hum or howl in 4wd

[Charlie207]

Drained the fluid today - front diff is cooked. Tons of sparkles, oil is completely silver. Time to go shopping. Going to get another used assembly and hope for the best.

That stinks, but eBay is your friend.

 

[DaveO9]

I might be getting a break - I called LKQ Online today and put in a warranty claim. Still some hoops to jump through, i.e. got to take it to a shop for an official diagnosis, but maybe it will work out. Called in the nick of time - it's a 6 mo warranty and tomorrow is exactly 6 months from the date on the invoice email. Although there might be a short grace period, the guy was asking me when I installed it.

I'll call a trans shop I've used before tomorrow, but has anyone ever had this experience of having to get a shop's diagnosis for a warranty claim? I'm hoping they can drive it, hear the noise and say, yep it's toast, and I'm done. It's not like you can just pop a cover off of these front units and look at the diff and bearings.

 

[Geotrash]

I might be getting a break - I called LKQ Online today and put in a warranty claim. Still some hoops to jump through, i.e. got to take it to a shop for an official diagnosis, but maybe it will work out. Called in the nick of time - it's a 6 mo warranty and tomorrow is exactly 6 months from the date on the invoice email. Although there might be a short grace period, the guy was asking me when I installed it.

I'll call a trans shop I've used before tomorrow, but has anyone ever had this experience of having to get a shop's diagnosis for a warranty claim? I'm hoping they can drive it, hear the noise and say, yep it's toast, and I'm done. It's not like you can just pop a cover off of these front units and look at the diff and bearings.

Yes, it's a common practice to require a shop diagnosis for warranty claims. Will they pay for that diagnosis too?

Fingers crossed!

 

[DaveO9]

Yes, it's a common practice to require a shop diagnosis for warranty claims. Will they pay for that diagnosis too?

Fingers crossed!

I haven't asked yet. I'll ask or maybe just submit the receipt, but even if they don't, it'll be better than paying the $400 for a different unit.

 

[DaveO9]

I was looking more closely at the oil I drained out the other night. There is tons of metal in there, but it is super fine, zero flakes or chunks. Reminds me of metallic silver paint that hasn't been thoroughly mixed. And a magnet doesn't pick any of it up. I'm guessing something is grinding a groove in the aluminum housing. I had a Dodge Dakota years ago that did that in the rear end. It ground a perfect groove in part of the housing, looked like it had been factory machined.

 

[DaveO9]

Sounds like warranty claim is turning out to be a no-go. LKQ customer rep said I ordered it custom, no VIN provided, so no warranty. I had to do that because I was changing axle ratios and they wouldn't sell it to me otherwise. I do remember that conversation when I was ordering it, but at that time, the rep sent me an email with a bunch of warranty stipulations for their 6 month parts-only warranty. And then, when I called a couple weeks ago to make the claim, I gave the (different) rep my original invoice number and he didn't say anything about no warranty. So I thought it was going to work out, but guess not. I'm going to try and call one more time tomorrow, but not optimistic.

So on the hunt for another used unit. Even though I'm a little pissed at LKQ now, I might just go with them again since they have such a large network and the lowest prices by far. (at least for these front units).

This next question has been asked before, including in one of my threads, but I don't think I've ever seen a definitive answer. 2013 front diffs had two different ID codes: AABR and BAAB. I've done a bit of sleuthing tonight, and it seems like they switched the design in '13. I have AABR which I think is the new one - it works in some '13 and all '14. BAAB is the old design and it works in some '13 and, I think, all the way back to '09, or possibly to '07. HOWEVER, I have not been successful in determining the difference between the two designs, and, more importantly, whether they are interchangeable. Anyone know?

 

[swathdiver]

Sorry Dave. I'd go with them again too. Lots to choose from and reasonably priced.

I "think" the difference is that older one has a single seal flange and the other a double seal flange. In the grand scheme of things, who cares? Get whichever is most convenient with the lowest miles and in the best condition.

I was fortunate to get one from Suburban a year older but with less miles than mine.

 

[DaveO9]

Sorry Dave. I'd go with them again too. Lots to choose from and reasonably priced.

I "think" the difference is that older one has a single seal flange and the other a double seal flange. In the grand scheme of things, who cares? Get whichever is most convenient with the lowest miles and in the best condition.

I was fortunate to get one from Suburban a year older but with less miles than mine.

Thanks, James! Good to know. So sounds like it’s almost surely a direct bolt-in either way?

 

[swathdiver]

Thanks, James! Good to know. So sounds like it’s almost surely a direct bolt-in either way?

Yeah, it only matters when getting parts to repair/rebuild them.