4x4 question

im going to look at a 96 2 dr tahoe.the guy told me that the 4 wheel drive doesnt kick in when the 4 hi or lo button is pushed. he also said that the lights dont come on when the button is pushed. a tranny shop told him its his solenoid,is this true?
any ideas guys?
how can i tell when the 4 wheel drive kicks in,is there a noticable difference in drive or sound? im new to the 4x4 world.thanks guys.

roger

try turning. the vehicle will start hopping and the tires might chirp because the front wheels want to travel further than the rears.

try turning. the vehicle will start hopping and the tires might chirp because the front wheels want to travel further than the rears.will try that,thanks.
based on the info given above,is there an answer for the 4x4?i mean,is the 4 wheel drive actually gone or is it just the switch?
can just the switch going bad effect the 4 wheel drive from turning on?thanks

Roger

Use the search this thread for your answer. It just might be the elect switch that engages the 4x4. I love my 1996 2 door. Have fun. Dave

the most common 4x4 failure on chevy's is the front diff actuator. lift all 4 tires off the ground and put the vehicle on jackstands and shift into 4x4 and put it in drive. if the front driveshaft is rotating chances are it's the diff actuator thats bad. if the driveshaft doesn't turn there are a few things that could be bad such as switch, encoder motor, internal transfercase problems. might be easiest to get a shop to diagnose it.

Did you buy it? Dave

didnt buy it,because i was told it would cost as much as 500 to fix the 4x4 in worse case scenario. i dont want to risk buyin something and then havin to pay more to fix it. for a tune up i understand,but not to fix something that might be a common problem and chance it going again. still thinkin about it though =)

Rog