Transfer Case - 4WD Issues

Would there be any bad effect on the transfer case if my rear tires are 2mm taller than the front tires? My 2010 model transfer case failed 1 month after I replaced the stock tires into 275x45R20. My odometer reads 180,000 kms
 
Would there be any bad effect on the transfer case if my rear tires are 2mm taller than the front tires? My 2010 model transfer case failed 1 month after I replaced the stock tires into 275x45R20. My odometer reads 180,000 kms

Depends if it was REALLY just 2mm difference between the front and rear or not. If it really was just a 2mm difference in actual tire height it wouldn't cause a problem for the transfer case. The problem is it's much more complicated than just measuring tread depth. I'm assuming you got to that 2mm difference by measuring the tread depth of the old tires you left on the front when installing new tires on the rear. If those new rear tires weren't the exact same make and model the actual difference in diameter could be WAY more than the difference in tread depth.

This link explains it well:
http://www.weareaccurateautomotive.com/blog-0/bid/128677/Tires-for-All-Wheel-drive-vehicle-Beware

On any of my AWD vehicles I've always made sure to rotate the tires regularly so they wear evenly and all 4 get replaced at the same time.
 
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What about same size, same brand but different thread?

I didnt buy it. I hope it is safe to travel 100km to the same tire shop where I bought my rear tires.
 
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So, I got bit by the dreaded X-fer case issue yesterday. Went to make a left turn and when I took off I head a pop but the car drove like normal so I didnt think anything of it. Later on I took off from a standstill and the 4wd light flashed and the front wheels spun. I took it to some loose gravel and confirmed the rear wheels aren't doing anything. The odd thing is the car drives like it always does. What are the odds I sheard the splines vs blowing the guts of the xfer case? I have no warranty so thats out but If I can change the x-fer case vs having the trans done I am good with doing the work on my own since I have access to a shop and lift for free. Given the symptoms what is the likely hood of the x-fer case being bad vs output shaft splines.
 
So, I got bit by the dreaded X-fer case issue yesterday. Went to make a left turn and when I took off I head a pop but the car drove like normal so I didnt think anything of it. Later on I took off from a standstill and the 4wd light flashed and the front wheels spun. I took it to some loose gravel and confirmed the rear wheels aren't doing anything. The odd thing is the car drives like it always does. What are the odds I sheard the splines vs blowing the guts of the xfer case? I have no warranty so thats out but If I can change the x-fer case vs having the trans done I am good with doing the work on my own since I have access to a shop and lift for free. Given the symptoms what is the likely hood of the x-fer case being bad vs output shaft splines.

sorry to hear, did you change the transfer case oil recently before the pop ? the transfer case shouldn't have failed if you changed the oil recently, usually what causes the system to fail is insufficient lubrication resulting in seizing inside the transfer case.

There's really no way to tell where the broken link is without taking out the transfer case and inspecting the splines. There was a post about something like measuring the temperature of the transfer case after a long drive, if transfer case is cold, then splines are bad since nothing is spinning in the transfer case, if hot then splines are good. But this has not been proven yet.
 
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I bought the car used back in August. Its been a busy few months with a new baby arriving and my son hitting the terrible 2's so I didnt get to changing the fluid (had all intentions of doing it but...) I will have to test the theory of going for a ride to see if the transfer case gets warm still. Im hoping that after watching that video of the broken case that someone took apart I sheared something in the case (I did notice in reverse that I can hear light clicking almost like a bad CV joint but its very faint). Im thinking that I will get a case and take it all apart. If the case is bad I will swap it out and problem solved. If the output shaft is bad I might look into an "extended warranty". I shopped around and found one that seems to have good reviews and is A+ rated with the BBB. Runs 125 bucks a month for 3 years and is full powertrain coverage. It would spead the cost out and they said I could use Mazda as my repair shop but as with everything I need to make sure their claims are true.

This situation kinda sucks because my wife loves the car and it works great with all of the room for my kids and having 7 seats is a huge + to take some friends out with us. As with all cars (especially used) sh#t happens...
 
Keith, that sucks, totally understand about life getting in the way. Be careful with those third party extended warranties, I've heard really bad things about those things, Google on line, they charge people left and right and don't pay out for repairs. I'm always getting unsolicited robocalls from them.

Just a recommendation, before signing up for the extended warranty, swap the transfer case yourself if you have the resources. You'll going have to do it anyway (whether splines are good or bad) because either way the transfer case is shot. That was the cause of the AWD failure (the transfer case seized due to sludge); the splines are just collateral damage (to be determined). And while replacing the transfer case inspect the splines at the same time, you might get lucky and they're fine.

Also do you have Geico insurance they have this thing called mechanical break down insurance where they cover the cost. They payed for my friend's whole bill when his grand prix supercharger blew up.... Just a thought
 
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Well....he has to swap TC only if he cares to have AWD again.

Agreed Drogos, the car will still drive just fine as an FWD.
In actuality, the CX-9 is probably in FWD mode 95% of the time anyways, only when it slides in snow is AWD activated.


@keithczar81: maybe consider just forget fixing the transfer case or splines?
it'll save you a lot of headache/money and I'll even bet your MPG will improve now that the drag from the transfer case and rear propeller shaft have been decoupled.

per your message, sounds like it still drives normal and no damage was done to the transmission itself so
if you just get a good set of quality brand name winter tires, it'll be just as good or better than AWD with all season tires.

see this link, the right tires makes all the difference:

http://jalopnik.com/lets-settle-the-winter-tires-vs-all-wheel-drive-debat-1462180324
 
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Thanks for all of the feedback. I can attest to the winter tires. I had a set of Blizzaks on a 91 civic and I NEVER got stuck. The car would chew its way through snow 18 inches deep.

