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All mode transfer case issue


Soul_13
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On the mountain yesterday the 4wd would not engage, the engine revved but would not engage. Shortly thereafter I saw some smoke and got out to see what I originally thought was transmission fluid (from transmission) gushing on to the ground.  I gave it some time to cool off, put it in 2wd mode and was able to drive home with no problems.  

 

I've scoured the net and joined this site and spent a couple hours under the area in question, completed the on board diagnostic for the 4wd system(1 blink every 2 seconds= no problems for the items the system tests for)and have come to this conclusion: take the transfer case out and replace the rear case to center case liquid gasket as that has possibly blown and while I'm in there check on or just replace the main oil pump.  

 

Due to the "blood splatter pattern" of the wet area underneath it seems to be centralized on top of the rear case.  Originally I thought the air breather was the culprit (before learning what it was) because that hose was probably the wettest part around and the underside of the body right above that had fluid drops on some protruding bolts.  Speaking of which should that hose have a clamp or zip tie? The tube is barbed.

 

Trying to find some answers to this problem has really helped me better understand my vehicle.  I now have a laundry list of items to check and oils to replace, not to mention checking on those engine screws.  

 

Is there a better course of action to diagnose the overall health of the transfer case that someone can recommend?  Perhaps I'm overlooking something?  Could the engine revving and not engaging mean a clutch is bad or tranny issues?  

 

Thanks for any and all insight.

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I'm a little confused by your first sentence. Did you engage 4HI, then find that you had no drive whatsoever to any wheel (engine revs, nothing happens), then smoke--or did you engage 4HI, the rears spun but the fronts didn't, and then smoke?

If it's the former, I suspect your transmission overheated and boiled fluid out of its vent tube. Maybe that hose was damaged, wasn't on its barb right, or just blew off. The boiling fluid prevented the pump from making line pressure, so the clutches failed to engage, and you had no drive until the transmission cooled and the fluid settled down. How hot was it where you were, and how hard were you working it? Are you running an external transmission cooler?

 

If it's the latter, that would suggest a transfer case issue. Park it on a surface you don't care about (gravel, neighbor's driveway) and try to put it in 4HI again. If you're right about a seal being bad and releasing hydraulic pressure meant for the clutches, and the transfer case hasn't already pumped itself dry (check the level first), it should start spraying again when the pump comes on. I wouldn't expect the case seal to be holding back line pressure, but I don't know the ATX14A very well. If it doesn't spray, check that it's actually in 4HI.


Either way, the first thing I'd check is the fluid level and condition in your trans and transfer. Then I'd have a look at the breather to the transmission, see if it's still attached.
 

The breathers shouldn't need hose clamps, but that doesn't mean it's a bad idea. I've heard of ATF puking onto exhaust components and starting fires.

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So did 4WD work at all that day prior to the problem? I have seen very dark fluid come from my tcase after just a couple years of use, granted there was some serious 4wheeling during that time. I suspect the ATX14A’s do get hot when pushed..


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I would assume the smoke is from the ATF hitting the exhaust. It looks like you have a major seal leak somewhere. I would clean it all off with a pressure washer, then you could start it up and see where it is coming from. Like Slart said it may already be out of fluid though.

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I'm a little confused by your first sentence. Did you engage 4HI, then find that you had no drive whatsoever to any wheel (engine revs, nothing happens), then smoke--or did you engage 4HI, the rears spun but the fronts didn't, and then smoke?

If it's the former, I suspect your transmission overheated and boiled fluid out of its vent tube. Maybe that hose was damaged, wasn't on its barb right, or just blew off. The boiling fluid prevented the pump from making line pressure, so the clutches failed to engage, and you had no drive until the transmission cooled and the fluid settled down. How hot was it where you were, and how hard were you working it? Are you running an external transmission cooler?
 
If it's the latter, that would suggest a transfer case issue. Park it on a surface you don't care about (gravel, neighbor's driveway) and try to put it in 4HI again. If you're right about a seal being bad and releasing hydraulic pressure meant for the clutches, and the transfer case hasn't already pumped itself dry (check the level first), it should start spraying again when the pump comes on. I wouldn't expect the case seal to be holding back line pressure, but I don't know the ATX14A very well. If it doesn't spray, check that it's actually in 4HI.

Either way, the first thing I'd check is the fluid level and condition in your trans and transfer. Then I'd have a look at the breather to the transmission, see if it's still attached.
 
The breathers shouldn't need hose clamps, but that doesn't mean it's a bad idea. I've heard of ATF puking onto exhaust components and starting fires.


Hey,

The former happened. I engaged 4HI and had no drive. The smoke was white in color and was most likely the fluid hitting the exhaust.

