repost from 4wd: stuck in 4 low after changing clutch!

[cmattina]

I had a mechanic do a clutch job on my truck, when i went to pick it up, it was stuck, or seems to be stuck in 4 low.

Both lights are out on the 4x4 system, but illuminate as they should when I press them.

Anyone have an idea?

I left it with the mechanic, he did not disagree, so will be looking at it....

sorry i should have mentioned it is a '93 2.3ltr with electric shift motor (i think they're all electric) and manual locking hubs.

I know both hi and lo worked good before my clutch went, and it went while I was on the highway, so obviously i wasn't in 4wd when I stopped driving it. I have a feeling the mechanic knocked something or screwed something up when he took out the tranny. If THAT were the case, would you pay for the extra labour of that?

 

[wildbill23c]

If it worked fine before the mechanic messed with it, then it should be on the mechanic's dime to fix what he broke.

 

[cmattina]

I just won't be surprised for him to say, "well, we did everything right, so it must have been your truck"

and for me to say, well, it wasn't stuck in 4lo when my clutch went while I was do 55 mph on the highway.

 

[wildbill23c]

^^Yep, typical BS from mechanics that try to squander as much money out of someone as possible. Just like the local tire shop trying to tell me I needed a $300 rear drum brake job which I did myself for $100.

 

[V8RangerBoy]

Remember the trans and transfer case are two separate units. The electric shift transfer cases don't just shift by themselves, they are controlled by a module. There is only one connector to unplug at the transfer case, and really couldn't have suddenly changed to 4 low.

What are you experiencing? Are you sure the clutch wasn't slipping? I could see how that could be mistaken as 4 low.

 

[cmattina]

Well, when I picked it up, and took it for a drive around the mechanic's block, it seemed like it was stuck in 4 low. The clutch (new one) seemed to be grabbing well and not slipping....

When they took it into their shop they said it was slipping badly and told me it's the clutch and gave me an estimate (over the phone). I agreed, and their price was fair.

When the clutch "went", the truck was on a decline on the highway On the decline, with my foot off the gas and in gear it made a whining/whirrling sound. and when I needed to give the truck gas coming out of the decline the engine power wasn't transfering to the tranny. So I rolled into a parking lot off the highway and then I was getting zero power to the tranny, to referse or drive straight. It was towed on a flat bed to the shop. Over night the clutch may have cooled enough to grab "a bit" or enough for them to drive into the bay.

These mechanics are generally pretty honest, they've diagnosed problems for me for free and are the type of shop to tell you whether something "actually" needs repairing or not.

After i told them to take another look at it, he called me and said after removing the shift motor, he can see the motor is working, and the transfer case apears to be in 2wd, but there was a slight knock coming from the T case when engaged. I half remembering hearing the knock when i used it before, but it was always there and never changed...

They called this morning after putting a new (used) t case in and now it is working properly. I think just the fact that they took it out and put it in could have fixed it, regardless of whether they changed the T case, or they messed up the original T case.

I don't know... I don't know how my transfer case, which was working perfectly, got stuck in 4 lo after changing the clutch.

I'm actually considering starting small claims court procedures. I HAVE to pay them to get the truck back. Though before that I am going to let them know my thoughts (nicely).