Can I get someone to sanity check me on this?

From RAVE, I found these three sentences that describe the operation of the interlock solenoid on the t-case:

The purpose of the solenoid is to prevent neutral being selected on the transfer box when the ignition key is removed, thereby locking the box in either high or low ratio.

On North American and Japanese specification models, plate movement is prevented by an interlock solenoid when the ignition key is not in the ignition

The solenoid performs the same function as on previous models, preventing the selection of neutral on the transfer box when the ignition key is not in the ignition

I can shift from High to Neutral (I get the "transfer case in neutral" warning light on the dash), but I cannot go from Neutral into Low. From the RAVE descriptions of the solenoid operation, I would think that the solenoid is operating. If it wasn't, then I wouldn't be able to shift into neutral, right?

Does this sound simply like corrosion? Or is my understanding of the solenoid operation wrong?

 

You might have to be moving/rolling a little. Or pop the transmission shifter into gear for a second and then back into neutral. This should get the gears to move enough that you can probably get it into low.

 

Yeah I had been trying shifting it while moving at different speeds, in reverse, etc..., but I was scared I was putting too much force on the linkage. I removed the console and drowned the linkage in PB and now it shifts to Low with a reasonable amount of force (while moving, of course).

 

If the solenoid is bad, you can't shifty into low. You can either replace it or remove it and don't shift the t/case while the tranny is in gear, thats what I did 4 years ago with no problems since.