2017 Suburban 4 wheel Drive Service Warning indicator

i4abuygto · November 13, 2020

Hello All,

This is my first time here, however I belong to many other Pontiac and Tri-five forums.

I am looking for some help with my 2017 Suburban as the 4 wheel drive service warning indicator light is on and the truck wont shift to different 4wheel drive settings with the switch on the dash. When backing up or pulling forward slowly with the wheel turned it appears to lock up the rear passenger wheel and appears to have much friction on the system. It feels like the brakes are being applied to the rear wheel. When going straight the friction seems to go away and will drive down the road but the indicator for the 4 wheel drive stays lit in the "auto" position regardless as to where it is switched to. After driving for many miles the hubs don't seem to be heated at all.

I was trying to find solutions on line and all I can find is for 2004 years and they point to a grounding issue.

I am very frustrated with this truck as it only has 70,000 miles on it and I have already had to change the transmission cooler lines.

Please advise.

Thank you.

Mark

George100 · November 15, 2020

Sounds like just from the info that you could have an "encoder" problem, this is the device inside the transfer case that moves all modes of 4wd. To check this you are going to have to scan the truck and look for the 4wd module. This should tell you what is going on and then check with Alldata or Service manual for the fix. Good luck and let us know what you find.

i4abuygto · November 20, 2020

Okay guys - here was the fix.

There was a service bulletin and recall on my 2017 Suburban that I was unaware of. When I called a local dealership they did not mention the available service bulletin and recall and advised me to bring the truck in to have it diagnosed at a significant cost to me. I believe their suggestion to me should have been to bring the truck in for the recalls and see if that would correct the problem.

I asked my wife about any recalls as the truck is hers and she found this one:

Why is your vehicle being recalled?

If a wheel-speed sensor fails in your vehicle, a software error could cause the vehicle's driveline-protection system to activate when (1) the vehicles electronic transfer case is set to four-wheel drive or automatic mode, and (2) the vehicle is driven between the speeds of 41 and 60 mph. If the driveline-protection system activates, unintended braking on one wheel can occur, causing the vehicle to pull to one side, increasing the risk of a crash. If a wheel - speed sensor has failed in your vehicle, your vehicle's Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Anti-Lock braking System (ABS) malfunction indicator warning lamps will illuminate and the vehicle's driver information center will display "Service Stabili Trak"message.

Let me be clear here- the only symptoms my truck was showing were the 4 wheel shifter knob being locked in "auto". The "Service 4 wheel drive" in the driver information center, the feeling that the passenger rear wheel brakes were locking up in low speed corning in forward and reverse and a howl in corning at low speeds and a slight wheel hop. Nothing happened at 41 - 60 mph per definition above. No ABS light,. No Electronic stability Control (EBS) warning, No wheel -speed sensor warning, just the "service 4 wheel drive system" and shifter locked in "auto".

This is what the Chevrolet dealer did on the recall.

The dealership will reprogram the electronic brake control module (EBCM). This service will be performed for you at no charge. Because of the service scheduling requirements. It is likely that your dealer will need your vehicle longer than the actual time of approximately 25 minutes.

Until your vehicle has been serviced, you can avoid the risk of unwanted braking activation by driving in two-wheel drive mode.

This instruction would not have worked for me because we could not shift the vehicle into two wheel drive as the shift control would not change settings.

My recommendations to all - look for all service recalls for your vehicle and get familiar with them and check them and have all recalls done first. - May fix your problem.

I am convinced that the first dealer may have double dipped on the warranty recall by charging me and then submitting as recall work.

All good now

I hope this helps.

Edited November 20, 2020 by i4abuygto