Transfer Case Issue

[cbetts]

My transfer case likes to pop into neutral on it's own. Got stuck in some serious traffic last night on my way home. Sitting at a red light. Went to crawl forward and got nothing. Just on a hunch, I cycled the transfer case to low lock and back and got moving again. I thought it was a random fluke so I drove it to work this morning. popped out of gear several times. Pulled over, cycled the case and got moving again.

I am suspecting that maybe the actuator is faulty and not pulling the shifter fully into gear. Does this sound correct?

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

:corn:

 

[atvspeed4]

After taking the encoder apart and looking at the slides on the circuit board I can see how it can become worn and not land in the right position but that is a large jump to land in neutral. Are you getting any indicator lights?

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

unplug the controller from the stepper motor, drive it - if it doesn't do it again then sure, encoder. If it does, shift fork

 

[cbetts]

After taking the encoder apart and looking at the slides on the circuit board I can see how it can become worn and not land in the right position but that is a large jump to land in neutral. Are you getting any indicator lights?

Negative, no lights. Indicator stays at high unlock.

 

[cbetts]

Going to try to baby it home now. I might try hi lock and see if it experiences the same thing.

Stand by . . .

 

[Kurt]

On the NP242's [H1 and jeep versions] when that happens, the H drops to N, the nylon nubs/bushings the shifting fork become worn and need to be replaced. The solution in the meantime is to run in LL on the trail or HL worse case [and suffer tire wear].

Not sure if the shift forks on the H3 Borg warner unit are set up similarly.

 

[cbetts]

Got it home okay. I took city streets all the way, cycling the t-case every time I came to a stop.

When I got home. I noticed a new oil spot on the garage floor, Yep, right under the t-case. Time for a rebuild.

 

[06 H3]

Man that sucks!

 

[06 H3]

If you want to borrow my old 2.64:1 to buy you some time you can. it worked fine when I took it out

 

[cbetts]

If you want to borrow my old 2.64:1 to buy you some time you can. it worked fine when I took it out

I appreciate the offer but I think I am gonna wait. I don't have the funds to do much right now since I bought a house. I might buy a crate unit and rebuild this one for a spare. Gotta wait to see which way I am gonna go. Luckily, I have another car to drive in the meantime.

 

[4speedfunk]

Oil spot points to something more serious....perhaps a cracked case?

 

[cbetts]

Transfer case may be okay. Oil is from front differential, which I just had rebuilt a few months ago. The symptoms still kinda fit. Stay tuned.

 

[4speedfunk]

You sure the "popping into neutral" isn't teeth missing on the front diff gearset? I say this because...

(A) You just had it rebuilt (maybe something wasn't right).
(B) Its leaking already.
(C) They fail much more often than transfer cases.

Try pulling the front driveshaft and putting the t-case into 4HI-Lock for a day or two. Let us know if it does it again.

Also might take a look at the front diff drain plug...its magnetic. You can pull the plug & put your finger over the hole to save the fluid. You'll know immediately if there are loose teeth in the diff...the drain plug will look like Don King...

 

[4speedfunk]

Don't forget...you have no PARK gear without a front driveshaft. Use the E-brake.

 

[cbetts]

CONFIRMED . . . front diff is shot. I removed the front driveshaft and locked the t-case. Has been driving fine. Time to take it back in.

 

[4speedfunk]

Yeah those AAM-7s are tricky to setup. They are so under-sized for the application, that they must be spot-on if you want them to last. Other axles in other trucks, you can run "close enough" and because they have extra capacity...they can last for years without issues. But the AAM-7 is already at its limit when you drive your H3 off the showroom floor and there is no "cushion" in the capacity. Bolt on some 35"s and you are pushing it past the limit. If it's set-up perfectly...it might hold awhile. But anything less than perfect and....pop crunch snap crackle grind grind grind $$$$$. It's the Achilles' tendon of the H3.
There is no real fix and the only thing you can do is make sure it's set up perfectly and keep a spare on the shelf.

 

[JPaul]

I thought there was a real fix and you sell kits for it 4speed?

 

[cbetts]

I thought there was a real fix and you sell kits for it 4speed?

I heard some gossip about that several years ago. I wish I had the money, time, talent and space for a SAS conversion.

 

[Ghostbuster]

How long did your original diff last with 35s?

 

[cbetts]

How long did your original diff last with 35s?

Quite a while. It had a rebuild at 35K miles just before I put on the 35s. I put about 60K until the recent episode. One thing that probably helped keep it alive was the manual transmission. I hardly even had wheel spin.

 

[Ghostbuster]

I wonder why it went out at 35k.

 

[cbetts]

I wonder why it went out at 35k.

First generation on the H3. I am sure there were some lessons learned on the 2006 models, like the low oil condition in the transfer case. Rebuilt twice before the dealership replaced it with the modified version.

 

[4speedfunk]

I had several stock IFS front axles in my 2008 AdvPak before I went solid. The best one by far was a 2006 aluminum one with 70k on it. It still ran great when I pulled it. I don't think there is any specific model that is better than others...totally random. Some just seem tighter and stronger than others.

 

[cbetts]

I was wrong. Front diff is fine. Mechanic suspects encoder motor or shift fork is bad. He is pulling t-case Monday.

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