My 1997 Terrano seems to randomly choose what drive mode it wants to be in each time I turn it on. The indicator lights will either show 2 wheel drive (2 rear wheels green) or the orange 4wd light will be illuminated. The selector switch is always set to auto, and selecting a different mode only makes the "beep" sound but doesn't change anything. I'm rarely off road. I never engage 4wd Hi/Lo using the shifter. I had an almost dead battery a few weeks ago and learned a cool trick - I could turn the lights on & off and it would change the 4wd mode! New battery fixed that issue.
I only noticed this issue after changing the dial from "auto" to "lock" once when I was testing it offroad. My mechanic here says it's a bad switch. I am looking to buy a replacement online but can't seem to find it anywhere. I'm back in the US in about a week so I need to find it soon. Thanks!