99 Explorer Sport Flashing 4WD High and Low Lights

I've got a 1999 Explorer Sport 4.0L OHD w/Auto trans and 76k on the OD.
4WD Auto seems to work fine, but all of a sudden this morning the 4WD
High and 4WD Low lights flash simultaneously 6 times, not fast, but at
about 1 second intervals. They flash 6 times, then stop for a few
minutes, then flash again.
Again 4WD auto works fine, but I don't think I'm getting High to engage.
I was trying to use it this morning to get out of a 16" snow pile behind me.
Any thoughts? My guess is that it's a sensor issue. The lovely owner's
manual only suggests taking it in for service.
Thanks,
Ambrose

I have a 97 Ford Explorer XLT that just Thursday started demonstrating
the same symptoms as Amborse's. 6 flashes of the 4WD and 4WD Low
lights, repeated every 2 minutes.

In my case, I have very little need for the 4WD so when the transmission
went out a couple of months ago, and they couldn't get the 4WD back in
service afterwards, I agreed to their suggestion to tack-weld the
transfer case gears to disable the 4WD ability.

BTW, the only other service I've had recently was a Fuel Injection cleaning.

Could either of these service events have triggered this? Or am I
looking at just going back to Ford service with 'sucker' stamped on my
forehead, and a medium-to-large bill to fix?

Thanks in advance,
Max

Ambrose Cohen wrote:
>
> I've got a 1999 Explorer Sport 4.0L OHD w/Auto trans and 76k on the OD.
> 4WD Auto seems to work fine, but all of a sudden this morning the 4WD
> High and 4WD Low lights flash simultaneously 6 times, not fast, but at
> about 1 second intervals. They flash 6 times, then stop for a few
> minutes, then flash again.
> Again 4WD auto works fine, but I don't think I'm getting High to engage.
> I was trying to use it this morning to get out of a 16" snow pile behind
> me.
> Any thoughts? My guess is that it's a sensor issue. The lovely owner's
> manual only suggests taking it in for service.
> Thanks,
> Ambrose