Transfer Case Issue

[mranderson214]

Hello Everyone,

Firstly I'd like to thank everyone on this forum that has helped me in the past with my Explorer. I recently hit 200,000 miles! I probably couldn't have done it without the tips and assistance from many on here.

I have a 2002 Explorer XLT, V6 (4.0 L), 4x4 with about 200,400 miles on it, pretty much all stock.

Lately I've been having some sounds out of what I believe (and was told) was the transfer case. When I reach about 40 mph and let off the gas, I get a popping sound as I decelerate about 75% of the time. Once I hit above 50-55 mph, if I let off the gas, I will get a buzzing sound similar to a drill and the speedometer and tachometer will surge a little bit. The sound and symptoms will go away if I put the truck in Neutral or if I step on the gas pedal.

Lately, I've been having to drive sort of like a manual. If I have to go over 50 mph, when I get ready to slow down, I'll put it in Neutral and if I need to put it back in Drive, I'll try to match the RPMs before shifting back. This seems to be working flawlessly so far but I know a problem exists so I'm going to a transmission shop tomorrow morning for a diagnosis.

All 4 tires are the same thread pattern, and size, make etc. At one point a few years ago, I had different thread tires on the front and back and would get a bucking sound when slowing down from speeds over 30mph. I later learned that this was due to different rolling diameters of the tires and fixed the issue by replacing the tires. This isn't the same sound, but I have similar symptoms in that it only happens when letting off the gas after a certain speed, which leads me to think its the T-case.

The transmission is fine. I just had my fluid checked/changed a week ago and I have no O/D light or anything. One shop I went to told me that my transmission is still in "great condition" and that they think its the T-case. I don't want to throw a ton of money into the truck, but she still rides extremely smooth (for over 200K miles) and is in good condition to give away.

Has anyone had any similar experiences that would give me some insight when I go to the Transmission shop tomorrow? I always dreaded the day that I had to go to one considering transmissions and probably the most expensive thing to repair/replace on a vehicle. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[mranderson214]

Just an update..

I was told by the transmission shop that the "spline" in my transfer case was worn and that over time it would affect the transmission. The repair cost is 1,200 for a re manufactured transfer case with a 1 year/12,000 mile warranty, and it'll take them two days to do the repair.

Now, I'm deciding if its worth the repair or if it's time that I let it go. Part of me is willing to do the repair because the car is in good shape otherwise. But 1,200 is no small amount of money to put into a car with 200,000 miles.

 

[statenvc]

Hello I just went to the salvage yard Saturday and bought a transfer case($200) instead of replacing the parts inside. It took about 2.5 - 3 hours to replace my 02 mountaineer. I have over 240,000 miles after purchasing it in May 2001. I was fortunate to find a local mechanic who was willing to change it in his shop. He charged me $300 to help/replace it.

Be careful at the transmission shop especially when they throw out certain terms like "spline." Did they show u what/where the spline is located and a spline only cost about $169.00, labor must be $1000 to do a 3.3 hour job. I guess they need 2 days for the oil to 'drip out.' Be careful, please do your home work first because once they take the t-case apart they will always find something else wrong.

I am in the process of getting my torque converter (inside of transmission) replaced because my o/d light has come on. Like your suv, mine runs good and still looks good, therefore I'm saving to get the repairs done. I rather spend a few hundred dollars now rather than have a monthly car note payment or get something used that might cost me an arm/leg later. Again do your homework first, ask question, and then make that wise choice.

 

[mranderson214]

Hello I just went to the salvage yard Saturday and bought a transfer case($200) instead of replacing the parts inside. It took about 2.5 - 3 hours to replace my 02 mountaineer. I have over 240,000 miles after purchasing it in May 2001. I was fortunate to find a local mechanic who was willing to change it in his shop. He charged me $300 to help/replace it.

Be careful at the transmission shop especially when they throw out certain terms like "spline." Did they show u what/where the spline is located and a spline only cost about $169.00, labor must be $1000 to do a 3.3 hour job. I guess they need 2 days for the oil to 'drip out.' Be careful, please do your home work first because once they take the t-case apart they will always find something else wrong.

I am in the process of getting my torque converter (inside of transmission) replaced because my o/d light has come on. Like your suv, mine runs good and still looks good, therefore I'm saving to get the repairs done. I rather spend a few hundred dollars now rather than have a monthly car note payment or get something used that might cost me an arm/leg later. Again do your homework first, ask question, and then make that wise choice.

