Silverado 2004 transfer case stuck in neutral
May 31st, 2011, 9:16 AM
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Silverado 2004 transfer case stuck in neutral
Ok so I think my problem is my Transfer case on my 2004 Silverado is stuck in neutral. My encoder motor is non reponsive so I cant use that to get it out of neutral. Is there a manual way of putting the TC in neutral. I have no gears right now. Even "park gear" doesn't hold my truck still. Engine runs fine. If I try to shift the truck into Park gear or Reverse gear with engine running I hear a grinding noise. Drive gear doesn't give me grinding noise however it doesn't move my car either. I have my encoder motor off my truck now to see if that would help me get it out of neutral and it didn't do anything for me. Any help would be appreciated.
May 31st, 2011, 9:58 AM
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The purpose of the encoder motor is to shift the T/C to the gear selected on the dash switch. Possible blown ATC fuse under hood in fuse panel or fuse in left dash panel, bad grounds or encoder motor or T/C module bad. To manually shift you need to move the T/C input shaft one way or the other but be careful not to damage it or you may have to repair T/C. Also it may be difficult reinstalling encoder motor.
May 31st, 2011, 10:32 AM
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Okay how do manually shift input shaft.............can that be done by hand simply turning or do you suggest using some tool? Im not with the vehicle at the moment so I cant try it yet. Also by turning it how will I know when it is out of neutral? I don't want to damage TC so what should I not do?? My encoder motor has been tested and is no good. I plugged it into my wifes silverado (same year) and it does not light up her switch on the dash and her service 4wd message appears on dash. I have got a used encoder motor but it doesn't align on the TC gear. How can I get it to properly align?? Thanks for your help.
May 31st, 2011, 6:50 PM
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It may be possible to get a small crescent wrench on the input shaft that the motor aligns to. You should be able to turn it by moving the forward drive shaft and slack on the rear one. The used one you have is out of alignment with the T/C. Try to look and see how it would align to the used one by turning T/C shaft. They have to be the same to install. Don't try moving the motor as it will mess up the servo inside it.
May 31st, 2011, 8:00 PM
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What do you mean when you say slack on the rear one? Do I need to jack up the truck because it seems very hard to turn. Thanks for taking the time to explain this to me.
May 31st, 2011, 11:21 PM
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You should be able to rotate the rear shaft just slightly back and forth to remove any pressure on the T/C case while turning the input shaft. There's always some play in the rear end and if not maybe jacking one side may reduce pressure on the drive line. The purpose is so there is no pressure on the T/C input shaft and while turning the shaft the gears in T/C mesh together easier
Last edited by ToooTall1; June 1st, 2011 at 11:57 PM.
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July 16th, 2011, 9:40 AM
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I tried the dash switch first and found it O.K. waste of money. Second I then tried numerous dorman T/C motors and each had a different problem, so much for chinese crap. Bought a rebuilt american part from A1 Cardone and problems went away for a short period. Third I bought a used T/C module and all has been good for months. So my theory is the T/C module was at fault. I also had cleaned all grounds and plugs. The modules if new are expensive so try one from a wrecking yard, make sure you get the exact module by part number. Good Luck
February 6th, 2021, 4:41 PM
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Ever find out what was the problem on Chevy Tahoe
- Ok so I think my problem is my Transfer case on my 2004 Silverado is stuck in neutral. My encoder motor is non reponsive so I cant use that to get it out of neutral. Is there a manual way of putting the TC in neutral. I have no gears right now. Even "park gear" doesn't hold my truck still. Engine runs fine. If I try to shift the truck into Park gear or Reverse gear with engine running I hear a grinding noise. Drive gear doesn't give me grinding noise however it doesn't move my car either. I have my encoder motor off my truck now to see if that would help me get it out of neutral and it didn't do anything for me. Any help would be appreciated.
