2016 4wd auto noise and vibration

lew-e · April 6, 2018

I have a 2016 Silverado 1500 with 34,000 miles on it. When I put it in 4wd auto it will make a vibration or grinding noise that can be felt in the gas peddle. It’s very subtle but noticeable to anyone driving it. I took it to the dealer before the bumper to bumper warranty expired and just got a call from them. They said that they drove two other 16s they had in the shop and they all drove like that. I drove my brothers 13 and it makes no noise or vibrations like that. The shop guy said they may have done something different with the 16 model years and that it’s ready for me to pick up.

The noise came from the front of the truck and he and I both figured it was the transfer case but apparently it’s normal. Can anyone let me know what they experience in their 16s and if they are in fact different than previous model years?

Thanks guys and gals!

TL;DR

2016 4wd truck makes noise and vibrations in 4wd auto. Noise from the front of the truck and sounds like a grinding. Dealer says it’s normal. Is it?

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lew-e · April 7, 2018

Nobody?

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Sierra706 · April 7, 2018

Nobody?

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I get a slight feeling when on the gas in auto or 4hi. Test drove 2 new trucks at the dealer to ease my concerns. Both did it

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adamj2121 · April 7, 2018

I don't notice any noise from 4Auto in my truck, I do have a terrible vibration that you can feel throughout the truck, the dealer agrees that the vibration is not normal. It's hard to conjecture if what you are feeling is normal or not considering everyone has different tolerances to NVH and pick up on different things. I would request to drive another truck nd see if it does the same thing as yours.

lew-e · April 8, 2018

Thanks for the replies guys!
I’m picking the truck up Monday after the new fog light comes in and I’ll ask to test drive some trucks at that time. I’m definitely sensitive to noises that my vehicles make but I think anyone in the vehicle would notice it, especially after it is pointed out to them

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adamj2121 · April 8, 2018

19 hours ago, lew-e said:

Thanks for the replies guys!
I’m picking the truck up Monday after the new fog light comes in and I’ll ask to test drive some trucks at that time. I’m definitely sensitive to noises that my vehicles make but I think anyone in the vehicle would notice it, especially after it is pointed out to them

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I'm the same way and you would think the dealer and the techs would be able to pick up on something once you point it out, but sadly that is often not the case. I had the high pitched noise from the transfer case control module, there is a bulletin for it, the techs and everyone else at the dealer did not hear the noise and refused to replace anything until I brought them the bulletin.

kthomas72 · April 9, 2018

I have a 2015 4x4 crew cab with the same problem. Engaging the front transfer case you can hear a high pitched ringing and then it almost groans when under acceleration. I do have a vibration felt in the steering wheel, in the gas and brakes as well. Its noticeable even when in 2WD and taking it to a dealership has resulted in 4 separate times getting my tires balanced for no reason.

adamj2121 · April 10, 2018

On 4/9/2018 at 3:03 PM, kthomas72 said:

I have a 2015 4x4 crew cab with the same problem. Engaging the front transfer case you can hear a high pitched ringing and then it almost groans when under acceleration. I do have a vibration felt in the steering wheel, in the gas and brakes as well. Its noticeable even when in 2WD and taking it to a dealership has resulted in 4 separate times getting my tires balanced for no reason.

The high pitched noise is the TCCM, there is a bulletin for this. I can't remember what it is, but if I find it I will link it here. The vibration I have can be felt throughout the steering wheel, pedals, and cabin (definitely noticeable from the passenger seat). I have driven 15 other Silverados/Sierras in the past year and a half and none of them had vibrations in 4auto or 4wd. If you are having vibrations in 2wd though, there is probably an issue with something that is not 4 wheel drive related. It could be the tires themselves, I drove a Redline silverado for about a month and it had vibrations throughout and rode like crap.

kthomas72 · April 11, 2018

15 hours ago, adamj2121 said:

The high pitched noise is the TCCM, there is a bulletin for this. I can't remember what it is, but if I find it I will link it here. The vibration I have can be felt throughout the steering wheel, pedals, and cabin (definitely noticeable from the passenger seat). I have driven 15 other Silverados/Sierras in the past year and a half and none of them had vibrations in 4auto or 4wd. If you are having vibrations in 2wd though, there is probably an issue with something that is not 4 wheel drive related. It could be the tires themselves, I drove a Redline silverado for about a month and it had vibrations throughout and rode like crap.

I agree with that partially since the front transfer case does still spin with the vehicle as the wheels move, it just doesn't pull power from the transmission. I can see that there is a lot of slop in the output shafts in the front end which could be vibrating the front end. My big concern is with close to 70k mikes and groans and vibrations, what else is failing?

adamj2121 · April 11, 2018

1 hour ago, kthomas72 said:

I agree with that partially since the front transfer case does still spin with the vehicle as the wheels move, it just doesn't pull power from the transmission. I can see that there is a lot of slop in the output shafts in the front end which could be vibrating the front end. My big concern is with close to 70k mikes and groans and vibrations, what else is failing?

If their is a lot of slop in the CV axles they could be in need of replacing, usually they make a clicking noise when they are bad though. 70K miles on CV axles is a little premature, but not a great cause for concern. At 70k miles things are going to start needing replaced. Do you have a leveling kit on your truck?

kthomas72 · April 11, 2018

33 minutes ago, adamj2121 said:

If their is a lot of slop in the CV axles they could be in need of replacing, usually they make a clicking noise when they are bad though. 70K miles on CV axles is a little premature, but not a great cause for concern. At 70k miles things are going to start needing replaced. Do you have a leveling kit on your truck?

I had already replaced the CV axles which looked to be slightly bent. But I am referring to the physical output shaft inside the front diff where the axles mount to. There is a strong 1/8" of slop up/down and in/out which leads me to believe that with the short CV axels never really able to be perfectly balanced will create a vibration in the slop that will be felt throughout the front end. Granted its a theory considering I have replaced everything behind the transmission from a custom built driveshaft, axles and gears.

No I do not have a leveling kit, bone stock.