Picture Of Plastic Fork that breaks
#21
06-15-2011, 10:29 AM
first post! great site.
somone earlier in the thread was looking for some DIY instructions. I don't know how DIY this is though. My wife took her truck in to a good solid mechanic, and he didn't want to touch it. We are naturally very suspicious of the dealers around here. (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)
Here are the instructions:
GMC H3 What are the steps for replacing the plastic 4 lock - JustAnswer
and here's the link buried in the first thread for the hard of reading
http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/Bl..._mode_fork.pdf
If you guys can rep a good mechanic near Hamilton, Ontario, or Buffalo NY, it's much appreciated.
thanks
--jsfx3
somone earlier in the thread was looking for some DIY instructions. I don't know how DIY this is though. My wife took her truck in to a good solid mechanic, and he didn't want to touch it. We are naturally very suspicious of the dealers around here. (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)
Here are the instructions:
GMC H3 What are the steps for replacing the plastic 4 lock - JustAnswer
and here's the link buried in the first thread for the hard of reading
http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/Bl..._mode_fork.pdf
If you guys can rep a good mechanic near Hamilton, Ontario, or Buffalo NY, it's much appreciated.
thanks
--jsfx3
#22
06-15-2011, 04:34 PM
Cant stop ranting about how awesome this forum is! Drtom was trying to help me figure out if this is what was causing my front end to jump around turns??? and I think this might be it.
Well its off to read the DIY thread on this issue. If I end up doing the job I promise to do a write up with pics. Thanks again for the awesome post. 2006 H3 are in debt to you!
Well its off to read the DIY thread on this issue. If I end up doing the job I promise to do a write up with pics. Thanks again for the awesome post. 2006 H3 are in debt to you!
#23
07-22-2011, 06:14 AM
2007 Hummer H3X, When making a right turn it feels like the parking brake is engaged and causing the vehicle to stop. Just started doing this last night. Sounds like the fork I have been reading about in previous posts. Any ideas?
#24
07-23-2011, 05:42 AM
drw6140 - Looks like you have all the symptoms of a broken shift fork! This is exactlly what mine was doing! Good luck!
#25
07-25-2011, 02:54 PM
2007 Hummer H3X, When making a right turn it feels like the parking brake is engaged
Your right it was the plastic shift fork. Dealer replaced with metal fork under warranty,thanks.
#28
08-02-2011, 08:15 PM
As a retired GM service engineer, who has a lot of knowledge in regard to the t/case used on the H3, let me explain something to you guys that might be used if you decide to go to arbitration against GM.
When the H3 was first released, Brand Quality Engineering discovered a flaw in the fill fluid level of the H3. This was due to driveline angle, and this “under fill” caused the plastic shift fork(s) (in some cases both shift forks) to fail due to lack of lubrication.
GM immediately published an electronic bulletin to notify the dealers that they were to check the t/case and if required, add additional fluid via the vehicle speed sensor hole at the top of the t/case.
The bulletin, which is no longer in print, and I no longer have a copy basically stated:
Raise the H3 and check for a green sticker on the t/case near the fill plug. If there was no green sticker, the dealer was required to remove the fill plug, verify the fluid was filled to the fill plug, and the install the fill plug, remove the vehicle speed sensor and add an additional 250 ml (8.45 oz) of the required fluid.
(The green sticker was used to by the factory to inform the technician that a t/case with the green sticker had already had the additional fluid added to the t/case in the plant.)
The dealer was also supposed to add a one page addendum to the fill specs in the owner’s manual stating that the t/case fill procedure for this vehicle required the additional fluid via the VSS hole. This was for both the t/case with and without the green sticker.
This additional required fluid was also for early model 07 H3s (VIN 56TDN13E778100102 or prior), but by the time the 07s were in production, all t/cases had the additional fluid added by the plant; therefore, no dealer check was required for additonal fluid.
There was a problem with the notification to the dealers. These were done via the electronic service information system, and sorry to say, dealer service managers were notorious for never reading this information. It was bad enough in the paper world, but in the electronic world a lot of service managers and technicians just did not perform a daily check to see what new bulletins were issued.
From my own personal experience, when I took delivery of my very early 06 H3, I asked the service manager if they had checked the fluid. He had no idea what I was talking about; therefore, I pulled up the bulletin on his machine and handed it to him. He then had the tech add the required additional fluid to the t/case. (No need to check mine for a green sticker, it was one of the first actual 100 saleable H3s made.) I also printed out the addendum for the owner’s manual and placed it in the owner’s manual for the next owner.)
I cannot supply the original dealer update information bulletin as I stated earlier, but if anyone has the service manual, they can reference 2006 H3 Transaxle fluid fill procedures and note the information on adding fluid via the VSS hole. For 2007, the same procedure has a note about the models produced before the VIN noted above for an additional amount of fluid to be added.
I will also say that since the dealer would have been paid for this check and possible addition of fluid, they would have had to submit a claim via the GM WINS warranty system. Once this claim is submitted and paid, it becomes part of the service history of that particular vehicle.
