Metallurgy + the Laws of Physics = Buyer Beware
The car sat on the lot for about a month, until a salesman noticed a collection of white/gray powder under the middle of the vehicle. Curious as to what was going on the salesman went to move the Hummer, put it in gear and promptly blew the rear driveshaft out of the vehicle. They then removed the BW 4484 transfer case from the vehicle. By looking at the photos provided here, you can see what happens when a transfer case with a magnesium case is filled with seawater for more than a month. The case is now paper thin and riddled with holes as if attacked by metal-eating moths. The used-car lot bought a new BW 4484 and fixed the problem. The core was sent to us, and it makes a good basis for this article.
Common Failures, and Why They Happen
We must never lose sight of the basics of modern vehicle technology and design encompassing a wide variety of complex systems that activate and control the functions of the major components we are working on. The following are some examples of common failures that generate a lot of traffic on the hotlines and have many technicians scratching their heads and wasting time and money. One thing we know from experience is that you are only as good as the last thing you did for a customer.
