About 3 weeks ago my truck started acting really weird and slamming into 4WD, hard enough to shake the truck. Took it to the dealer and they said the clutch plate broke and the fluid was full of metal. So they ordered a new t-case, replaced it on 12/2/11 at 10,420 miles.

Today I was out with the truck, stopped at a stop light, clicked the truck into 4WD since the intersection was slick, about 20 or so seconds later the light changed. I stepped on the gas, not hard, started to go and BANG, it slams into 4WD. Finished running my errands and came home, the issue progressively getting worse since I don't leave the truck in 4WD, only put it in when needed. Turned on to my road and started up the hill, slid, put the truck back in 4WD and the whole way up the hill it was BANG BANG BANG, truck couldn't get into 4WD. Also notice the transmission wouldn't shift, truck was at 7k rpms, I let off and the transmission slammed into gear, its never done that before.

Currently the truck has about 10,950 miles on it. I have never abused this truck, the biggest trailer its towed was about 500 lbs and was only once or twice, and its never been offroad in its life. I've owned it for almost 7 months.

I'm baffled and very frustrated. There has to be an underlying cause to this. I love the truck, but geez, I can't afford to pay for a truck to sit in the shop.

 

Sounds like they missed the damage and need to go into it again. Obviously it is binding, out of line, or burred up. Seems like it will be easy for them to have it happen in their back lot. good luck

 

Also notice the transmission wouldn't shift, truck was at 7k rpms, I let off and the transmission slammed into gear.

Define never abused.

 

Definetly slipped the transmission

 

Between trying to keep momentum to make it up the icy hill without the 4WD working and watching the car coming down the hill I guess I didn't notice right away that the transmission didn't shift. I don't consider that abusing the truck to incorrectly assume that the truck had shifted, that's why I bought an automatic, its supposed to do that on its own. As soon as I saw the RPMs I let off immediately.

 

Transfer Case Issues.....Anyone Else?


Short answer is NO.

I have 37K on my truck and I use the FWD function [often] and year round, but for longer periods when I am in the snow. I have never had an adverse issue with the transfer case in any manner.

I use mostly the H-range, but I also will run it periodically in the L-range, but am careful to be at a stop and in N before I attempt to engage or disengage Low.

 

You should shift while you are moving!!! If you shift while stopped, it is likely that nothing actually happened... Then jumping on the gas, things will break or bang as they engage, or both... I think the manual describes this. If having to shift at a stop, best to ease into it to ensure the transfer case AND both hubs engage fully before really getting on the gas.

So you may have broken stuff but it sounds like driver error.

 

This isn't my first 4WD, far from it, and it doesn't matter, shift at a stop, shift while moving and just step on the gas a little, it still does it. Heck I've even put it in 4WD while moving, took my foot off the gas, and coasted for a bit, then stepped on the gas, same thing, crash into 4WD. The dealer told me with the last one that there was an issue with the early 2011's but that the new updated t-case they put in should fix it.

I'm not trying to start a pissing match, far from it, was just curious if anyone else was having issues.

I've been driving for 20 years and have nearly always had a 4WD, I've only broken ONE that I can think of and I took the blame for that. But hey when you get a call at 2 am that your mom just hit a moose and was hurt, well, some things just don't matter and my 04 Titan took the beating at 58 degrees below zero.