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Disabling the AWD system.

55K views 45 replies 18 participants last post by  Lucas Pl 
#1 ·
I'm sure nobody has done this before. But I would like to add a toggle switch to enable/disable the AWD system. I'm not talking about the stock lock/auto switch, I mean completely disabling it. The reason I wish to add a toggle switch is to lower the chances of any transfer case problems that could arise, and also to decrease the drag caused when going WOT.

I've been browsing through the service manual and it seems there is a AWD Solenoid valve in the rear end. I'm wondering if I were to add a switch inline, it would prevent the AWD control unit from turning on the solenoid. Thoughts/ideas ?

 
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#2 ·
There is no drag when you're at WOT. The Murano doesn't send any power to the back end unless there is wheel slip on the front end.

That said, if you can confirm that the solenoid is the critical point in engaging the rear end, then my guess would be that interrupting that circuit with a switch would work.

I figure that I paid for AWD and I want it active at all times - or I wouldn't have bought an AWD.
 
#3 ·
fmp-

I like what you are attempting to do but I am not sure it will offer any benefits.

Yes, putting a switch in-line with the AWD solenoid will effectively disable the automatic function of the AWD system, but it will not idle the transfer case. The gears in the transfer case will still be in motion and rotating the driveshaft in sync with the vehicle speed.

-njjoe
 
#4 ·
fmp-

I like what you are attempting to do but I am not sure it will offer any benefits.

Yes, putting a switch in-line with the AWD solenoid will effectively disable the automatic function of the AWD system, but it will not idle the transfer case. The gears in the transfer case will still be in motion and rotating the driveshaft in sync with the vehicle speed.

-njjoe

Ok, but it will decrease the shock in drivetrain when it does spin. Even though I know there's not much torque being put down, but it will help preserve some things.:27:

It probably is a useless venture, but I don't want my transfer case failing due to my constant romping of throttle.
 
#7 ·
Seems like having a lung removed to avoid lung cancer to me. Drive it. Use it. That's why you bought it.
 
#11 ·
Hey, lest I come off too negative, I admit that I have concerns about the transfer case. I KNOW that they rarely fail and that the reports on this forum represent a very small and atypical sample of owners. It's also not hard to guess that those who have had problems with any vehicle will seek out an Internet forum for those with similar problems...so the odds are that the reports of TC failures are astronomically higher here than among the general population of Murano owners.

That said, when I drove a Chevy blazer or Jeep Cherokee, I heard no such reports and had no such concerns.

When I buy a car or any other device, I do so with the expectation that the device will perform to 100% of its design specifications every time I call on it. Machinery is worthless (IMO) if it won't do everything it is designed to do, every time you call on it. If it won't perform, it needs to be fixed, repaired or discarded.

OTOH, I don't expect machinery to do things it is NOT designed to do. That's not a reasonable expectation. And the Murano is not designed for rock-crawling, off-road use, or high transfer case loads under extreme conditions or heavy acceleration.

It's that third part where I run into questions. How high is high? How extreme is extreme? How heavy is heavy?

If you're on an icy road and the rear axle grabs suddenly in a bare spot, does that create a loading that's outside the Murano's design capabilities? It darn well should not. But that exact situation happened to me with a 1959 Ford and when one tire bit on bare pavement, it stripped teeth off the main cluster gear in the transmission and blew teeth off the rear end differential. Not too big a problem, as I pulled and rebuilt the tranny in a day and replaced the rear end in a half-day. Does that mean the 1959 Ford 3-speed with OD transmission and the matching rear end were too light for the 292 V8 under the hood? Maybe. In the time I owned that car, I replaced the transmission cluster gear 5 times and the rear end twice. I was also 18, and I know some of those were my fault.

But I understand that little voice in the back of our heads asking whether that TC is going to last. I think the answer is that if we use it within its design parameters, it should. And NOT using the AWD means you paid for something you're not using, which is a waste of money. My decision is to use it, and if it lets me down catastrophically, I'll move on to another vehicle.
 
#12 ·
First off, those thick lines in the wiring diagram mean they're DTC Detectable meaning if there's an open circuit (such as an inline open switch) then youll set an AWD DTC and completely disable the AWD until the open is repaired and DTC erased with the scan tool.

Why not just remove the rear driveshaft? I was planning on doing some comparisons this summer with and without the driveshaft to see how much MPG i gain since we don't get snow or ice here.
 
#13 ·
The PTU (transfer case) is always turning when the vehicle is rolling. The RDU and its electrically controlled clutch are not going to put much if any shock into the system when AWD activates. It is a PWM system, not an on/off deal.