As for the transfer case I am going to try to make it through this "Mild" northeast winter with the car the way it sits. I have a 00" F150 with 4WD so If we need to go in the snow I will put the family in that. I will swap the transfer case out in the summer (If the splines are shot I will pull the drive shaft out of it and leave it as FWD. There is nothing else wrong with the car..its in great shape and runs well. As for the gas mileage it has been going up steady over the past few days. On the dash display it was around 16.7 before but we are up to 17.1 now and it accelerates faster to. I will check back in once we get closer to the swap and let everyone know how we made out.
 
And my 2 coins from russain forum. If you will drive only on fwd with fast starts...
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It's a right drive axel and transmission part CX9GT AWD 2008. It will be same like with transfer case situation :(
 
Gears are seazing dude....on 4k+lbs car....what is your idea about what should happen in this scenario?

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What? Are the splines in the transmission made of marshmallows or something? That sucks!

Gears are seazing dude....on 4k+lbs car....what is your idea about what should happen in this scenario?

Agreed with Drogos, it's not the splines that's the problem, it's the transfer case gears seizing due to lack of lubrication, the heat gets so hot inside the transfer case that the transfer case gears are actually melting locally and fusing to each other, of course the transmission splines won't be able to hold up on a 4000lb vehicle; they're not designed to withstand a seized transfer case !

Classic "cause and effect" scenario, the transfer case is the cause and the splines are the effect (collateral damage) so the solution is to prevent the cause which is to regularly change the transfer case oil and don't believe Mazda's lifetime oil designation for the transfer case.

That's why if you smell burning oil and black/dark grey oil dripping underneath OR whining noises,
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123824970-09-GT-AWD-leaky-PTO%28transfer-case%29
http://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/14518/mazda/cx-9/mazda-cx-9-transmission-problems

get new 75W140 oil into that transfer case mighty quick before the transfer case goes:
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123847373-Changing-CX-9-transfer-case-gear-oil-%28photos%29

In actuality, if the splines were "beefier" it'll only transfer the breaking point to INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION which is BAD for all AWD owners. Since right now, we know if the splines shear, the car is still good as a FWD. If the splines didn't shear then the next weakest link in the transmission internals would break and FWD wouldn't even work and you'll be stuck in the middle of the road.


here are examples of seized components, the videos have nothing to do with the CX-9 , but just showing you what happens to a seized component due to lack of lubrication, the metal to metal surfaces (with low to no oil) fuses to each other.


 
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guys, just came across this online, 2013 CX-9 AWD with only 28,000 miles and sludge/leaking already ?
http://www.carcomplaints.com/Mazda/CX-9/2013/drivetrain/transfer_case_leaking.shtml

I wonder if "Shawn M., Erie, USA" is a member and if he can chime in and let us know if changing the oil stopped the leaking and burning oil smell.

Almost sounds like the oil needs to be changed before 30,000 miles from a new car (beginning of operational service),
like 15,000 miles or less from new. I had no idea about the transfer case until mine failed and I found this site. Dealer replaced with new transfer case under warranty and now I'm going to change oil every 6,000 miles.

Mazda has known this problem since 2007/2008 and still haven't fixed it, unbelievable!!
shoot, if Mazda wants to play that game, members with high mileage CX-9's should just remove the plug and extract some sludgy oil and wipe it all around the transfer case nice and good and take it in to the dealer and say the transfer case is leaking and demand the dealer replace the transfer case under warranty, then maintain it themselves afterwards with regular transfer case oil changes.
:) just kidding, who knows if the dealer will even replace it.
 
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Yah....mazda is not alone on this..all big corporations will weigh in all the numbers and if it's not direct safety issue they will play dumb and eat up service cost....they very well know that half of the owners don't even know they are driving FWD...2nd and 3rd owners will absorb rest if the costs of repairs ...if they even figure this s*** out. They are saving literally cents per car on particular parts because these are "good enough" and you want them to eat up TC recall :) no way :) Good old times of over engineered cars is long gone too.....and in case of american market that was never the case anyway :)

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Wait, i am not sure but i beleive Vlad said those pictures were from the right axle and he was running in 2wd so it has nothing ot do with the transfer case. From what i read, maybe he can give us some more details butfrom what i understand his transfer was screwed and he run the car like that and he also stripped the right axle within the diff after a while. If i look at the parts, the male splines don't look like the transfer case but the right axle.

I may be wrong though. This would mean that even running it in 2wd could be dangerous.
 
Wait, i am not sure but i beleive Vlad said those pictures were from the right axle and he was running in 2wd so it has nothing ot do with the transfer case. From what i read, maybe he can give us some more details butfrom what i understand his transfer was screwed and he run the car like that and he also stripped the right axle within the diff after a while. If i look at the parts, the male splines don't look like the transfer case but the right axle.

I may be wrong though. This would mean that even running it in 2wd could be dangerous.

shoot, I did mis-read Vlad's post, he's showing us pictures of transmission to right axle NOT transmission to transfer case.

so what the heck does that mean ? FWD CX-9'S will have sheared splines as well ?

but we haven't heard anything about that from FWD owners.

unless a transfer case will cause a transmission to seize and take out BOTH splines ? (transfer case and FWD splines ) ?

that's highly unlikely I think.
 
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The way I read it is that if you take off very quickly from a stand still postion meaning you punch the gas to take off you will damage the trans as well. That really sucks if you ask me. I guess I will be looking for another brand when the time comes.
 
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