2011 GL450 - Transfer case problem
 

Hello, I have 2011 GL450, 125K Miles. I have this car for three years. I am hearing clunk clunk noise when I do sudden acceleration. Looks like I need to transfer case replacement which will cost around 6k USD. Are there any recalls for transfer case?

I have a 2003 ML350 doing this too. Likely the chain may be stretched. I wonder if you can DIY this depending on your tool inventory.

There are now remanufactured units available from multiple sources for $2500 to $3000. I understand there is also now an after-market parts kit if you want to do it yourself.

I put in a remanufactured unit about three years ago. Contrary to MB service guidelines, the oil is not "lifetime".

If you look I posted a while back on replacing the transfer case.. I got an updated spec one from Libson.. And did it myself not really to hard of a job if you work on cars.

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...50-diesel.html

No recalls. Look on youtube for x164 transfer case chain replacement and decide if you're up for that. Always change sprockets when changing the chain. If you're not up for that you might want to consider buying a known good case and having an indy do it for you.

2014 GL450
 

Are the transfer case and accessories the same on the 2013 - 2018 models? Everything I am finding states up to 2012?

Carlosrg - your thread on the transfer case was great. Forum member Maxusa also did an awesome writeup on replacing just the transfer case chain, which he removed the whole transfer case unit and then opened up the case and replaced the chain. He's listed the procedures in three posts (with links to the other parts in the first paragraph). Here is is post: https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...art-1-3-a.html

I am planning to replace the chain this coming week as well. But I don't want to remove the entire case, just half the case to get to the chain. I did a lot of research on replacing just the chain or the whole transfer case. What I've found is the chain gets stretched and when you accelerate hard, the stretched chain will skip over the gears making that loud noise. The folks who rebuild these told me the gears are super strong and rarely need to be replaced. They really don't get damaged as a result of the stretched chain. But there is a chain guide inside the transfer case and it does sometimes get damaged. The chain guide is about $50. The I'm planning to replace just the chain and outer seals. I got the chain off Amazon for about $80. Search transfer case chain HV091. A really good resource for this job, whether you're looking to get a rebuilt transfer case or replace the chain yourself, is Cobra Transmission in Florida at www.cobratransmission.com I bought the seal kit and the tube of gasket material from them. They also sell the chain guides as well. I'll post to this thread once I tackle the job later this week. I've actually had the problem for over a year and have just driven it gently, not accelerating too hard. But the time has come to replace it. Hope this helps.

Ryan, I talked with Cobra Transmission and he said he needs the information on the white sticker or the part number that's on your transfer case so he can check availability for your 2014.
Their number is 800-293-1848. Good luck.

James,
I really appreciate it, working on it now!

James,

After begging and pleading with Mercedes for their coveted part number, I got the parts I needed and I will let you know how it goes!!

Thanks
Again

My car does the same thing. It also feels like it’s slamming forward when i press the pedal. Would a stretched chain do this?

If your car is making the sound in this video, then your transfer case chain is stretched. In the first part of the video it appears he's on a lift, because he's got it in drive but the speedometer is at zero. Later in the video he is driving it and you can hear the stretched transfer case chain. Btw, I'm opting to only replace the TC chain, TC chain guide and seals kit (from Cobra Transmission). The TC gears (according to sources) are very strong and rarely are damaged. Also, since I haven't leaked any TC fluid, I believe the bearings will be fine too.


There's good info on replacement options in Carlosrg thread here:

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...50-diesel.html

I replaced the chain and no more noise related to that, but now my car vibrates like my driveshaft is going bad. It was reallyh bad at first but now it only vibraes during acceleration and deceleration. Could I have caused an issue with my drive shaft since I had to remove it to get the crank case off? What could be the problem?

Ryan, I'm not sure why you're getting the vibration. When I did it, I put the transfer case back into position and tightened down the bolts and then tightened the forward and rear drive shaft bolts. My whole car was on jacks, so I was able to hand turn the driveshafts to ensure the bolts were tightened evenly. Were your rear tires lifted when you replaced the transfer case? Were you able to rotate the shaft to evenly tighten the driveshafts? Perhaps one of your driveshafts was tightened down a little unevenly - that might explain the vibration.

Hi: did you replace chain without removing TC from car? How hard was installation? Do you remember TC bolts size? Thanks for your time.

It is possible to replace the transfer case chain without removing the entire transfer case from the car. In my case, I also wanted to replace the three seals that are in the transfer case as well as the chain to prevent any possible leaks in the future. But if you're just trying to replace the chain, then yes, you could just remove the rear sided cover and replace just the chain. If you go this route, I strongly recommend getting a replacement chain guide as they are often broken or worn due to the chain slapping it because the chain is now loose.

You'll need some E sockets to remove the bolts from the TC to get to the chain. I think it was a E12 socket. You'll also need to remove the rear part of the driveshaft that attaches to the TC. In order to pull the driveshaft back from the TC, you'll need to loosen the bolts that hold up the driveshaft about 1/2 way back from the TC to the rear differential to get the clearance to pull the driveshaft backwards to get it off the TC. Sounds more complicated than it is. But once you get the driveshaft out of the way, you can remove the 10-12 bolts from the TC and remove the rear shell. BE CAREFUL when you pry the case shell off to not scrape or wedge a screwdriver that may scratch the mating surface of the TC rear shell to the front shell. This scratching could cause a leak in the future. Look carefully around the TC shell and you'll see three designated areas where you can pry the shell off. If you're thinking about tackling this job, I have an extra chain that ordered that I never used. I was in a crunch and ordered two and meant to return the other but didn't. PM me if interested. Check out Cobra Transmission in Florida if you're interested in the seal kit. Good luck.

Hi Guys, I would like to know if the noise you have before replacing the chain is like this:

The next video is with Car on D, left foot on the brake and right on the gas.
Do you believe this is the chain jumping? I would like to know if this is normal, thank you.

This is the next video, Car on D, left foot on the brake and right on the gas.

Yes. That's the chain skipping on the gears. The gears really don't get damaged like you would think. I had the problem for a couple of months and when I replaced the chain the gears seemed fine. I have an extra HV091 chain in the box if you're interested, send me a pm. It's actually not that bad of a job if you don't replace the three seals. Replacing the seals does take some work. I just wanted to do the job once and not have to deal with it again. Good luck.

Hi James, regarding the extra HV091 chain in the box, I am interested, how much for it?

piuric - PM sent.