Hi. I've searched these forums fairly extensively, and also scoured the net, but can't seem to find an answer to this particular problem. The transfer case seems to be stuck in four wheel high. I have a 4405 Borg Warner TC (Control Trac) and when I start the vehicle, it's in 4 high. After I drive a distance, I can feel power to the front differential release, then the 4x high and low lights blink 6 times. At this point, if I switch it into 4 high, I can feel the front differential engage again, and when switched off, it disengages. Each time the vehicle is shut down, the process starts all over again with it being stuck in 4x4 (I wouldn't mind it so much it it was not working at all, but it's pretty hard on the vehicle having to start off on pav in 4x4). I've chenged out the fluid, replaced the computer, cleaned the sensors, disconnected the battery to reset the computer... nothing. My next step I think is to change out the sensors, and maybe bight the bullet and change out the transfer case (I can't seem to find any material on a overhaul kit for this, and I'm thinking the clutch they have in there might be spent). Any ideas? Thanx.

 

Have you tried hooking up to a diagnostic tool at Autozone,Advanced or Napa?
Hopefully it will save you some time trouble shooting and its free.

Good luck!


FRDKPR

 

Ya know... I never thought about that. I've "rented" tools from Autozone before (like a double flaring tool; one of those deals where they don't have it on the shelf per-se, it's free to rent, but you leave a deposit for the tool at the store's price and if you don't return it you've bought it, which I did), but I've never inquired about whether they had a diag tool to use. Thanx... sometimes I just need a good shot up-side the head!

 

OK. Went to Autozone and had the guy there hook up the daignostic reader, and nothing. He said that the reader usually will just pick up problems with the emissions data/sensors that cause the "check engine" light to come on (I suppose the bright side of this is that I know the emissions system is OK). When I got home I decided to take a more primitive apporoach and simply inspected all the components of the drive chain and I found leakage around the rearend cover, checked the fluid and it was most certainly down a bit. While I was back there I inspected the sensor on the differential (which looked fine, but aside from it being broken in half, I guess they all look the same). The first test drive hasn't seen the problem fixed, but it does seem to kick out of the 4x4 mode quicker than before, and the steering doesn't seem to be a bound up (I started to suspect the differentials due to that symptom). I'll re-set the computer and drive it a while to see if it continues to clear up (there might be some crud in the rear end that needs to work itself out so the sensor reads better). I'll probably wqind up rebuilding the rear too at some point. I'm getting somewhere... exactly where I don't know. I'll keep ya posted.

 

OK, looks like we can close out this thread. After filling the rear-end with gear oil and letting it sit and soak over night, the problem is solved. I'm guessing the spider gears were glopped up (the reason I thought the rear was somehow stuck in posi due to the way the vehicle was handling and the abnormal tire wear only on the rears) and needed a good soak. All's normal now, the control trac and 4x4 are working, no blinking lights. There doesn't seem to be any whining or clunks from the rear end, but I'm still not counting out a rebuild at some point in the near future (I'm gonna have to change out the gasket anyway, and while I'm in there I'll see if I can get away with shims, or maybe a couple of spider gears). Thanx, Tom.