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Slowing down going downhill


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So this Friday I packed my surfboard and gear for a surfing road trip in my 1995 Pathfinder SE, I noticed it took quite a bit more power to move but I figured it was due to all the cargo in the back. That is until I started to go downhill, it was slowing down! I had to accelerate or else Id be going way too slow. When I tried putting it in neutral, it would keep its speed a little better but still slow down quite a bit. And when I say hills, I mean big BC hills at like 18%. I brought it to Canadian Tire and then a transmission shop and neither could figure out the problem. It seems if you let it sit for a long time, it gets a little better so maybe its the transmission or transfer case getting too hot but I don't know. Any help would be appreciated and if you need more info I'll be glad to share.

 

Thanks

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That sounds odd, I've never heard of significant drag and nothing breaking...

 

Wheel bearings, stuck brake components, wasted U joints on the drive shaft are all I can think of. Could it have been bottomed out and rubbing on a wheel or something? Still, you'd have to notice that...

 

Definitely keep us informed, this is an odd one.

 

B

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yeah same i was thinking. cause if you can notice a drag then most likely you could also hear it as well. as in a whining or growling of some sort. but he never stated he could hear anything which let me think brakes or parking brake.

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I had just replaced the U joint the night before I left and the mechanic told me I did a good job with fluid refilled correctly. It could be the bearings, it was definitely not bottomed out.

 

There is a sound of something rubbing around the transfer case area, like a tinging of two metals scratching. Also, this is my first truck so I'm not familiar with everything but what is the name of the component that is connected to the 4x4 shifter? Because that area was getting very hot.

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That would be your transfer case and it's not supposed to get hot. Well, certainly not extremely hot.

Do you have the automatic locking hubs? Are they actually unlocked?

When you spin the wheels, do the front CV axles spin? Does the fron drive shaft?

 

B

 

It would be worth checking the fluid in the transfer case, just take out the top fill hole and see if there is any first.

Edited by Precise1
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You sure it didn't get pushed into 4x accidentally? It'll bind up like crazy if you drive in 4x on dry pavement. That binding would show up as a power loss, even in neutral, and would lead to increased wear in the diffs and transfer case. The lever should be all the way forward, and the hubs should be disengaged. (Engaged hubs alone won't cause the problem, though. If it's not in 4x, but the hubs are engaged, you'll just lose a little fuel economy/CV life.)

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