I'm stuck in 4 HI but I want to drive on dry roads and don't want to hurt my transfer case or tires:
The easiest solution would probably be to unscrew the front axle actuator and verify that it is extended (which activates the front axle). If it is fully retracted, you aren't really in locked in 4WD, and should be able to drive without damage even though the front driveshaft is spinning when the transfer case is in 4HI. You can either manually retract the front axle actuator (by taking it apart and likely destroying it), or replace it with something that will fill the hole but not depress the mechanism inside the axle. If you leave the hole open, the gear lubricant will leak out!
The easiest solution would probably be to unscrew the front axle actuator and verify that it is extended (which activates the front axle). If it is fully retracted, you aren't really in locked in 4WD, and should be able to drive without damage even though the front driveshaft is spinning when the transfer case is in 4HI. You can either manually retract the front axle actuator (by taking it apart and likely destroying it), or replace it with something that will fill the hole but not depress the mechanism inside the axle. If you leave the hole open, the gear lubricant will leak out!
I'm stuck in 4 LO and I want to get home at more than 20 MPH: 4 LO is a gear that is selected inside the transfer case. If you are stuck in 4 LO and want to drive on pavement, you have to decide how you want to fix this problem. You can remove the transfer case motor (under the truck, attached to the transfer case) and manually turn the transfer case selector back to 2 HI. You'll then either need to leave the encoder motor detached, or take it apart and manually move the gear to the 2 HI position and reassemble. Remove the 4WD fuses and don't touch the buttons until you're somewhere you can fix the problem.
If you are OK driving slowly but still want to drive on pavement, you can remove the front axle actuator instead--as outlined in the "4 HI" section. This is a much easier process.
If you are OK driving slowly but still want to drive on pavement, you can remove the front axle actuator instead--as outlined in the "4 HI" section. This is a much easier process.
I'm stuck in 2WD but I need 4WD to get home: You need two things for 4WD to work. The transfer case needs to be in the correct mode, and the front axle needs to be engaged. You can do both of these manually, but it will be very time consuming as a field repair. You can remove the transfer case motor and manually move the transfer case to 4LO. You can't manually select 4HI on the NP246 because it won't stay on that selection unless you also move the encoder motor to the correct position and re-install it. The encoder motor holds the transfer case in 4HI mode. This is how it is able to control the Auto 4WD mode.