Part three of a three-part series on scheduled auto repair covers transfer case repair. Be sure to read part one and part two as well.
Does My Car Even Have a Transfer Case?
It may surprise you to know that some vehicles don’t have transfer cases. Even if your car fits the profile of a vehicle with a transfer case, you may not know much about transfer cases. If your vehicle has 4-wheel drive you’ve got one. As to what a transfer case does, it is, in a way, the differential for your axles. It makes sure you have power for both the front and rear axles, and like all components of your vehicle, you will need to do transfer case service every 30,000 miles, as a scheduled auto repair.
Look at a rear-wheel drive vehicle like a sport utility vehicle. Power is automatically shifted to the rear wheels until you engage your 4-wheel drive. That’s when the transfer case transfers some of the power to the front wheels as well. There are different ways of activating a transfer case. Sometimes just shifting gears is enough and the process is completely automatic, or you might have to activate your transfer case via a lever or button, depending on your vehicle. As for servicing your transfer case, it is actually quite simple.
Transfer Case Service and What it Entails
Again you should get transfer case service every 30,000 miles. When you get it done, it’s a good idea to have all the transfer case fluid drained, as well as having the gear box checked for leaks. After that, fresh fluid is put into the transfer case. Transfer case fluid is a lubricant, and contaminated fluid can start to cause damage. There’s no such thing as a transfer case filter.
You want to be meticulous about following the recommended schedule for replacing your vehicle’s fluids. Replacing your transfer case fluid is included in this schedule. Sooner or later you’re going to need transfer case repair, but by being a bit proactive, that day will be a long ways away.
Trail Transmission
11240 East Apache Trail
Apache Junction, AZ 85120-3529
(480) 986-7367
https://trailtransmission.com/