Ford Super Duty (1999-2016) :: ESOF - Hubs Won't Disengage
Dec 10, 2013
I've read many posts about ESOF and fault vacuum lines and how that will prevent 4x4 from engaging. I experienced a different problem this past weekend. Here's the situation...
Was about 1.5hr drive up to the mountains. Outside temp when we left the house: 10F. Outside temp when we arrived at destination: 9F. Quite a bit of road grime on the way up from sand, slush, and that magnesium chloride (or whatever they hell they put on the roads in an attempt to keep it from freezing). 4x4 worked fine on the way up. 4x4 light on dash was on, and I KNOW I could not have climbed the snow-covered forest roads without being in 4x4. Also, I could hear and feel the front hubs turning.
On the way home, once I got to where the roads were sufficiently ice free, I turned the dial on the dash back to 2WD. 4x4 light goes out. But I can hear and feel the front hubs are still turning. Toggled the switch back and forth a few times. 4x4 light would come and go with the toggled switch. But the hubs didn't disengage.
When I got back into town (outside temp now about 5), we stopped at a red light and I toggled the switch again. This time, the hubs disengaged. Is this a sign of bad vacuum? Or more an indication of faulty hubs??
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I took apart, cleaned and lubed my hubs. My question is: how does the vacuum make the gears work?
Does the vacuum force (suck) the nylon assembly to push the outer gear towards the center of the truck, sliding on the inner gear thus engaging the teeth so that the axle shaft turns the hub?
When the vacuum is gone, does spring pressure pushes the outer gear away from the center of the truck thus disengaging the teeth from the inner gear and allowing the hub to free wheel?
Is this vacuum source constant during 4wd and not present during 2wd or do I not understand how the system works? I have read about a “vacuum pulse” that locks the hubs and another pulse that unlocks the hubs and this confuses me.
BTW, I like the way the Auto lock works. I had a set of Warn Auto Lock hubs on my 78 CJ. They worked on the principle of a set of roller bearings that would lock (pinch) when there was torque coming from the drive shaft. There was no vacuum involved at all. The down side was that when you coasted, the front hubs would be in two wheel drive and so you would not get the engine braking on all 4 wheels. These ESOF seem to have solved this problem.
Oh, I should probably tell you that I just purchased my 04 F250 SuperDuty 4x4 with the 6.0 diesel, just had it a week. It has been 18 years since I owned a 4x4. Before this I owned an 87 F250 2wd with the 6.9 diesel.
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I have a 2001 F250 4x4 and the ESOF switch not engaging hubs, currently I have no 4x4 lights coming on in the cluster when i turn the switch. I am not experiencing any of the vaccum symptoms that most people are suggesting. I When I turn the switch i also do not hear any relays clicking. Relays have been tested, and i waited for the 45 second transfer delay that the manual mentions. ESOF switch has power, and is working properly (I know because I bought a new one in attempt to fix the problem) Basically I have no responses from any of my 4x4 indicators or parts.
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I have a 2000 f250 CCSB 4x4 with the ESOF auto hubs. The auto hubs won't engage automatically. They work fine manually. The transfer case is engaging and correct lights are coming on. There is a little bit of vacuum coming from the vacuum switch but it doesn't seem like much to me. All the dash HVAC controls work fine though. I Lubed and cleaned inside the hubs according to Guzzles directions.
While torn down, I blew through the vacuum port on the outside of the hub and there was little to no restriction. I don't think there is enough vacuum to pull the hubs, but is that possible if all the dash controls work fine? What pressure should it take to engage them? My next step is to pick up a vacuum pump and see if I can engage them with it.
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I noticed that my 4WD is only working now when I manually lock the hubs in (they have that options!), and the air blows out the defroster when I shift, so it looks like I have a vacuum leak. Where are the typical leak points on a 2006 F250? What's the best way to confirm a leak (other than just replacing all of the hose)?
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My 2005 has the ESOF system which has worked flawlessly. Recently I had upper and lower ball joints done and after that repair I had no auto locking hubs. ( independent shop messed up seal install ) they redid the job and it now seems like my front hubs are locking automatically because I am getting binding while turning. So this is the problem.. the front wheels do not "pull" only the rear wheels spin. If I manually lock the hubs I have 4x4 and can get out of being nearly stuck and everything works normally. What is wrong here? Does the shop need to redo the job again?
