Hi all! Long, long time lurker here and have always been able to tackle any issues (very, very few issues with my H2, thankfully)...until now!
So, 2003 H2. I utilize the various 4WD modes more so than the average owner. I spend a large amount of time way up in the mountains, on "roads" that haven't seen a vehicle in ages.
So color me annoyed AF when on one of my outings, an especially steep and rocky section of the road comes up and going around/easier route just isn't in the cards. I pop it in N, hit 4Lo, hear
it shift, and ease my way up. No wheel spin, no need for hard throttling, very short distance. I get to the top, throw it in N again, hit 4H, hear it shift ...then...shift right back into 4Lo. Odd.
Verified I was in Neutral and tried again. And again. Same thing. Tried turning off H2, newp! Tried disconnecting battery for a couple minutes, newp. Grrr.
This had to happen when I was on one of my "ohhh, where does this road go" trips. Easily 60 miles from the nearest anything. 15 miles from a known cell phone reception spot (I map out places I know I can get service, including times of the day)
I can't imagine driving that far, that slow, in 4Lo. I drive for maybe a mile and figure I can try something...
I know it CAN shift back into 4Hi, just doesn't want to STAY there...so maybe I can trick it? So I try turning the engine off right after I hear the first gear change INTO 4Hi...and newp. It still goes back to 4lo with the engine off, key out.
I kinda figured. So then I try the only other trick I could think of and rigged some 550 cord around the negative terminal cable, loosen it enough to stay in but still be able to be yanked out.
And it worked! Once I hook the battery back up, none of the 4WD lights come on, but it doesn't shift back into 4Lo.I'm still in default AWD as well. I can also shift into Lo if I really have to, but have to go through all that to get back out.

It's been a month and I've needed 4Lo a couple of times and I hate having something broken like this. So, any thoughts?
This is out of my pay grade. The most work I've done myself on this is tie rods and I nearly broke the hummer in half with how hard I was trying to get that inner off,. :P

As to not make another thread (unless I should?)
Need to replace driver side CV axle...but there are a couple of compressed lengths to choose from. How do I measure that? Do I just pop the old one off and measure it?
Compress it then measure? I dunno! lol...

Thanks all you gurus!@

 

maybe the 4 lo button is stuck so it keeps switching back. some have disassembled them and cleaned them.