Hi all,

Out today in my friend 03 Durango RT (125k), we were doing about 45-65 and then all of sudden we hear what sounds like something engaging and it starts making a humming mechanical sort of sound. We were soon coming to a light and in the process of slowing down and it stopped. The sound happened for a good 10-15 seconds and it felt like it was right under us. Either the transmission and/or the transfer case area of the truck. He had his transmission rebuilt about 2 years ago. Truck was changing gears normal. I have never heard anything like that on any of my Durangos. In a way it somewhat reminded me of hum you hear when a trucker uses his jack brake but it was tick-tocky.

Thoughts? When we got back to his place we checked under the truck and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Only thing was his upper radiator hose was completely empty on coolant (But that is unrelated). Temperature on the truck was normal for the short trip we took.

 

Is the transfer case electronic shift?

 

His truck is awd, electronicic shift by the radio. He never touches that lever, it's got hi and lo lock i believe. After the sound went away we went back home, 5 minutes away and parked it. The fact that the sound started and then stopped has me puzzled.

 

Loose panel flapping?

 

Don't think it was a flap. This was def something mechanical in nature. Something i suspect in the drive train.

 

Starting with draining and filling fluids might be a good start. Check driveshaft bolts, etc. Maybe you're lucky and it was just a rock in the tire tread. Who knows.

 

Hey guys so today got a hold of the truck for an hour. I was able to recreate the sound when I took my foot off the gas doing above 55 to 65 mpg. A few times I was going down a hill on the highway and I would be doing about 65 and then take my foot off the gas and I could hear it. As soon as I touched the gas even a bit, noise stopped. Don't mind the road bumps you hear, that's the road. The whining you will be able to hear at in the video between 16-21 seconds. I'll be changing the fluids on the transfer case and the front and rear differentials.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDVfJPQ2hIY

 

Well today I went to change the fluids on his transfer case, it was EMPTY. Now here is the kicker, I see some sling but I can't make sense of where it is coming from. Anyone have any ideas?

Aside from this, how much damage could the transfer case have taken with no fluids?

 

Unless there's a hole on top of the case I don't know what that splatter would have come from. The case being empty is baffling unless it leaked around the split of the two halves.

Anyway the case is full of gears, chains, and bearings. The chain and gears probably aren't doing much in 2wd, but the bearings probably aren't happy. Scratch that, just read it's an rt so full time 4wd. Uhhh yeah, probably hosed. I'd wager that noise is the chain flapping around.

 

Today before filling up I took a look in the hole and I noticed this plastic piece inside, took it out. It was like seemy hard plastic and somewhat shaped like a gasket side. I think these NV244 generally have two leak points, the front seal and the rear seal. But I guess the case split is also possible. Short run down the block hasn't revealed the leak.