96,000 mile used trans, from a 2004 LL Bean H6.

 

Got it bolted in, trans is filled to the mark on the stick, on the jackstands the rear wheels do spin in all gears.

 

Took it for a test run, by chance it was snowing.

 

1, 2, 3, D, the rear wheels do not drive until I get the revs up to about 3000 with the fronts spinning, then the AWD kicks in, and there is a bit of a groaning while it operates. Revs drop below 2500 or so and then it's just the fronts again.

 

This wouldn't seem to be a grooved clutch basket, or any other post-torque-bind symptom, based on what I have read for the past few years.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Is the duty-c external? In the pan? in the rear case?

Duty-C is internal, accessible by removing the rear extension housing.

In 2004 there was a design change with the valve body and Duty C.

 

Depending on the year the transmission was built (my '04 has a transmission that was originally assembled in '03) the Duty C solenoid went from being serviceable like they all have, to integrated into the valve body.

 

If its the newer style, then the only way to fix it is replace the valve body. I know there was a TSB on this and the sticker on the bellhousing right above the starter will give you the code to determine when it was assembled.

Thanks, Caboobaroo. Everyday there is something to learn.

At light not flashing but pulled a code 93, rear vss, great news if that fixes it!

At light not flashing but pulled a code 93, rear vss, great news if that fixes it!

awesome news indeed. maybe even just needs cleaned up/plugged in or was compromised during removal/storage/install?

Just looked in the service manual- you have to replace the entire harness, drop the driveshaft, drop the pan, pull all the connectors from inside the pan, drop the full exhaust to replace the VSS?

 

Can't imagine what that costs, since there are other sensors on the same harness.

 

I assume people just cut and splice the wire when they have a spare VSS from another trans, as I do.

 

It's not some messed-up impossible-to-splice wire, is it?

Looking at my old trans, it's 2 wires plus a shield, easiest place to splice will be all the way at the top, assuming I can finagle enough room to cut (always room for that!) and solder.

 

I'm hoping there is space to access the sensor without dropping the exhaust.

oh wow, they don't make i easy to replace? weird.

 

yard let you keep your old trans? yard made me bring mine in for a core.

oh wow, they don't make i easy to replace? weird.

 

yard let you keep your old trans? yard made me bring mine in for a core.

 

No core. That was a key part of the decision towards not fixing, but replacing.

 

They have a 90 day parts warranty, I almost want to price out the full harness instead of swapping my sensor.

 

The harness includes the 2 speed sensors, the turbine speed sensor, and all the wires and connectors that go inside the pan. I bet it's expensive!

 

If there is little to no chance I did whatever made the sensor not work, I might try and wrangle some scratch from the yard, after telling them what the whole thing costs.