[MightGetDirty]

Hey there folks.

So, I went to the muster on the weekend, took the easy tracks only but all in all had a great time..

However, the following day or so after getting back home there's been a very noticeable whine when cold. I haven't driven much since early in the week but it's rather loud when even at say medium acceleration but it goes away completely once everything is warmed up. I suspect it's coming from the transfer case as it is probably the first time the thing has been properly used in 4HL/4L modes (the previous 2 owners over its 15yr life were lady drivers). Plus, I had absolutely no problems before the muster so ruling out gearbox for the moment.

The diff, case + box oils have been all changed less than 10,000kms ago. While I've done some mechanical work many years ago I haven't done anything on drivetrain before so my knowledge here is lacking more than usual. Could I have suddenly damaged the older, heavier worn tcase gears by suddenly using the essentially new 4L gearing side? Seems unlikely to me.. Right? Is it that I somehow disturbed some junk cooped up in the previously unused gearsets that's now fouled up the 4H ones? Does it happen or work that way?

If it's just that I have to do another oil flush I can deal with it. Anything more sounds expensive for that short of a romp around TJs.

[MightGetDirty]

Ok, so this weekend I spent a good 5mins or so cycling the transfer case back and forth between 4H, 4HL and 4L, go a little down the road (in 4H) to check and repeat, etc.. and the loud whine I had seems to have gone away. I also hear a much more noticeable "clack!" when the cycling in and out of 4HL and 4L after doing all this.

I now think the switching mechanism was a bit sticky and never returned properly to 4H position, causing the whine. I'll consider doing another flush of the transfer case next service just to make sure if there's any junk dislodged that it's removed.

Just leaving this finding here in case anybody else with a GV that's never left the pavement previously has this happen, since for those even less mechanically minded the noise can be disturbing.