Thanks for the tips. Well, here's an update on this story, just as of today actually..

Since this post, I've checked at several shops around my area and they told me various things ranging from differential to transfer case to transmission... Ultimately, I brought it into a shop that seemed reliable and had good ratings. Since I work 9-5 Mon to Fri and the shop is only open 8-5 Mon to Fri, I dropped it off last Monday before Thanksgiving and they were going to check it thoroughly and let me know the actual problem. While I was at work, I got a call that they saw metal in my transmission fluid when they dropped the pan. They said they couldn't immediately diagnose the source of the metal so they said they'd need to open the transmission up and investigate. I was getting ready for a meeting so I agreed to let them do so. (had plans to use the car to travel home for Thanksgiving).

Upon opening it up, they claimed that my torque converter was bad, and also something was shredded in the transmission. They also mentioned something about a planetary gear or something. Long story short, they said that the transmission needed to be rebuilt. They mentioned that they were 100% sure that this is the source of the problem. For some reason I agreed to that (not sure why).. One day turned into two and the car was supposed to be ready last Tuesday by 5. It wasn't... I had to rent a car and travel home for the holiday and came back today (11/30). When I called them this morning at work, they said it would be ready by this afternoon. When I went to pick it up, they briefly told me what was done and about the warranties I had. They also mentioned something about changing a part of the exhaust... The total was about $2,200. I was willing to bite the bullet just because I felt I had finally gotten to the bottom of the issue.

Well, it didn't take too long to realize the problem still existed. Needless to say, I've told my bank to hold those funds on the credit card and plan to go back tomorrow and raise hell. I feel a little taken advantage of due to the fact that I can't stay on top of them because of the work time conflict...

Just wanted to update. The battle continues..

 

[imp]

Victim of both circumstance, dubious integrity of repair shops, and lack of mec hanical background in automotive engineering (not your fault, however).

Splines never "wear out'.

The source of your difficulty cannot be stated with certainty, based on known information.

Feel sorry for you being in this predicament, however. imp

 

[mranderson214]

Victim of both circumstance, dubious integrity of repair shops, and lack of mec hanical background in automotive engineering (not your fault, however).

Splines never "wear out'.

The source of your difficulty cannot be stated with certainty, based on known information.

Feel sorry for you being in this predicament, however. imp

Indeed.

Transmissions and drivetrain components aren't my strong point. I understand and repair a lot myself. Normally when friends have trouble with their cars, I'm the one they come to for advice; but when these symptoms started happening, I didn't even know where to begin. I'll try to upload a video with the sound/symptoms and post a link here.

 

[mranderson214]

Wasn't sure how (or if I'm allowed) to post videos directly in this thread, but I uploaded it to my Youtube account.

https://youtu.be/Vz6udFH-_yA

This was taken on the expressway. When I let off the gas I get the drilling sound heard in the video. I usually can make it go away by putting it in Neutral to slow down, OR by stepping on the gas again in Drive. In the video, I just let it make that noise longer than usual so that the sound can easily be heard. Notice the tachometer and speedometer drop dramatically, however the car still holds the appropriate speed. In other words, the gauges appear to drop fast but the car slows down at normal rate.

PS: Ignore the purple tint, my phone does that sometimes in low-light settings.

 

[drdoom]

You're correct it is the transfer case.

 

[mranderson214]

You're correct it is the transfer case.

I thought so for a short while too but the only thing that confused me was that it'd do this immediately after putting the truck in Reverse sometimes. The shop claimed the transfer case was fine, but I doubt it. Especially after a rebuilt transmission.

I spoke to the manager this morning and showed him the video.. he claims that the transmission is "slipping", which I don't believe. They want me to bring it back tomorrow morning for further investigation. They're really getting away with murder with this repair because normally I'm right there watching everything that's being done. But I started a new job a few months ago, and cant take off several days to sit around in their shop all day. If I have to take a day off of work, they're not gonna like it. I'm willing to bet that the transmission was fine, that there was no metal and that they didn't know the problem and wanted to throw a costly repair at me regardless.

 

[mranderson214]

Problem Solved.

It appears that one of my tires (front passenger) had slightly more wear on it. It's been running fine with the spare tire on there. Guess new tires are coming in the very-near future.