front Recovery System
3" OME Lift Kit + Al's A-Arms
Cooper Adventurer A/T - 245/75R16

Thanks, Yes, 4Lo works, only if I start the engine in neutral and the selector is in 4Lo. No other lights on the dash except Serv 4wd. Tried disconnecting the battery for awhile. As soon as the serv 4wd light comes on, the selector switch does nothing until I restart the vehicle, with a selection made.
With such a short wheelbase, you can crawl at best in snow and ice, and hope you don't 360 in the middle of the road. My FWD van eats this thing in 2wd in the snow.

Ok, so now I have another question. Does your stability control work at all? No mater how much I try and beat on mine, if I do not turn off stability control there is no freakin' way I could "360 in the middle of the road" even just in 2wd.....

So... if in fact your stability control is not working, it would not let you switch to 4wd Auto (You used 4wd Auto in you original post so I assume you have Selec-Trac)... the systems are all interconnected.

So, your absolute disdain for the Jeep in 2wd may point to a larger issue.... or not, in that case you may just hate your Jeep and about the only advice I could give at that point is to sell it..

I find it pretty hard to spin with tcs on. When that's off though....I can put the truck sideways and keep her there down the whole street lol. Honestly, get new tires if you have issues in rwd. You have to be gentle on the gas when taking off. And of course a fwd will start better, all the weight of the engine sits on the wheels. NY had a lot of snow this year, and I can count the times I've used 4x4 on one hand.

_________________
2011 Deep Cherry Red KK - Skyslider - JBA/Bilstein Adjust-A-Strut set at 3.5" - OME 731 Rear Springs - Bilstein Rear Shocks - Al's A-arms - 245/75-16 Duratracs - Rock Liazard Super Sliders

Yes, select trac, and traction control does work, as it keeps me from going up a slippery hill unless I turn it off.
I would suspect it would be the transfer case motor, however it makes no sense for it to work shifting into 4Lo, but not 4auto? So maybe a position sensor.
As for 4wd drive, I bought it to use 4wd, and definitely not a winter RWD vehicle. When I want to use 4wd, it I expect it to work. This is the first RWD I have purchased since the early 80's, and now I suddenly remember why. Selling it is an option, but purchasing a new Cherokee won't be. I guess I'll have to join the ranks and buy an import. Toyota seems to have a good 4wd system. Thanks for the suggestions.

This is the first time I have read of this issue. That might be why no one has the answer. Did you just buy this Jeep or have you had it.
Then you state your going to buy an import without knowing what is wrong with the Jeep. I'm not on any import forums. I wonder if anyone on one has had an issue that no one else has had and state in buying domestic.
If you take it in and find out what the cause is please post .

Will do, man.

Problem is these days owners want to push a button instead of pulling a lever,to lazy.Going to a electronically shifted t-case has always been a issue,GM is famous for this type of failure and a few aftermarket company's have made mechanical solutions(for GM's only).Oh and don't think Toyota is not prone to this issue,it happens to them also.

Well, I almost went into a rant... but I won't. Since the first post on here it is obvious to me and others that you really don't like the Jeep. You spent more time complaining about it than offering up information in a true quest for help. Probably not the best approach on a Jeep Enthusiast site.... And I won't even touch on the whole RWD vs. FWD thing... you just go on believing it is better...

At this point my only advise is buy a CRV or RAV4. One of those will better fit your needs. Me, I'll keep my Jeep....

Woman!

Yes, my point exactly. They were too lazy to pull a lever and now have to deal with solenoids and electric motors. I don't know what was ever wrong with the lever. Made too much sense I guess. Last time I had one of those was our 1978 Ramcharger. When you shifted that you knew you were in 4wd, no problem.

Woman![/quote]

Sorry, Woman.

Rant away. That thing was like going back 25 years, total garbage. It's already gone and picked up a new Toyota 4runner SR5, 4.0L. Now that's how you make a 4wd. Bring on the snow!

You bought "that thing" knowing what it was. You didn't like it. It happens. Lemons happen to all makes too. 4-runner isn't in the same size class. It's bigger and costs more. Isn't it body on frame? -like old tech. Hope you enjoy you new wheels, join a 4runner forum and be happy.

Thanks Cherrie. You're right, it happens. I guess you just got to know when to pull the plug.
It's bigger, but feels better on the road, and more manageable too. Loads of power. Was considering the Honda Pilot, but the price was "ouch!".
The last week I had the Liberty, the radio went dead. Somebody told me it's normal on those, and to just disconnect the battery to get it back. If that's what a normal vehicle is like, I don't
want one! Lol
Partly my fault, by buying a '08, I forgot this was under Daimler control, and everybody knows how bad quality was when they were "in the house", not just the Liberty, but across the whole
Chrysler line. Should have just avoided it.