The technician in me would advise against installing a toggle. For one, its pretty solid ground to deny warranty claims on the AWD system. For two, there is little gain to be had.

Aside from the ever-present (seemingly) PTU-CVT seal leak, I have never had to service a PTU. The seal in question is actually in the CVT anyway.

The RDU (rear differential and clutch assy) has been very trouble free on Murano as well. Rogue has had some issues requiring a new Electro-clutch, but thats it.

If you want to remove the propshaft, its 14mm for the PTU and RDU flanges at each end, 4 each. 2 16mm to hold the carrier bearing in the middle. Removing the propshaft may set a code if the system is trying to correct a severe slip event in concert with VDC.
 
#14 ·
For some of us a FWD murano was not available. And even if the OP could have bought FWD, he didn't for whatever reason. So his car is what it is. This "you bought it so you have to use it" stuff isn't very helpful.

If there was a relatively easy way to convert my murano to FWD i'd do it tomorrow.

To the posters who are explaining why the OPs idea isn't very practical, thank you.
 
#19 ·
For some of us a FWD murano was not available. And even if the OP could have bought FWD, he didn't for whatever reason. So his car is what it is. This "you bought it so you have to use it" stuff isn't very helpful.

If there was a relatively easy way to convert my murano to FWD i'd do it tomorrow.

To the posters who are explaining why the OPs idea isn't very practical, thank you.
FWD Muranos not available? Sure they are. If your dealer didn't have one, have them get one. Simple. You may not find it helpful but, why on earth would anyone buy an AWD vehicle, complain about a problem that may or may not come about, isn't a known major problem with that vehicle to begin with, and then want to disable the AWD system when a FWD version is, in fact, available? Makes no common sense to me.
 
#15 ·
We really do need to keep things in perspective.

As much as we b!tch and moan about the transfer case being the Achilles Heel of the MO's AWD system it has proved to be relatively reliable. They are not failing in great numbers nor are they requiring any costly maintenance. It is cursed with inferior oil seals (and the fact that Nissan refuses to repair them on the component level).

The MO has been on the road for almost ten years now, and both the CVT and transfer case have shown to be relatively rugged. Most reported failures do not appear to be the direct result of towing or driving in snow where the transfer case is handling 50% of the VQ's 240 lb-ft of torque. Many of the failures appear to be the result of a lack of lubrication due to failing seals. You could be coasting down a highway in Florida, never having engaged the AWD clutch, and the transfer case will fail because the last drop of the precious oil is at mile-marker 101.

Assuming I am right, and the seals are the root cause of the majority of the transfer case failures then disabling the AWD clutch will have absolutely no effect on the longevity of the transfer case. The seals are not affected by the load, their life is based on a combination of cycles and time. So even if you remove the driveshaft, the transfer case can still fail. But, then again, they really do not fail that often. They just get a lot of mention here when they do.

-njjoe
 
#16 ·
njjoe, well said.

The dirty little secret is the real problem with the seal is that there is nothing in the CVT for it to seat against, and keep it square. There is a little lip, but only on about 40% of the circumference. Thats not enough. It is an absolute pain to get the seal in square, and then you have to not bump the damn thing when re-installing the PTU.
 
#17 ·
Interesting!!

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if that's the source of many of the leaks. There should always be a base lip for seals to seat against.
 
#23 ·
I do agree that it's specious of us to advise buying a different car than the OP already has...even though I may have been one who made that crack earlier. I think there have been good suggestions and arguments pro and con - he can make up his mind about whether he wants to mess with it.

I wouldn't be surprised if there are more FWD Muranos in southern and good-weather states, as there is less need for AWD in those areas. However, dealers like to order cars with more features, which may counteract that.
 
#26 ·
Holy hell, for some reason I totally forgot about this thread. Anyway I haven't done anything to mine, as I believe the real cause of TC/CVT failures is due to lack of fluid. I rag on the car a lot more than the typical driver, and nothing has given me problems, and I'm at 82,000mi. Off-road, WOT launches, over-excessive turning speeds, high-speed acceleration, more I probably shouldn't state. Overall, I'm very pleased the car hasn't given me any real problems.

Forgot about just taking the driveshaft out though. :29:
 
#29 ·
Sorry, but I need to return to my previous position...AWD Murano is not an appropriate car for towing behind an RV.

To answer the question, it depends on how you "disable" it. You'd have to eliminate any mechanical connection between the front and back wheels, which would mean removing the driveshaft. That may or may not cause the fluid to leak out of the front end - with some vehicles, removing the driveshaft allows the transmission or transfer case (wherever it connects) to drain. I haven't removed a driveshaft from one so I can't tell you whether or not it will.

