Deerest Gator;

Captain! We've managed to re-couple the forward impulse couplings however the magnetic interlock power subsystems are shot! We need more time to re-rout power before we can get underway!

Hey ​ @AvE ! I am a John Deere Product Engineer II (Electrical Engineer by training), that works on these products in Horicon, WI. I saw @Jackattack left some good comments, here it is in shorter form. TLDR for engaging 4WD on your machine: 1. 4WD Switch ON 2. wheel speed </= 8mph 3. Not in Neutral (must be in gear) 4. Service brake not being pressed 5. You must be pressing the accelerator 6. Engine RPM >=2300 Longer Comment: Your gator is pre-MY21 (when the park position was introduced in the transmission, and 4WD updates were made). So your 4WD system is "On-Demand"...which is marketing speak for it works when the rear wheels are already spinning, presumably when you would be slipping. Not as intuitive as you first thought ehh? We changed this in Model Year 21 with a new 4WD engagement mechanism and solenoid, so when you click the switch it goes into 4WD as long as you are traveling at a slow enough speed for engagement. 1min 43sec into the MY21 announcement video: https://youtu.be/q9XeTe9UVdk?t=103 For 4WD engagement on YOUR MACHINE and pre-MY21 gators with 4WD: 1. 4WD Switch ON 2. wheel speed </= 8mph 3. Not in Neutral (must be in gear) 4. Service brake not being pressed 5. You must be pressing the accelerator 6. Engine RPM >=2300 Seeing ~2V on the connector with no-load connected is normal as the controller checks inputs and outputs. So to test your 4WD engagement in your current setup (all wheels off the ground like I saw, machine safe and otherwise supported/restrained), with the solenoid plugged in to the original harness, press the accelerator when its in gear and 4WD switch is ON. I think you will see it kick in around 3mph or when the engine gets above 2300RPM. From MY21 onwards however the engagement solenoid, mechanics, and logic were updated so you can engage 4WD at 0 wheel speed when you are just parked idling before you take off, due to customer feedback. #JohnDeereEmployee #itscompanypolicytoclearlyidentifyourselvesonsocialmedia #loveyourvideos #Idonthashtagmuchsothisisnewtome

Dave's rule...The stranger the electrical problem is the more likely it's a ground issue

"Do I have to clean this up? By myself?" Sounds like my 5 year old 😆

My advise... if you leave the access panels off... you wont have to take them off next time.

Oh my the memories brought back by a man screaming about my flashlight skills

After fixing JD's for years, I've found the easiest way to get at the underside is to use the chain hoist and hang them from the nose

Probly not the first time youve been too hard on Babydolls gearbox.

Excellent diagnostic work, thanks for taking us along. I can't believe how big Brother Bear is now.

Whoa the flashbacks... " Hold that still! Now give me the wrench,... No the other one!" Working with dad was a good primer for reading minds, which of course is a prerequisite for dealing with the better half later in life. He was teaching valuable life lessons and I didn't know it.

"I'll help you" hahaha, you're a good dad, very patient and kind. And hilarious

If I wanted the light in my eyes, I would look right at the damn thing. Where my hands are ,boy... bring me a 9/16" and tri quarter. Learnt my fractions by kindergarten. He fixed or made everything from steam power to caterpillars. Gramps made me what I proffers to be today. Fabricobler, millwright, all around handy dude. And if I'm paid, my projects always turn out...my own stuff at home farm...more often than not...generally speaking.

They never had these kind of problems with the lunar rover 😉

I fix a lot of ATV's and such. Usually when I get a voltage issue like that, it tends to be one of three things. 1. Bad ground connection in the offending circuit. 2. Bad switch contacts. 3. Water ingress on a connector in the circuit.

From t'net...correct one-possible..... Theory of Operation: The 4WD function is an electromechanical system that uses logic control to activate or deactivate the system. When the 4WD switch is pressed, battery voltage is sent to the display panel (J2, pin E) which illuminates the 4WD indicator light. When the 4WD switch is pressed, battery voltage is also sent to the relay module (J3, pin 8 - “4WD switch input”). The relay module then provides a path to ground (J3, pin 14 - “4WD solenoid driver”) to the EMFWD lock solenoid. This engages the solenoid and 4WD. If machine ground speed exceeds approximately 9 mph, the relay module will not allow the 4WD driver signal and 4WD will not engage until ground speed is reduced. However, if 4WD is engaged under 9 mph, it will remain engaged after that speed is exceeded.

I was half expecting the root cause of the problem to be that it lost its Wifi settings, which meant it couldn't download an updated 4WD DRM license, so the 4WD stopped when the old license expired. Glad to see it was something a little more traditional.

Never would have broke If there were more plastic covers

If you own something with no jumper wires on it do you really own it?

It was an emotional rollercoaster. I particularly enjoyed the part which highlighted the importance of using quality paint products on critical support structures.

I'm glad you made your goodbye PG!!!! I was rolling with the "keep your Richard in a bad habit" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