MY 1997 FORD EXPLORER XLT IS MAKING A 'GRINDING' NOISE. IT SOUNDS LIKE A GEAR GRINDING. I WAS TOLD THAT IT IS THE COMPUTER TELLING THE 4WD LOW TO TURN ON EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT TRYING TO TURN IT ON. IT MAKES THIS NOISE AT ABOUT 40MPH AND WILL STOP IF I PUT THE TRUCK IN TO NUETRAL WHILE DRIVING OR DON'T TRY TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. I REMOVED THE FUSE FOR THE 4WD AND I ALSO DISCONNECTED THE PLUG TO THE TRANSFER CASE, BUT IT DID NOT WORK, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME FIX THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS MYONLY VEHICLE AND I HAVE TO VERY YOUNG CHILDREN WHO DEPEND ON IT.

Because something is about to blow up. Try and narrow down where the noise is coming from..if no clue, take it to a mechanic before it blows up.

If it won't go into gear, sounds like you've run out of transmission fluid. That grinding sound when you turn the shaft by hand, sounds like you've run it for a bit too long without fluid and wore the gears down. Start it up and check the trans fluid with dipstick. If none on stick, put some in it. You may have already ruined the transmission though. But you never know. Try putting fluid in. Might work.(for a while)

Yes transmission

your tranfers case motor is not working. it shifts to the various positions i.e. 2H 4H 4L

sonnd like you CV gear or CV joint

Tis a transfer case issue. Could be shifting fork wear pads worn out which will wear the fork ends to where their bent.

Sounds like a broken drive chain in transfer case. How many km?

I have a 97 ford explorer sport 4x4. When i drive at a constant speed it's fine but when i let off the gas I hear a grinding noise. if i put in nutral as soon as i hear it the noise quits areif I shoot the gas to it it quits. What could it be?

I have the same problem with my 94 explorer with a manual transmission, Just replaced the trans a month ago because of gear failure and now It's slipping out of gear when the engine isn't under load aka Coasting, was Told By a Really good Trans Guy that this is a failure in the Linkage in the transfer case am about to tear into mine tho It's way over my technical ability but will repost here after I get it torn apart with potential prices for worn parts for the do it yourselfer, And Has to be the issue I hope because the gears in the transmission are in pristine condition the other reason for suspecting the transfer case is that when my trans is slipping and making that weird Rattle Clatter sound coming from the trans if I put it in 4x4 low it drives great even tho the front wheels aren't pulling since I have the front drive shaft off at the moment,, Well Here goes Nothing Wish me luck on this teardown gonna need it..

I had a prolem with my 1998 Ford Explorer XLT. The 4wd indicator light would randomly start to blink while moving and when I flipped the switch to 4wd hi or low it would engage but easily disengage and the indicator lights would not come on. I was hearing a grinding sound coming from my hubs so I replaced both front hub assemblies and the light stopped blinking and 4wd hi/low works great now. it was about 300 bucks for the hub assemblies and only took me an hour or two to change.