It seems unlikely that you would want to do this, as it would require some kind of lift, time and tools to accomplish even if it doesn't drain the assemblies on either end. I can't imagine that this would be a good solution...and you'd have to do research on it before trying it out.

The fact is, the AWD model of the Murano is simply not made to do this. A FWD Murano wouldn't be a problem as far as I know, as the drive wheels would be off the ground on a dolly.

I would suggest an older Honda CR-V as an option - some models were made with a Neutral setting for the transfer case, just like Jeeps. You can tow them with all four wheels on the ground without harming them.

Another option would be to hit Craigslist and find a used Jeep Cherokee (production ended in 2001) with 4WD and a nice neutral position designed to do exactly what you want. For under $3000 you could have a decent one that you use only for towing behind the RV.
 
#30 ·
I have to fully agree. If you must tow an AWD Murano behind you, all 4 wheels must be off the ground. I'm won't pretend to know enough about its AWD system other than you'd have to physically somehow disconnect the rear wheels from the system. Not sure how or if that can be done. If you have aa AWD Murano that's an 09 or newer, and I've mentioned this before, it's automatically in 50/50 AWD every time you pull away from a dead stop. So I'd imagine there'd be some major damage done by towing it the way you've described.
 
#31 ·
I'm sure nobody has done this before. But I would like to add a toggle switch to enable/disable the AWD system. I'm not talking about the stock lock/auto switch, I mean completely disabling it. The reason I wish to add a toggle switch is to lower the chances of any transfer case problems that could arise, and also to decrease the drag caused when going WOT.

I've been browsing through the service manual and it seems there is a AWD Solenoid valve in the rear end. I'm wondering if I were to add a switch inline, it would prevent the AWD control unit from turning on the solenoid. Thoughts/ideas ?

Yes, I am a technician at a Nissan dealer.


FWD Muranos are almost as rare as hen's teeth. You have better odds of finding a stick Maxima. The few I've seen lack all desirable options as well.
I have found when the AWD system is acting up on some cars, just pulling out the fuse will do the trick, just keep the fuse handy for bad weather. This works perfect for AWD Jeep's and saves fuel to boot, and about $2000 to make the system work right.
 
#32 ·
The Murano has the same MPG rating regardless of whether it's FWD or AWD...

Usually when the AWD fails on Muranos it's due to a damaged transfer case, so I don't believe pulling a fuse would help... The pinion gear in the transfer case turns whenever the drive wheels are in motion. It activates AWD mode by sending a signal to the magnetic clutch at the differential end of the propeller shaft.
 
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#33 ·
I'm sure nobody has done this before. But I would like to add a toggle switch to enable/disable the AWD system. I'm not talking about the stock lock/auto switch, I mean completely disabling it. The reason I wish to add a toggle switch is to lower the chances of any transfer case problems that could arise, and also to decrease the drag caused when going WOT.

I've been browsing through the service manual and it seems there is a AWD Solenoid valve in the rear end. I'm wondering if I were to add a switch inline, it would prevent the AWD control unit from turning on the solenoid. Thoughts/ideas ?

My AWD light is blinking and sometimes says it is in lock but goes out while driving, and if the AWD light isn't blinking making turns I hear noise from the front end, does anyone know wat the issue could be or how to fix it???
 
#34 ·
Hello.

Please ignore my grammar, cause I am not so good in English as you 😃 (greetings from Poland) Are you able to advise me how to check the electromagnetic AWD clutch in Murano Z51 3.5 265HP SL AWD (USA version)?... It comes to wobling and acts like draging back axis hard, but without any noises (jumping not drive smooth, just like back axle was solid connected to drive ). Main shaft looks ok, no leaks also gearbox and back differential mechanism also. I tried to pull off the AWD fuse... And? All works ok, no noises.. So I am afraid that solenoid clutch mechanism is "weld, stucking"
... Any ideas?

Regards Łukasz / eng. Lucas
 
#35 · (Edited)
Hello.

Please ignore my grammar, cause I am not so good in English as you 😃 (greetings from Poland) Are you able to advise me how to check the electromagnetic AWD clutch in Murano Z51 3.5 265HP SL AWD (USA version)?... It comes to wobling and acts like draging back axis hard, but without any noises (jumping not drive smooth, just like back axle was solid connected to drive ). Main shaft looks ok, no leaks also gearbox and back differential mechanism also. I tried to pull off the AWD fuse... And? All works ok, no noises.. So I am afraid that solenoid clutch mechanism is "weld, stucking"
... Any ideas?

Regards Łukasz / eng. Lucas
Your English is just fine.

You can find the service manual here:

 
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