Any dealer can pull the record of any vehicle service, performed by a GM dealer, for any vehicle produced by GM. If there is NO claim made for this additional fluid fill, then the dealer failed to follow the correct procedure as required by GM; thus, this could be one of the reasons the plastic fork failed. (Not to say it was not a stupid idea for Borg Warner to use a plastic fork, but from their (Borg Warner) warranty data, it was never a problem; that is until the problem with the H3.)
Yes, metal is better, but the main reason (not the only reason of course) those plastic forks were destroyed was lack of fluid in the t/case.
When the H3 was first released, Brand Quality Engineering discovered a flaw in the fill fluid level of the H3. This was due to driveline angle, and this “under fill” caused the plastic shift fork(s) (in some cases both shift forks) to fail due to lack of lubrication.
GM immediately published an electronic bulletin to notify the dealers that they were to check the t/case and if required, add additional fluid via the vehicle speed sensor hole at the top of the t/case.
The bulletin, which is no longer in print, and I no longer have a copy basically stated:
Raise the H3 and check for a green sticker on the t/case near the fill plug. If there was no green sticker, the dealer was required to remove the fill plug, verify the fluid was filled to the fill plug, and the install the fill plug, remove the vehicle speed sensor and add an additional 250 ml (8.45 oz) of the required fluid.
(The green sticker was used to by the factory to inform the technician that a t/case with the green sticker had already had the additional fluid added to the t/case in the plant.)
The dealer was also supposed to add a one page addendum to the fill specs in the owner’s manual stating that the t/case fill procedure for this vehicle required the additional fluid via the VSS hole. This was for both the t/case with and without the green sticker.
This additional required fluid was also for early model 07 H3s (VIN 56TDN13E778100102 or prior), but by the time the 07s were in production, all t/cases had the additional fluid added by the plant; therefore, no dealer check was required for additonal fluid.
There was a problem with the notification to the dealers. These were done via the electronic service information system, and sorry to say, dealer service managers were notorious for never reading this information. It was bad enough in the paper world, but in the electronic world a lot of service managers and technicians just did not perform a daily check to see what new bulletins were issued.
From my own personal experience, when I took delivery of my very early 06 H3, I asked the service manager if they had checked the fluid. He had no idea what I was talking about; therefore, I pulled up the bulletin on his machine and handed it to him. He then had the tech add the required additional fluid to the t/case. (No need to check mine for a green sticker, it was one of the first actual 100 saleable H3s made.) I also printed out the addendum for the owner’s manual and placed it in the owner’s manual for the next owner.)
I cannot supply the original dealer update information bulletin as I stated earlier, but if anyone has the service manual, they can reference 2006 H3 Transaxle fluid fill procedures and note the information on adding fluid via the VSS hole. For 2007, the same procedure has a note about the models produced before the VIN noted above for an additional amount of fluid to be added.
I will also say that since the dealer would have been paid for this check and possible addition of fluid, they would have had to submit a claim via the GM WINS warranty system. Once this claim is submitted and paid, it becomes part of the service history of that particular vehicle.
Any dealer can pull the record of any vehicle service, performed by a GM dealer, for any vehicle produced by GM. If there is NO claim made for this additional fluid fill, then the dealer failed to follow the correct procedure as required by GM; thus, this could be one of the reasons the plastic fork failed. (Not to say it was not a stupid idea for Borg Warner to use a plastic fork, but from their (Borg Warner) warranty data, it was never a problem; that is until the problem with the H3.)
Yes, metal is better, but the main reason (not the only reason of course) those plastic forks were destroyed was lack of fluid in the t/case.
#29
08-02-2011, 09:09 PM
fork
id kinda rather have the plastic. it seems like its made to break a plastic fork instead of causing damage somewhere else. i kind of like the plastic pos
#30
08-03-2011, 07:48 AM
i think i read that the fill hole placement has been corrected so the procedure on newer h3 is normal. ??
even so, there must be a lot of repaired h3 with metal forks that have the "wrong" hole and could be refilled incorrectly in the fiuture,causing the "other damage" while the metal fork survives.
buying a used h3,how would the typical new owner have any tiny clue about all this stuff we "veterans"! have been reading.
also its obvious that ALL h3 owners do not check in here every day like,,,some of us do!
btw some people will have the lube job done at unknowing "jiffy lube"shops.
the biggest problem is unknowing people driving around on dry roads in lock mode wondering what that funny sound,jerking is??
and, one more time, i have a flashing red led to warn me if i accidently left the lock mode engaged.
i posted the info b 4. this simple addition would be a money maker for someone. im not doing it!
even so, there must be a lot of repaired h3 with metal forks that have the "wrong" hole and could be refilled incorrectly in the fiuture,causing the "other damage" while the metal fork survives.
buying a used h3,how would the typical new owner have any tiny clue about all this stuff we "veterans"! have been reading.
also its obvious that ALL h3 owners do not check in here every day like,,,some of us do!
btw some people will have the lube job done at unknowing "jiffy lube"shops.
the biggest problem is unknowing people driving around on dry roads in lock mode wondering what that funny sound,jerking is??
those plastic forks were destroyed was lack of fluid in the t/case.
i posted the info b 4. this simple addition would be a money maker for someone. im not doing it!
Last edited by drtom; 08-03-2011 at 07:55 AM.