im having problems with my rt4wd 4wd system working,

i am having trouble trying to figure out what is going on with my 1990 rt4wd 6 speed manual with d16a6.
the 4wd is also in the 4wd position near the transmission
so i jacked the car up to do the viscous coupler test (i was sure it was the coupler) i jacked all four wheels off the ground, put it into first gear and all four tires started to spin, i engaged the ebrake and the car did infact die, i stated the car up again had my buddys try and hold the back wheels and if i apply throttle my buddys are able to hold the rear tires still without them wanting to rotate out of there hands, im completely stumped on this, any input would be helpfull. ive called all shops around portland oregon area and they all want a shit load of costs just to diagnose the issue.
i have only owned the car about a month now.

Comments

  • JHMEE4JHMEE4 New Wagonist
    I could have sworn you only lift the rear wheels to begin with then do the e-brake test. What exactly is the problem?
  • mrshanegmrshaneg Band Wagon
    The car doesn't have full power to the back wheels.
    While driving on gravel/ snow it doesn't get traction, the front tires just keep spinning
  • HaydzHaydz Moderator
    http://www.civicwagon.com/showthread.php?7979-Viscous-Coupler-info&p=101804&viewfull=1#post101804
    The_Head wrote:
    Sorry, my camera would not take clear pics of the FSM. Hope this helps..
    Viscous Coupling Stall Test

    1. Raise the car off the ground and place safety stands under the side sill reinforcement sections.
    2. Start the engine.
    3. Keep the engine speed at idle.
    4. Shift into low gear and gradually release the clutch
    5. Apply the parking brake firmly.

    Viscous coupling is OK if the engine stalls
    Viscous coupling is faulty if the engine continues running
    Viscous Coupling Precaution

    The Viscous coupling unit contains no serviceable or replaceable parts. If it is found to be faulty (fails the stall test or shows signs of leakage), it must be replaced as a unit.

    Do not remove the TORX bolts from the viscous coupling unit.

    Although regarding the last part, it turns out one of our members figured out how to service it;

    http://www.civicwagon.com/showthread.php?9747-DYI-rebuilding-repair-RT4wd-Viscous-Coupler

    It could be engaging but slipping, perhaps?
  • mrshanegmrshaneg Band Wagon
    possibly i belive i did the test correct, and my car stalled while in super low gear. possibly might just be slipping quite a bit, are the viscous couplers known to do that?
    my guess would be when they go out the just go out, although im not sure.
    i watched the video on how to do the repair to the coupler and i got all the part #'s to get the parts. but i dont want to spend a chunk of change on the parts for the coupler if its not even the viscous coupler thats the problem.


    should i maybe do the test again, but have my buddy hold the rear wheels again while its in super low then get undernieth the car and see if its spinning the viscous coupler or not?
    anything at all helps. thanks haydz
  • mrshanegmrshaneg Band Wagon
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feD4D1quS0k
    here is this video i came across online, if itll help any other fellow members
    like i said i dont want to have to rebuild my coupler if its not the coupler that went bad
  • JHMEE4JHMEE4 New Wagonist
    That is strange, you'd think that if it wasn't engaging in the snow or gravel the engine would continue to run while you performed the test. Are you sure it's just the front wheels that are spinning? Have you had others outside watch to verify the rear wheels don't move as well? Maybe the tires just don't get enough traction to begin with and all 4 wheels are actually just spinning. I'm just trying to eliminate all other possibilities! I've seen an older mid-sized GMC SUV just sit on the side of the road spinning all 4 tires trying to go up a hill before. You just never know.

    Unfortunately, I've yet to run my wagon through snow gravel or even test out the 4WD capabilities, so I don't have too much input on this.
  • mrshanegmrshaneg Band Wagon
    just an update for the people who have viscous coupler issues.
    i did the stall test with four of my wheels up off the ground put it in first and let the clutch out, all four tires would rotate. once i would apply the ebrake the car would stall.
    which led me to believe the viscous coupler was still good.
    now the next time i just jacked up the front two tires put it in gear and it started to roll about an inch or two, i then went to do it again and it wouldnt move at all, just the front tires sat there and spun, while in gear i got under the car and the driveline was rotating all the way untill the viscous coupler,
    so in the end the viscous coupler was my problem. replaced the viscous with another one i recently got out of my parts car and she drives like a champ
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