4x4 problems

[daveanton]

ik guys, ive read several threds and not quite sure where to go now, the front axle binds when i turn, i tried clipping the yellow wire at the gem, no luck it was still ingaged, i was getting a bit worried so i tried disconnecting the harness at the transfer case, it finally disengaged,
where should i look now? speed sensors, dash switch, tod relay or the gem?

 

[gijoecam]

First of all, if you clipped the yellow wire, you didn't read the whole thread. The BROWN wire is the one you should have cut. The Yellow wire causes some other issues.

It's a simple problem to troubleshoot. Unplug the transfer case shift motor and the other plug that controls the transfer case clutch and see if the front end still binds-up. If it does, you need a new t-case/clutch, if it makes it stop, you've got some more digging to do.

Un-plug the stuff and let us know what happens.

-Joe

 

[daveanton]

what ive tried

the yellow wire didnt help, . i tested the shift motor and it does work. next i disconnected the tcase clutch wire.. problem solved. thankfully the tcase is good. so next where? can any of the sensors or relays be tested??

 

[gijoecam]

The yellow wire isn't supposed to help. Had you read the entire thread, you'd see that the yellow wire is NOT the correct one to clip. Hence the name, BROWN wire mod.

You'll need to check the Transfer Case Shift Relay output, and the Torque On Demand Relay independently. That'll be tough to do because they share a common wire (the BROWN one). The easiest way would be to de-pin the connector at the TCS and plug it in, checking the output to determine which is the power source engaging the clutch.

It's also possible that the 4wd switch has gone bad. You can check the individual resistances there to make sure it's not a switch. (I believe they should be 1.5 k-ohms, 640 ohms, and 230, if I remember correctly)

Another possibility is that one of the driveshaft speed sensors took a dump (probably the front one) and has the GEM thinking that the front wheels aren't turning, thereby engaging the auto 4wd. The only way to know that would be to pay the $85 diagnostic fee to have them hook it up and see why it's engaging.

The final thing that comes to mind would be a bad Torque On Demand relay..... they're solid-state unitsso they don't fail very often, but they're not too expensive from what I recall, and probably the easiest change to make. Swap it out (making sure to reconnect the yellow wire, of course) and see if it fixes the problem.

Does that answer your questions?

-Joe

 

[daveanton]

thanks, that does help, ill test the switch tomorrow, im not sure on the locations of the other relays so i may just have to take it in and have the diagnostic done, then just replace the part myself. but thank you for the help.

 

[gijoecam]

The TOD relay is between the right side of the stereo and the left side of the airbag. If you remove the stereo, you can see it. If you go to my gallery in my signature, you can see some pics there. I'm not sure about the TCS relay....

-Joe