Vannin' Home Forums Astro/Safari AWD AWD Clutch Packs

In theory yes! I'm not an expert on Astro all wheel drives, but they will track differently as wall as rotate differently because the front wheel turn and the rear doesn't. It may not be your problem, but I know the fluids they make today don't seem to last like the older ones, and you get what you pay for. It is cheaper to do a fluid swap first than to do anything else.

If I remember the service schedule correctly(I can't remember the last time I looked at it...oops)a driveline fluid change is coming up anyway. I'll just add it to the growing list of things I'll have done when I leave Logan at the shop when I go on Vacation.

Guys, Guys its Chevrolets ideas to keep you coming back to them...Seriously the blue fluid (autotrak II) in the transfer case change it twice and the grating sound in parking lots will go away. If you have a posi rear end in these later astros use only GMs synthetic Posi rear end fluid. I know its silly that one brand of fluid works and another doesn't but in the case of the transfer case that fluid is tempature sensitive and makes the actual lock and unlock of the clutch packs.

Now, if we could get an electric (4 wheel drive) actuator motor for the late madel Astros that wouldn't burn out at the drop of a hat.

Transfer case fluid change seemed to do the trick. No more herky jerky. Now I'll have to wait till it snows to see if AWD still works LOL.

Guys, if you haven't tried the auto trac II fluid in the transfer case fix....whats the problem? it only 20 bucks for 2 quarts at the Chevy dealer lots better than $500 for a mechanic.
Chevy put the wrong fluid in orgionally in some and others have been changed like the owners manual says at a oil change facility like jiffy lube....listen ONLY GM AUTO TRAC II fluid goes in late model transfer cases...don't let anybody put anything else in them....

It actually detects the difference in the driveline speed, not wheel speed, there are three identical sensors on the transfer case, two on the rear output and one on the front output, one of the rears is for speedo and the other for the AWD, just a quick check you can pull the ATC fuse in the box next to the master cylinder and then see if jerks, if it doesn't, then the clutches are too tight.

As for fluid, my factory service manual says Dexron III can be used as well, it's what I am running and about to turn 160k on.