No RWD. I need advice please.
 

Got the word today from the mechanic that their testing why I have no rwd shows the solenoids are working so he suspects the "viscous coupling has failed inside the tranny". the car has 170,000 km so just over 100,000 miles.

I know nothing, so am looking for advice.

Is it necessarily the transmission, or could it be the TCU?
If its the transmission, is there something other than the transfer clutch assembly to suspect?
If it's the transfer clutch, is this a major repair?
In terms of the lower cost, should I be thinking about a swap or even going for a manual transmission?

Thanks,
Rod.

Re: No RWD. I need advice please.
 

It's the transfer clutch. It can be replaced/repaired without dropping the transmission. About 2-4 hours labor depending who's doing the work. It's most likely that the clutch basket has actually sheered off as is usually the case if the C sol is working properly. I don't recall how much the parts are for everything, but so long as everything else is solid in the transmission, keep the auto and repair the AWD.

Hope that helps :)

Re: No RWD. I need advice please.
 

It's a rare problem but check that both rear axles are seated properly into the rear diff. One axle somehow popped out on my Ebony and I lost rear drive. It was a very cheap fix.

Re: No RWD. I need advice please.
 

Thanks guys, I'll pass this on to the mechanic.

Rod.

Re: No RWD. I need advice please.
 

at the shop I work at, we charge 350$ USD parts and Labor to rebuild the tail shaft section of the tranny (where the transfer clutch/Duty C SOL are located)

just FYI so you know what you will be looking at money wise. I wouldnt pay over 500 parts and labor the entire job. Keep in mind you may want to buy a case of transmission fluid for the mechanic to use on the job. That will save you some $. I recomend draining the trans completely when doing this job because if the clutches burned, or something broke back there you'll have metal shavings/chunks in your tranny fluid.

Re: No RWD. I need advice please.
 

You say there is "no RWD", and they say the "solenoids are working".
This leaves these possibilities.
1. The Transfer valve is stucked/blocked, so no pressure goes to the clutch.
2. The clutch plates are completely worn out, don't think so.
3. The clutch basket has broken off the transfer gear. If this is the case, there will be a lot of noise when you spin the front wheels, as the transfer gear grinds around inside the clutch basket.

My guess is that the transfer valve is stuck or blocked. Still have to pull the rear off to replace the C solenoid/Transfer valve assemble.

Harvey.