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I have a 2005 f350 with the power stroke I went through the hole vacuum system all new hubs, seals, vacuum actuator and fixed it all now I'm having the reverse problems everyone has my hubs are locked all the time as soon as I plug in the vacuum actuator the transfer case is still in 2wd and will switch 4x4 and work and disengage but the hubs are always in unless I unplug the actuator ...
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Truck: early 99 F-250 diesel lariat
I am trying to troubleshoot my ESOF not working. Let me start out by explaining the issue. A month or so ago it worked fine, and I took the truck in to get a damaged transmission and transfer case fixed. The shop tried to screw me out of a lot of money thinking I'm just some kid, but I know a fair amount about what the problem was so I called them out on it and they basically said tough and refused to give the truck back. Got the police involved and they got in trouble for fraud, but took sledge hammers to the transmission and transfer case to get back at me I guess.
So I took it to another shop to get a whole new transmission and transfer case. After all that, and also I removed the dash to replace a switch, the ESOF does not come on. The light for 4x4 comes on when starting the truck, so it works, it just does not come on when the switch is put on either high or low 4x4. The wheel hubs are also brand new and I tried in both free and lock and nothing. What to check? I'm thinking either they forgot to plug something back in when they installed everything, or maybe I messed up the switch itself when I pulled the dash off.
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ESOF not going into 4wd at all, except once in a blue moon... for a few times. All relays and fuses tested, swapped with known good units.
NO 4x4 light. so its electrical related. My hubs function like they should. when they are told to. I recently just swapped esof motor/gearbox on the TC. Worked 2x in the garage, went for a spin down the road, went into 2wd and stayed, wouldn't go back into 4hi brought it back inside, dinked around with resetting the GEM fuse. started working good. drove around and switched in and out of 4wd like 20 times no issues. next day, tried to go back into 4wd. nothing. Bring it back in the garage.
CURRENT DIAGNOSIS: Siting inside right now, If I flip the switch, I don't get anything. normally, that triggers the vacuum pump to suck hubs in. That doesn't turn on, the relays under the hood don't click. so it seems I am back up to the switch or GEM, or wires between.... Any test layout for how to test the switch in the dash? seems to be fairly simple, but I just wanted an exact view of what i need to test.
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I have had this problem for quite a while now. Originally it did not go into 4Hi when I needed it in a snow storm. I was told to just change the shift motor so I bought a new one, manually put the transfer case into 4Hi then put the new motor on. It would not shift into 2Hi or 4Lo. It was already in 4Hi but the light was not on. I thought I got a bad shift motor since I got it off eBay. I put the original one back on. Still nothing. I read every thread on this sight having to do with the subject and started going through checking everything. I found one of the relays was bad so I replaced both of them.
Still nothing although I thought I could hear the shift motor (or fuel pump) running. Today I took the shift motor off and hooked up wires to a battery and the shift motor with a momentary switch. When I pushed the button, the motor ran but the thingy that is supposed to turn the shaft on the transfer case did not move. Tried both directions. Then I hooked up the new shift motor and it ran and turned, changed the wires and it ran the other direction. Put it on and it worked, shifts the transfer case and the light comes on when it should. I guess I had been looking for one problem when it was really two separate problems keeping it from working.
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After doing a test drive after installing an 8" lift on my 2000 6-speed manual diesel F-250, I noticed that while the 4X4 engages, it won't shift into Low. I've had this truck 7 years and know the drill: complete stop, foot on the brake, clutch to the floor, transmission in neutral, and it usually takes a couple seconds. I've tried different combinations of backing up first, going straight from 2WD to 4Low, etc and still no 4Low.
As far as I know the ESOF transfer case is all electronic and vacuum doesn't play a role. I don't recall ever seeing a vacuum line coming out of it anyway.
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Pulled my tranny to have it rebuilt, esof was working when I pulled the tranny, put it back in now the esof doesn't work anymore...
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I have read everything there is on this stupid esof 4x4. But I'm not getting power to the relays. I have checked every fuse listed and have no corrosion or anything. Is it possible that having a ,door ajar light on, constantly cause this I'm stumped.
