2001 f150 4x4 manual

Someone will have to go under and check the linkage is working when the 4 wheel drive is fully engaged and not just moved to a neutral position.

Does yours have AUTO hubs, there are some luxory models have auto hubs, these rely on difference in drive on the axles,(wheel spin) others have manual locking hubs, these actually need to be engaged manually, these require you to twist the centre of the hub to engage and disengage the front hubs, these sometimes require you to reverse to disengage properly, Rodeo had both depending on model. Happy New Year

Try to lock the hub's manually ,on the front axel.
And yes this is normal

if the actuateor is vacumed,you might have have a hose that came off or it has a split in it somewhere,check that.or if you have posilock hubs one or both may be wore out or lacking grease,they are easy to remove,just a hex wrench and snapring pliers is all you need,remove and inspect for obvious sighns of wear.

Ok, this is probably going to sound greek if you have no automotive experiance, so here goes:

There are 2 possibilities I can think of at the moment depending on your 4wd system, however there are several things that can cause this

If you have a Push button 4wd (you push a button or turn a knob) the system engages using actuators or sylinoids meening you turn the 4wd on, the switch sends power to the selector option (high and low) and the 4wd light on the dash. the selector determines where the actuator/silenoid engages (either high or low) in the transfer case. However the actuator or silenoid can be faulty and yet the system will say 4wd is on because the switches still sending power to the 4x4 light

The next setup is the manual linkage set up, and given the year of your kia I doubt you have this setup However I am going to go through it anyway.

With a maual linkage setup you engage the trasfer case maualy using the 4wd shifter. Ironically on newer manual shift 4wd systems the dash light is still triggered electrically by location of the shifter not what is going on in the transfer case (Ah a flaw in the design) So if you linkage is loose/bent/damaged or somehow disconnected your 4wd wont engage but the light will still show that it is! Hope this helps

Hi

It could just be low fluid in the gearbox/transfer box have you checked these?

Is the car new to you?

the front axle bearing could be shot. This is common. Also the hubs may not be locking which is even more common

Your front hubs are automatic locking hubs, and the gears are hard nylon. These hubs break very easily, therefore causing you to lose your front wheel drive in 4 high, or 4 low. If you replace the hubs with "WARN (name brand) " manual locking hubs, you will never have the issue again. Of course, you will have to get out of the truck and manually lock the hubs, but they are metal gears, and much more durable. I've personally seen the issue several times, and changing the hubs has resolved the issue every time.

hub locks are worn out, especially if you cant turn them. And its not high and low. Its either auto?lock for switch style shift, or free /lock for old style floor shift. also hub seals could be worn or vacuum system not working.

Not knowing what type of 4wd engagement sytem you have, this is a guess. Maybe vacuum operated, look for a cracked or disconnected hose.

Or do you have manual locking hubs, that have to be turned manually?