Just went on a camping trip and while there I tried to put my 00' in 4WD. I noticed the dash light did not come on. Then I checked to see if the front wheels were engaged. They were not. I shifted the truck back into 2WD. I turned the truck off and then turned the key to the "on" position and the 4WD light in the dash does not light up when all the dash lights light up just before starting. Where do I go now?

 

Check for vacuum lines that might be disconnected going to the front drive shaft or a vacuum leak. Common problem on the 2nd gen trucks. I know, I used to have one...

 

on the passenger side of the front axle is the CAD (central axle disconnect). verify there's vacuum there. the vacuum lines on the CAD run back to the top of the transfer case, make sure all is well there. sometimes the diaphragm in the CAD can go bad as well.

 

I pulled the vacuum lines at the CAD and had vacuum on the red line with it in 2WD and the vacuum switched to the other line when I shifted it to 4WD. So do you think that diaphram is blown? What is that called?

 

Frozen up is also possible. Remove and explore. Remember the routing of hoses.

 

the easiest way to test (IMO) is unbolt the CAD and let it hang. then with the truck running, shift it from 2wd to 4wd and back and watch to see if the fork is moving back and forth. it could be the diaphragm, a cracked fork, etc.

if you need 4wd, you can push the fork to the "engaged" side and wedge a piece of fuel line or a spring behind it to hold it in engaged. it wont hurt anything but maybe a slight mpg hurt due to leaving the axle engaged all the time (the 3rd gens are always engaged).

theres aftermarket cable solutions if you choose not to go back the factory route. i believe the cable version is around $200. i have no idea on a factory CAD cost.

 

Thanks! I'm going to pull the CAD off this Saturday and let ya know what I find. You been a big help. (as always)

 

Some pics for your task at hand:
http://dodgeram.org/tech/repair/4X4/cad_mechanism_r.jpg
http://dodgeram.org/tech/repair/4X4/cad_vac_sys.jpg
http://dodgeram.org/tech/repair/4X4/cad_comp.jpg