Wwblue05
SDD Junior Member
Hi, I am a newbie here, registered several months ago looking for help with typical 6.0 engine problems. My truck is an '05 SB CC automatic with electronic 4x4.
My problem, and Q., is about both the electronic 4x4 controller and the locking hubs, especially about how the hubs, electronic controller and transfer case all work together. I am pretty much in the dark about how these work, particularly what the hubs are doing when you manually lock or unlock them. When we went to get this truck in July '05, after buying it new over the internet and phone, the 4x4 module was bad and the dealership replaced it. There were only about 100 miles on the clock then, most of that with the salesman driving the truck to meet us. I suspect the 4x4 module is part of the problem now, that it just bit the dust, again. I do not go off-roading, but briefly use the shift-on-the-fly farily often on a dirt road short cut from highway to the road i live on. The dirt road goes uphill toward my house, and is very rocky, so I use the 4x4 so as not to chunk one of the rear tires, and to exercise the system. I live on top of a ridge and also occasionally use the 4x4 to get up the hill of my back 1 acre, especially with a trailer. Last summer, when parked in my yard at a slight incline facing downhill, in dry soil/grass, the limited slip did not lock up when I tried to back up, digging a rut with the right rear. Then the 4x4 would not engage until I tried it several times ( trying to get it into 4wd H or 4wd L, either one, putting trans in neutral with foot on the brake. The manual does say or imply the 4x4H will not engage with the truck stopped - which seems pretty useless in some cases, but this procedure is how a service manager told me to get it engaged at a stop).
Today I parked near the same location as the above, but at a steeper incline and on water-logged soil and grass, with back of truck facing down hill. I knew I would probably need the 4x4 to get out of the situation I parked in today, it is extremely wet, but the 4x4 seems to have been working well since the occasion last summer. When I turned the knob to 4H, then to 4L, there was no typical clunking of gears engaging. Four or five attempts at shifting into 4x4 all resulted in just rear wheel spin, digging holes (about twice as deep on right as on left). I checked the fuse #31, for the 4x4 and it looked good. I put in another fuse just in case, and same result - no shifting into 4x4. In desparation, I locked the front hubs, which I have rarely done, and really don't know when or what situation would normally dictate locking the hubs. Normally, I have not needed to, as everything seems to have worked well just using the electric shift knob.
After locking the hubs and shifting to 4H, the front wheels pulled and I got out of the mess I was in. However, I still heard no reassuring clunking of the 4x4 mechanism, and it would not go into 4L at all.
I read everything in the manual about the 4x4 system, though it has almost zero information about the locking hubs, what is actually happening in using them, when or why they need to be locked. I have searched on a couple other forums as well as Googled the subject, with no answer to my specific questions and situation.
Q's: Does this sound like the 4x4 control module has quit? 2. How is it that locking the hubs made a difference when the electronic controler does not seem to be doing anything?
The truck has a little under 82,000 miles, and is on an Extra Care warranty which I believe covers the 4x4 module, but I am just wondering why locking the hubs made the 4H work, and if it is very common to have problems with the module.
Thanks for any info and help. I will post pics of my truck when I can figure out how to get that done, tried before and couldn't get it to work.
Joe
My problem, and Q., is about both the electronic 4x4 controller and the locking hubs, especially about how the hubs, electronic controller and transfer case all work together. I am pretty much in the dark about how these work, particularly what the hubs are doing when you manually lock or unlock them. When we went to get this truck in July '05, after buying it new over the internet and phone, the 4x4 module was bad and the dealership replaced it. There were only about 100 miles on the clock then, most of that with the salesman driving the truck to meet us. I suspect the 4x4 module is part of the problem now, that it just bit the dust, again. I do not go off-roading, but briefly use the shift-on-the-fly farily often on a dirt road short cut from highway to the road i live on. The dirt road goes uphill toward my house, and is very rocky, so I use the 4x4 so as not to chunk one of the rear tires, and to exercise the system. I live on top of a ridge and also occasionally use the 4x4 to get up the hill of my back 1 acre, especially with a trailer. Last summer, when parked in my yard at a slight incline facing downhill, in dry soil/grass, the limited slip did not lock up when I tried to back up, digging a rut with the right rear. Then the 4x4 would not engage until I tried it several times ( trying to get it into 4wd H or 4wd L, either one, putting trans in neutral with foot on the brake. The manual does say or imply the 4x4H will not engage with the truck stopped - which seems pretty useless in some cases, but this procedure is how a service manager told me to get it engaged at a stop).
Today I parked near the same location as the above, but at a steeper incline and on water-logged soil and grass, with back of truck facing down hill. I knew I would probably need the 4x4 to get out of the situation I parked in today, it is extremely wet, but the 4x4 seems to have been working well since the occasion last summer. When I turned the knob to 4H, then to 4L, there was no typical clunking of gears engaging. Four or five attempts at shifting into 4x4 all resulted in just rear wheel spin, digging holes (about twice as deep on right as on left). I checked the fuse #31, for the 4x4 and it looked good. I put in another fuse just in case, and same result - no shifting into 4x4. In desparation, I locked the front hubs, which I have rarely done, and really don't know when or what situation would normally dictate locking the hubs. Normally, I have not needed to, as everything seems to have worked well just using the electric shift knob.
After locking the hubs and shifting to 4H, the front wheels pulled and I got out of the mess I was in. However, I still heard no reassuring clunking of the 4x4 mechanism, and it would not go into 4L at all.
I read everything in the manual about the 4x4 system, though it has almost zero information about the locking hubs, what is actually happening in using them, when or why they need to be locked. I have searched on a couple other forums as well as Googled the subject, with no answer to my specific questions and situation.
Q's: Does this sound like the 4x4 control module has quit? 2. How is it that locking the hubs made a difference when the electronic controler does not seem to be doing anything?
The truck has a little under 82,000 miles, and is on an Extra Care warranty which I believe covers the 4x4 module, but I am just wondering why locking the hubs made the 4H work, and if it is very common to have problems with the module.
Thanks for any info and help. I will post pics of my truck when I can figure out how to get that done, tried before and couldn't get it to work.
Joe
