With winter weather in full swing in much of the country, your customers with automatic 4x4 vehicles might be asking, "What happened to my four-wheel drive?"
After months of sitting idle and exposed on the vehicle underbody, some transfer cases and actuator/encoder motors that do the heavy lifting in shifting from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive don't answer the bell. When they don't, it usually means it's time for a new actuator motor, or in some cases, a new transfer case.
In either instance, GM Parts has the best answer for GM light trucks and SUVs equipped with switch-activated four wheel drive -- whether it's a new actuator/encoder motor or a new or remanufactured transfer case.
But your first task is to diagnose the vehicle condition. Rather than just assuming the problem is a damaged transfer case, check the motor, which is easily removed from the transfer case. If it's faulty, it can be quickly replaced with a new GM Parts motor, which is a less expensive option than replacing the entire transfer case/motor assembly. If the problem does lie with the transfer case, the damage is typically the result of heavy use and maintenance neglect that results in "grenading." In most cases, a GM Parts remanufactured transfer case that often incorporates engineering updates from the original is the most cost-effective solution. GM Parts also supplies new transfer case assemblies.
The OE Advantage
Whichever repair is needed, GM Parts products designed for GM applications offer significant advantages over aftermarket competition.
In the case of the actuator/encoder motor (Fig. 11), GM original equipment removes a lot of uncertainty. Unlike remanufactured or reverse-engineered new motors supplied by the aftermarket, GM actuator motors meet rigorous OE design and construction standards. Plus, unlike remanufactured units, they don't carry a core charge.
Fig. 11
The remanufactured units of GM transfer cases (Fig. 12) are designed to fit more than 85 percent of GM model year 1995-2006 vehicles. They typically incorporate a range of new generation components spanning from snap rings, bearings and seals to pump tube connectors, chains and synchronizer rings.
Fig. 12
The reman transfer cases also yield a simpler replacement solution, with more mandatory replacement parts than aftermarket products. They all come with encoder motors so it's not necessary to buy the motor separately.
Devoted four-wheel drive vehicle owners aren't ones to settle for half a solution. So, when they roll into your shop looking for the other half of their four-wheel drive, choose the competitively priced, technologically superior GM Parts solution.
- Thanks to Michael Henk
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