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2002 Superduty 7.3 ESOF. I used 4x4 last week and the transfer case engaged and disengaged great. Yesterday I tried and got no response. I got home, checked the 2 relays by the brake booster and checked the fuses related to the ESOF system. Those check out good. I ohm checked the position switch on dash(2wd, 4x4 hi, 4x4 low) and it passed. I bench tested the electric shift motor and it works both directions just fine. I also jumped the relays and the transfer case shifted to 4x4 hi and low fine and the cluster indicator lights light up properly. Put everything back together, took a lil break and tried it again with key on truck off (so I can hear the transfercase) Went in and out both HI and LOW great about 4 to 5 times then got stuck in 4 LOW. I manually got it out by jumping the relays again. Tried again today. It went into 4x4 HI great, put in neutral brake on and went into 4x4 LOW great. But it will NOT come out of 4x4 LOW. Im stumped and don't want to just start throwing parts at it.
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Truck has been neglected for a while so this upgrade/repair I installed Powerstop brake rotor, caliper, bracket and pads. New Timkin wheel bearing, Moog U-Joints, and new inner/outer axle seals. Also replaced all the brake hoses and the remaining original rusty brake lines. About a month before I replaced the failed Auto/Manual vacuum operated locking hubs with Mile Marker units, which do not need the vacuum line, the drivers side was missing. and was letting water into the wheel bearing. So I decided to plug them and remove the vacuum lines from under the hood as well.
If there is interest I can get pictures of the vacuum lines, and what I changed under the hood. That was pretty self explanatory.
Could not find a google search for the thread size of the vacuum nipple in the knuckle. It is a 3/8"-24 fine thread.
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I bought my 2012 F250 CC SB 6.2 back in December and really haven't had the truck in 4x4. Today we got a bit of snow. The roads were slippery so I engaged the 4x4 ESOF while at a stop sign (I know, didn't have to be stopped but I was so I put it in 4x4) The driveline was noticeably louder.
I had a relatively constant hum that almost reminded me of a wheel bearing going bad. If you've ever experienced a wheel bearing going bad the sound gets louder as you go faster. I'm sure it's not a wheel bearing since it only makes the sound in 4x4.
It's a fairly annoying sound and is louder than my old 99 F350. Notice the driveline being significantly louder in 4x4? There are no driving issues just a louder sound than what I was used to. I have the full Ford Certified warranty and can bring it in but I thought I'd run it by the brain trust here to get thoughts before going to the dealer.
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I am having some issues with my 2003 f250 6.0l 4x4. I cannot get the 4x4 to engage. There are no lights on the dash and no power to the switch other than the light. It doesn't matter if I have the hubs in lock or auto. It just seems like i have no power to the system. I have check all the fuses and they all check fine. I also check the transfer case motor and it seemed fine. I must be missing something. This truck is worthless without 4x4.
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The transfer case on my 2001 F250 Powerstroke will not engage when the ESOF is switched to 4hi or 4lo. I checked the fuses and they are good. I removed the electric motor on the side of the transfer case and while it was hanging down with the two plugs attached I did not see any movement when the dash switch was moved to the 4hi position. I used a wrench to manually shift the transfer case and still did not get the transfer case to engage. What next?
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A buddy of mine has a 99 F250, and the 4WD stopped working. The 4wd light in the dash does not turn on with the key with the rest of the lights. There is a Low Range light that does turn on. He took it to a shop/dealership and they said the vacuum was good. They also swapped in a different GEM module, which didn't change anything.
I swapped the relays under the hood - no change. I keep reading that there is a two wire plug on the transfer case I can test for voltage or to manually power the motor. Where is it? I see two plugs - the blue one on the left has 4 wires, the black one has more. Or is that not the shift motor I need to be looking for?
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I am in the process of rebuilding my front end and have found that the nipples that screw into the top of the knuckles for the ESOF system are rusted and need replacing. I'd like to keep the system as close to original as possible, but have had no luck in finding a replacement. What the appropriate Ford part number is or where I could pick up a suitable replacement. This would be for a 2001 F-250 4X4 with the V10.
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I have a 2001 for f250 with the electronic shift on the fly and when I turn the switch to put it in 4hi or low nothing happens I don't hear a click and the lights don't come on but the 4wd light works it comes on when I first start the truck and I put different relays in that we're good and still nothing I tested the the relay box itself for power and there wasn't any.
I used the truck last year for plowing and it worked sometimes it wouldn't go In or come out but after a few tries it would end up working but I've tried everything I could think of I'm starting to think it's something electrical because the relay box isn't getting power to it but idk if a vacuum leak would do that or a bad transfer case motor or iwe solenoid or if it's something more like a broken wire some where.
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