I think my RDM is smoked!

[turbotoad]

My 06' Redline AWD has just over 25K miles and I think my RDM is toast. Ever since the day I bought it new the RDM has made a groaning noise when it would engage. Sort of like the sound of big ol truck tires doing a burn out. Even on snow or ice. But I just assumed that it was "normal" for the RDM to make some type of noise when it kicked in. And it has always seemed to work just fine.

Tonight; 25K later, something happened. I got a NAV unit for Christmas and installed it in the VUE tonight. Then I decide to cruise around and see if I could get "lost". We got mega snow here a few days ago and the hilly & curvy back roads I was cruising around on tonight were in bad shape. Lots of fairly deep rutted snow with ice underneath. So the RDM was working pretty hard.

Well, just before I decided it was time to head back home the RDM noise suddenly went from the "normal" groaning sound to a quite loud grinding sound that litterally vibrates the load floor and plastic trim panels! :eek: And then after getting back into the garage at home I could faintly smell something that smelled almost like hot brakes.

The AWD seems to still be functioning. But the noise and vibration is clearly not a good sign. I guess it's off to the dealer Monday morning to have it looked at :tear:

[F-Bobby]

Sounds like the Clutch packs in the RDM got hammered and are no longer engagin as they should, which was a common problem on older vues. Or the Rear end is blown which is rare but ive done one.

[turbotoad]

well the next morning (yesterday) I drove the VUE and the RDM was actually more quiet than normal when it engaged. :hmpf: Plus it seemed to engage almost instantly when the front began to break loose.

But to "test it I did some prolonged full throttle stints on the snow/ice and it began to make the loud grinding and virbration thing again. So It appears that what ever is going on only occures when the RDM has been engaged for prolonged periods and is probably overheating. I guess I could try changing the fluid and see if that helps.

[1saxman]

'I guess I could try changing the fluid and see if that helps.'

Yep