4 wheel drive off message

[FisherMatt]

Hello all.  New to the forum and I appreciate any help. So I’m climbing a 10% grade, well maintained dirt road that’s covered in packed snow the other day and suddenly I get the warning ding and a message that says 4 wheel drive off. Rear end breaks loose, traction control stops the climb, and I’m stuck. Truck off and on a couple times, will start shift into 4 wheel drive then does the same thing. Had to chain up to get out. Owners manual says this will happen when the 4 wheel drive system is overheating. I had used it for about 2 minutes and nothing was more than warm to the touch. Can’t find anything online about it. I have no idea where to go from here without going to the dealership and spending all that cash! Any help is much appreciated. 2014 Sierra 1500 Crew, 4.3L 6, 98k. 

[GTO KID]

Did it work ok after it sat and cooled off? If not what was the issue?  This happened to me yesterday. 

[FlipZ71]

Might use a scanner and see what codes come up. 4 wheel drive system over heat I would think... would have to be the transfer case oil temp ???  I am not aware of a temp sensor in the T case....  but ...  hmmm this is a new one....

[Mike GMC]

Were you in Auto or 4Hi?  I can see this happening in Auto, since the clutches may have been slipping some creating heat.  4hi should lock it up and not create heat.

[GTO KID]

Actually 4 low in my case. Stuck in the mud. I noticed a burning clutch smell when I got out. I haven't been back out to the truck to check it out yet. Maybe it usesthe trans temp sensor? 

[FisherMatt]

Here’s a link to the full rundown of my situation. Hopefully yours is something different. 

 

[GTO KID]

Let it sit there all night and pulled out this afternoon. My wife says it goes into 4 hi/lo and auto however when in auto it throws up the service 4wd message. I had this message a few months ago and they replaced the actuator. I'll know more after I get home. 

[bradly bertrand]

hi i have a 2014 gmc and i was driving it in the snow and i was in 4hi, and it kicked me out three times. and i was not in anything that was hard driven.

it seems to be a intermittent problem. anyone els run into this

[TXTiggr47]

Not to bring an apparently dead topic back into relevancy, but just had this same thing happen to me wheeling with some friends. 2015 Sierra SLE All Terrain. Pulled into a creek in 4Lo, sank into the silt and gave it consistent gas to pull my way through, started to slow and gave more gas to increase speed and on the up-rev got the “4WD OFF” message and bogged down in water midway up my doors Jeep and 4Runner in front of me had to pull my heavy ass out and got through it no problem. Had to lean it down hill to get all the water to run out of the floor pans. This has happened before in the same situation while in mud in 4Lo and gave gas to keep moving and “4WD OFF” message and got bogged. Anybody know why this happens and if there’s an override? 

[TXTiggr47]

Forgot to mention, once this happens both times I have had to be drug out and shut the truck off, keys out, and let it sit for ten or so minutes before there is any function to the 4WD dial. Light goes out on the dial, and the truck shows it’s in 4WD^ on the offroad page but no power to the front wheels. Had I been alone I’d be writing off a truck and absolutely shafted. 

[Crock]

Has anyone figured out what is going on or a fix for this yet?