Service 4 Wheel Drive

renegadeking · January 7, 2011

these systems should not freeze up, my truck is outside all night in -35 and everything works all the time, i drive my truck through lots of mudd, lots of snow and lots of water, and my 4x4 holds up great.

i remember reading a thread on this forum about this same issues. but sadly i can't remember when and where. but the guys trucks message would come up all the time, all he did was change the fuse and he said the message never came back.

mine came on about 3 weeks ago and then went out 1 minute later and never came back on.

i would check the fuse. i can't remember what fuse but its a cheap fix if it is the problem.

K20and2500HD · January 12, 2011

My service 4wd light came on tonight didn't ever put it in 4 low but that is where it is stuck, no speedometer, not putting any miles on the truck, Just a good healthy whine from the transfer case that tells you that it is 4 low. Every light on the knob lights up but the yellow light that tells you what your in 4, 4, 4lo. Talk to a friend that works at the dealership tonight and he said its probably the actuator. The only problem is I hate driving 20-25 mph for 10 miles at 3k rpm to get there but the snow drifts are really bad so it shouldn't be that bad. I only have 13,400 miles on the clock so warranty should take care of everything though. By the way I unhooked the battery to try to reset it (always worked on my 04') but didn't work. also 4lo is slow, slow slow, but its supposed to be haha!

ColoradoSkiCountry · January 13, 2011

You got one of those little round knobs? I bet even with all the lights on the knob on or flashing they are still impossible to see

OL_FAITHFUL · January 31, 2011

I still haven't replace my switch b/c though the "Service 4wd" will pop up in the info center, usually it'll go away if the truck sits long enough. I'm usually in 2wd or AWD so, doesn't really matter if it gets stuck in either. As far as warranty, my dealership said the actuator on the transfer case was covered on the 5/100k drivetrain, the switch on the dash was not.

zcostilla · February 4, 2011

I had a problem with my '04 Suburban, and the dealer replaced the encoder motor. Haven't had a problem since. I was going to replace it myself, but the maintenance guy told me the dealer had to reprogram the encoder to match it to my vehicle, so I felt like I had no choice but to let his do the work. Turned out that wasn't entirely true (thanks to a tip by some great guys here!) and the dealer gave me credit for the labor towards anything in the service/parts department. I wanted a refund, but he wouldn't budge on it, so I took something over nothing.

SilverJet · November 13, 2011

I have a 2009 LTZ with 10,000km....basically still a new truck. Had to go to a wedding (250km away) this weekend and unfortunatley it was storming out with really icy roads. So I thought, no prob I'll just take the truck and we'll be fine. Well, didn't even make it out of the city before I turned around and came home. I went to put it in AUTO 4wd, and nothing. Blinking light on the knob for a couple minutes, check engine light, then the infamous "Service 4 wheel drive." *sigh* Haven't even used the damn 4 wheel drive and the first time I need it....nothing. I tried the selector switch in different positions, turned the truck off and waited for a few minutes and tried again....nothing. What a piece of junk, literally. This truck has been nothing but trouble from day 1. And going to the dealer for warranty work is like getting a root canal. Now I have to go back to the dealer for the 6th time and try and get them to fix it. I have three dealers in my city and they are all so busy that you have to wait at least 1.5 weeks to get your vehicle in...and then they give it back to you hours and hours later with a slap in the face by saying "we can't replicate" "we couldn't find anything wrong" "these trucks make lots of funny noises, live with it" "turn the radio up louder and you won't hear the noise" "just drive it for a while and see if it gets better" ...yep, heard it all. I have never had so much regret about a purchase and am seriously considering dumping this truck. If I can't rely on it and/or it's going to be a constant headache with problems then I'm gone. I'll pay the premium for a Tundra and be on my way. In any case, this truck is my last domestic vehicle. period.

Anyway, ended up taking the Jetta TDI and it performed like a champ, as always.

delgadopj13 · November 24, 2015

'05 Sierra Z71, I've dealt with some part of the 4wd selector system, first couple were warranty, last two out of my pocket. As of yesterday, it won't stay in 2hi. It primarily stays in Auto 4wd. This has been my biggest and consistent issue with my truck. Don't always need the 4wd, but when I do it makes life really easy. Next truck won't be a 4wd. Pissed off beyond it all!!!

Alberto Dove · October 7, 2021

On 5/21/2010 at 4:58 PM, SavageNFS said:

I'll bet it is the switch on the dash. They are known to go out. I would order a spare to have on hand. In the mean time, pull the dash panel, unplug it, plug it back in and it will likely work fine. Mine acted up at 37k miles and has been fine for the last 9k miles. I don't believe that is covered under the power train warranty, but it is under the bumper to bumper warranty.

I have a 13 4x4. I did this and it worked but now it won't go to 4 low and neutral. Happened after I disconnected the battery to clean the terminals. You know why that is?