If you own a 4WD or AWD vehicle, then your car has a transfer case connected to your transmission. This box allows you to use all four tires of your car at once. However, just like any other vehicle part, this one has the potential to malfunction and stop working altogether.
Even though it can be easy to diagnose issues based on what’s happening to your car, due to the nature of the transfer case, symptoms of it having a problem are similar to the ones your transmission will show. Even though it’s always best to verify with a technician what the problem is, there are ways to tell if the trouble stems from a bad transmission or transfer case.
The Similar Symptoms
Before we can get into too much detail on how to know if your transfer case is the source of the issue, we need to cover the symptoms that transmissions share with them. Most of the time, these issues are indistinguishable, but there might be slight variations if you know what to look for.
Trouble Shifting Gears
Whether your car shifts automatically or manually, problems with both of these parts can lead to trouble shifting gears. This typically occurs in both systems due to low fluid levels that cause the gears to grind a bit. The primary way to tell the difference here is that if shifting locks up completely, it’s probably an issue from the transmission. A transfer case will rarely stop a car from shifting entirely.
Fluid Leaks
If either system is low on fluid, that could also mean there’s a leak. These will be obvious if you ever check the spot where you park your car after moving it. However, due to their proximity, it will be difficult to tell where the leak is coming from at a quick glance. In order to tell, you’ll have to check the leak before moving the car. Transfer cases are typically farther back on the drive train than the transmission, so you should be able to distinguish the two that way.
Grinding Noises
Of course, if there is a significant amount of grinding, you’ll be sure to hear it while driving. If you have excellent hearing, you might be able to tell which device is making the noise based on the location of the sound, but that’s not an easy way to tell. The best way to differentiate them is knowing that a grinding noise from the transmission will persist while the car is in neutral. Transfer case grinding usually stops and starts based on usage.
How To Differentiate Transfer Case Problems
If those minor ways to tell if the source of the problem comes from a bad transmission or transfer case are too difficult to differentiate, the easiest way to determine it is to check the performance of your 4WD or AWD. If these systems refuse to work or disengage themselves automatically, then that’s an absolute guarantee that the transfer case is the problem.
Not all hope is lost, though. These systems are quite easy to fix on your own. You just need the right tools and a source of transfer case parts, and you’ll be all set.
