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AWD Performance

7K views 41 replies 10 participants last post by  Applebuddy78 
#1 ·
I have a couple threads out there about this but thought I would start one here and maybe I could get some more ideas.

I have a 2011 Charger AWD. I have repeatedly told the dealer that it feels like I am driving a RWD car. They swear that they can't find any transfer case problems. Here is a video of my "test" today - and please pardon the wind noise but you will need your sound on to hear the engine/tires. As you can see, it's snowing and the roads are slick. The first pass is autostick with ESC enabled. You can see the rears spin and the fronts never break traction. The second pass is autostick with ESC off. You can see the rears start to spin and the traction control steps in. I kept the throttle floored and a second or two later you can see the rears take off and bounce me off the rev limiter - the fronts never sped up.

I know there may be some "slop" in the transition from rear spin to front power, but I can sit there and spin the rears all day in AWD and the fronts will never take power. I am at a loss.

Any thoughts would be great. I feel like I am driving my old 78 Monte Carlo. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0fEOXkLV_g
 
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#2 ·
Did you ever take it into the dealer and have it checked out? I thought you were going to do that for the clunk sound.

No need to start multiple posts about it. It just makes the Mods unhappy and you lose the continuity of the responses to the issue and what you have done.
 
#3 ·
Yeah, I get you about the threads. I just have one in the 2011 and up forum but it seems this area gets more views.

I did take it in for the clunk but they could never duplicate it so I gave up. During the same time I told them that it felt like it was RWD only but they couldn't find anything wrong. There is something clearly wrong because I shouldn't be able to do what's in the video. I just don't know what it is.
 
#9 ·
That is exactly what I think the issue is. I would have just figured that, if the temperature/conditions called for AWD and it wasn't actually in AWD, the car would be throwing a CEL like "SERV AWD" or something.

Wonder, if your scenario is true, if the ECU would be a warrantable repair??
 
#18 ·
I'm not so sure about that. I was throwing that code the first (and second and third) time I took it in. They "looked for the stored code" and couldn't find anything wrong that would make it pop up. Obviously something is wrong. I would challenge them to drive the new '16 AWD on their lot back to back with mine and see the difference.
 
#19 ·
***UPDATE**. Made an appointment and took the car back in today, still complaining that the AWD isn't working right. This time they finally put it up on a lift and checked to see if the front wheels were getting power. Guess what? The front wheels are not getting any power AND there is a "strange groaning noise". I have been working with @DodgeCares and, because I brought this issue up before my warranty ran out, it is being fully covered. :)
The next step is for them to spend "7 or 8 hours" tearing down the car to figure out what is going on and then to order parts to fix it. Bad news? The service tech working on my car is going on a 2 week vacation starting next week so, more than likely, my car will be out of service for about 3 weeks. However, I am finally satisfied that they recognized the problem and are attempting to fix it.
I will update when the call me to let me know what exactly is wrong.
Thanks @DodgeCares - couldn't have done it without you!
 
#21 ·
I did, in fact, ask about a loaner but they won't commit to an answer either way. They want to see if they can get it fixed before it has to sit for 2 weeks. I can make it a few days sharing a car but, if it's going to sit for an additional 2 weeks then I will push for something then - that's just too long to expect your customer (who is getting a warrantied repair) to go without anything. I could see it if I was there getting something fixed/repaired out of warranty - but not if I am there because their part failed.
 
#24 ·
Glad to hear you are finally getting somewhere.

Dealing with dealerships can be a pain, as certain times they think they're the know all, and you as the consumer really don't know your car. Its frustrating, especially when you don't know what is wrong with your car, but know something isn't right.

Luckily for me, the dealership I went through to have my hail damage repaired (14k) was exceptional, considering they are a Mercedes/Porsche/Audi dealership I was impressed with their work on my 2010. It was in and out of the shop for a year and a half, sometimes in there for over a month, in about the moonroof about 5 times, and each time they were at my door with a loaner picking mine up.

Hopefully this gets your issue resolved. I'd have probably flipped out by now if I were you, considering this is the time of the year you want the benefits of the all-wheel drive. Once it's hopefully repaired, you'll be amazed at the difference.
 
#25 ·
Thanks for the post, I appreciate it.

I do hope this gets the issue resolved. I went back and forth between a Challenger and a Charger but the adult in me realized that, because of my job requiring me to be on a lot of back roads and because I live in Michigan, that AWD was the route I needed to go.

It looks like winter isn't going to be over for a while here so, hopefully, I will get the car back and be amazed at what it could have been all along and fall back in love with it all over again. :)
 
#27 ·
***UPDATE****

Here is what the dealership just informed me of regarding my AWD not working. They are replacing the solenoid that connects/disconnects the front axles. They took apart the housing and found metal shavings in it. I guess I wasn't aware that the axles weren't always connected. I just assumed that they were always rotating and just received power when the transfer case sent it there. Does this mean that there is a motor that physically disconnects the front axles from the front differential to reduce friction loss when in RWD? Can anyone elaborate???
 
#28 ·
Why the @$&# did they wait until NOW to actually put it on a lift and visually inspect the differential!
 
#29 ·
There is an electric solenoid that must engage and disengage a gear or shift collar to engage the front axle. It must have a syncro like in a manual transmission. Not sure how else it could engage the front axle while the rear axle is spinning out. It's a fuel savings initiative.
 
#39 ·
**UPDATE*** Well, thanks to @DodgeCares, the parts were overnighted to the service department and they got them put on this morning and called me to say that the parts were installed and my car was ready to pick up. They ended up replacing the intermediate shaft and the solenoid that it uses. When they took it apart, there was metal shavings in there, indicating that it had been slipping for some time. After they put the new parts on, they put it on a lift and confirmed the front wheels were getting power and double confirmed it on a test drive.
I picked it up and drove it home and it feels 100%!!! Something of note - it feels like it has a TON more power now. Got me to thinking that, if the shaft to connect the front axles wasn't engaging, I might have been losing that power that was being sent forward - meaning that, in AWD, my charger was only running on 65% power (the percentage that gets sent to the rear from the transfer case). Does this sound right? I don't know how else to explain the fact that my car feels like it has an extra 100hp. I did a driveway test on the snow and confirmed that the front wheels were being powered.

I hope this wraps up the AWD saga. I can't say thank you enough to @DodgeCares!!
 
#40 ·
No problem, I'm always happy to help! :bigthumb:

Thanks for updating the thread with your resolution!
 
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