I've owned my X for about 2 months now and I've taken it to the beach and the lake a few times since. While I was at the beach I drove through some deep sand in 4 HI most of the way. I hadn't had a chance to use my 4 LO for anything so I thought I would put it in just to see how it felt . No problem.

Just this weekend I went out to the lake and drove over a previously wet area which felt fine for 2WD. Well, as luck would have it I started spinning my wheels slightly and decided to shift in to 4 HI. I moved a few feet but didn't really get out. I thought I would try shifting into 4 LO because it felt like I could get out if I just didn't spin the wheels so fast. Problem is, I couldn't shift into 4 LO. Before anyone asks any stupid questions yes, I know how to shift into 4LO. It was almost as if the shifter stopped right at 4HI and it wouldn't go any further. I was able to get out of the mud in 4HI afterall, which I will have another question after this and will post it elsewhere. When I got closer to home I decided to try to shift into 4LO again as a test (yes offroad). It felt the same but I thought this time I'm really going to try to shove it into 4LO (maybe some mud got caught or something). Sure enough, I got it in there and it drove in 4LO properly. When I tried to take it out of 4LO it seemed to be stucked the other way but worse! I fought it for a while but finally got it out of 4LO. When it shifted it was one smooth shift without any real strange feeling.

By the way, none of this "felt" like it was out of the ordinary but for the inability to shift from 4HI to 4LO. To sum it up,

Any ideas on why I'm having trouble shifting?

Push down hard, pull back quickly.

Where you in gear (in an automatic) ?

No, not in gear.. :rolleyes: ..in neutral. Yes, i have an automatic.

Go try it in the parking lot with the engine off. See if you can do it like this...

Quicktime video
http://www.xterraownersclub.com/video/shift.mov

I can only get to the first part of the shift (4HI). It's like it won't shift into 4LO because of something blocking it. I didn't notice anything that looked like it was in the way.

Look underneath the drivers side, you can see the short (4 inch) lever on the side of the transfer case. Make sure there is nothing wedged in there like a stick.

Since this is your first time shifting it, I just think you're doing it wrong. You have to push the lever downward, toward the floor before moving it back to 4Lo.

No, it's not my first time. I've shifted it before with no trouble. Now that I've checked it I still see no blockage. It feels like I'm shifting right into metal. You know the sound it makes when you shift it back up to 4HI? Well, that is the same sound I hear when I try shifting into 4LO. LIke I'm stopping on metal.

I shouldn't make different sounds shifting in or out of 4Lo.

Now I don't know what the problem may be.

Maybe I'm not describing it well enough. It's almost like when I shift into 4HI, that's it. It doesnt' want to shift any further.

To go to LO you have to push the lever "in" before pulling back on it. It's a safety feature. It's a telescoping lever. If you don't do that it'll feel like you hit a wall and it won't go any further.

Yes, push it down along its axis, like it's a big, long button, then yank it on back through neutral and into 4L. DO NOT stop in neutral.

I guess you never drove an old VW, you had to do the same sort of thing to get to reverse, push straight down, then right and back.

Brent

Sigh. 1967 Kharman Ghia. Reverse underneath 2nd and to the left. (I think. It's been so long.)

Little stroll down memory lane.

That was it. I just had to push the lever in to pull it down to 4LO!!!!! Thank you so much! I was thinking that I had a major problem. Thanks again!

What I was saying all along... :rolleyes:

Push down, pull back.

Down is down toward the ground.
Back is toward the back of the Xterra.

Well while we are on the subject. Is there any issues shifting into 4Lo if you have a body lift? I am going to go up another 3" and thats one thing i was thinking of?? just curious

Renault Encore 1983 - push down, then back. Ah, the memories...

Ah, been too long since I had my Beetle, it was down-left-back too.

As for the 3" body lift, yes, you will have issues. The kit should address it, but you'll probably have to cut some metal from the floor.

Brent

I have a 2" body lift and didn't do anything with the T-Case shifter and I can still shift into 4LO. I know most people notch the floorboard to make an easier transistion into 4LO. The 2" kit came with a small piece of steel to extend the shifter, but I didn't use it. The 3" kit will also come with an extension for the T-Case lever, you can probably get away with just notching the floorboard, but knowing how much of a pain it can be to get into 4LO with the 2" BL and stock length lever, I would think you'd want to extend the lever with a 3" BL. Just cut the lever, weld in the 3" extension rod and you're good to go.

-Michael

From your video you can't really tell that it is necessary to push "IN" then down. Push down confuses people I think. If you made the video from the side where it actually shows the shifter depressing into the column first it might help out the guys having problems. Just my $.02

Thanks xoc. This post is the exact same as the other post call "4 LOW, HOW CAN i TELL". I was giving wrong advice, and yesterday tried 4 low with your way of not stopping in N and it worked like a charm, not a single noise. Then I tried my way again just to confirm in case that it got back into place or something, and it was grinding.

Thanks a lot!

The only trouble I've had shifting into 4-Low is crushing yet another pack of smokes nestled in the fold of the t-case boot.

And that can be expensive