Is the breather tube on top of the transfer case the one you are referring to or does the transmission have its own? I looked at the service manual and couldn't find one but I will look again.

Location wise it wasn't hot, mid 60's and it wasn't being run very hard, though I'm sure that was magnified by lack of servicing on my part. New knowledge will fix that. The only cooler is the factory one.

Thanks for your insight.



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So did 4WD work at all that day prior to the problem? I have seen very dark fluid come from my tcase after just a couple years of use, granted there was some serious 4wheeling during that time. I suspect the ATX14A’s do get hot when pushed..


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Yo,

I'm not sure if it did. I know it has worked the past, like 5 weeks ago when we were last up there. Definitely felt hot from my crouching position but no indicator light so I'll be checking that.

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I would assume the smoke is from the ATF hitting the exhaust. It looks like you have a major seal leak somewhere. I would clean it all off with a pressure washer, then you could start it up and see where it is coming from. Like Slart said it may already be out of fluid though.
Howdy,

I am inclined to agree on the smoke. Possible leak somewhere. Dip stick shows tranny fluid upper level while hot. I don't like the color so I will be changing it very soon, I just want to check the transfer case first.


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Well I just got back from making a fluid and parts run. I plan to check the transfer case for oil first and go from there. I've been reading the service pretty heavily this past day and I'm considering taking the Horde in to a dealer so they can see if there are any 4WD codes. Doing the on board diagnostic yielded nothing so I'm curious if theirs would be able to provide any info.

Other items I will be getting on today include changing front and rear diff oil, engine oil and filter, fuel filter, spark plugs, and checking power valve screws.


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4 hours ago, Soul_13 said:

Is the breather tube on top of the transfer case the one you are referring to or does the transmission have its own? I looked at the service manual and couldn't find one but I will look again.

Location wise it wasn't hot, mid 60's and it wasn't being run very hard, though I'm sure that was magnified by lack of servicing on my part. New knowledge will fix that. The only cooler is the factory one.

 

 

AT-280 in the '01 manual shows separate breathers for the trans and transfer, running up to a sort of breather manifold near the bellhousing. Odd that they didn't just tee them and run them up to the engine bay, but I guess the way they did it prevents one box from dumping fluid into the other. Looks like your transmission breather outlet is on the driver's side, towards the top. Not sure how easy that'll be to see with the driveshaft and all in place. Mirror on a stick may be your friend. If it is blown off, it wouldn't be a bad idea to blow out the breather line, make sure it doesn't have debris or a mud dauber or something blocking it off.

It does seem odd for it to boil over under those conditions unless something else is wrong. I would inspect the cooler lines to see if they're pinched or kinked somewhere, and check that the cooler isn't clogged.

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I will definitely look again for a breather line. I checked the transfer case and it was low. Previous owner took it to a place that put gear oil in(based on receipt) I drained it and put in atf. The gear oil did kinda sorta look like the stuff that poured out on the road. I'm going to drain and refill transmission fluid tomorrow. I'll probably drain the transfer case once more as kind of a flush.

After changing front and rear diff oil, engine oil and filter, transfer case and fuel filter I took it out and put it in 4wd HI and LO and I could hear it engage and it seemed to be working properly. I got out several times to look underneath and there were no leaks.

I know the cooler lines aren't kinked from being under there all day. I'll check for a clog tomorrow while it's drained and I'm replacing the transmission filter and whatnot.

Turning out much better than my initial thoughts of a dead transfer case! Go Pathy Go!

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They put gear oil in it? :blink: Holy crap. No surprise it didn't like that! Good thinking with another drain/fill to get the last of it. I'm left wondering why it would've disengaged the rear end, though. The hydraulics only control the clutches for the front AFAIK. Maybe it was trying for low range and got stuck in neutral? I don't know how that box reacts when it gets confused. Seems unlikely that the trans and transfer would choose the same moment to have an issue. In any case, hopefully the new fluids resolve the issue.

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  • 2 years later...

Update from last post. Based on my tests and services the decision was made to drive it until it goes. Tranny gave out trying to get us to the oregon Bigfoot festival. Rip tranny. Before those hills(I knew it didn't like hills) it was a perfect beast of the concrete jungle. Would probably be out there roaming around still on that older tranny but the pathfinder wants to hunt, it doesn't want to be fed.

So I dropped the transfer case, tranny, and a lot of other stuff lol. Not all was dropped though, I managed to hoist on more than I took off, including rear main seal, new water pump, thermostat, front wheel well covers, new radiator, rear hatch button, etc. "The sightseeing stuff" if you will, while you're there you might as well check out...



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