So Wifey calls me up and says the truck makes some kinda racket when she puts it in 4WD...I took it for a ride out in the snow, and the noise is gone-but so is the 4WD. This must be the year for all the cars to break! Since this has a twist **** to get 4WD, is there some actuator that commonly goes bad?

 

No parts that commonly fail. If the service 4wd on the DIC is on it will have a code stored in the transfer case control module and that's the first place to start by pulling the code. Can you hear the actuator shift on the case when you rotate the dial?

 

Mine is doing that, but the service 4X4 light is intermittent. Yesterday in the storm, it went into 4x4 AUTO. The light went solid and everything appeared fine, but when I hit a hill and needed it, the truck spun free; the traction control kicked in and the truck shut down on that safety crap.... had to turn the TC off and eventually made it up the hill spinning.... I've had it at the dealer, but it doesn't show codes.

 

Absolutely no noise when turning the dash control. There must be some kind of solenoid or actuator that's not doing so.

Anybody else got ideas?

 

gotta scan the transfer case control module see what codes it has and then see if the case can be shifted with tech 2 and look at datastream and see if the TCCM shows the switch movement. Whole lot to it not really driveway repairable unless it's got a hard part failure and you know exactly what failed. But codes are the first place to start.

 

Mine did this last winter too, 2003 sierra with the autotrac. I replaced the encoder motor and that fixed the problem. the encoders fail often enough so I suggest some research to see if that matches your problem. its not too hard to r&r. good luck.

 

My service light came on yesterday and I drove down to the service garage and plugged it in. Code showed the front actuator was shorting. Changed it this morning and it seems to be working good now. My volt gauge dropped also. Not getting the draw from the short.

 

Well, this just went from suck to blow...I took it to a service shop. Transfer case is toast?!!!?

This thing doesn't even have 100K yet. Any of you had to replace one? Cost?