2002 venture awd. The awd won't engage. As soon as the front tires slip the dash lights up awd disabled. If you put all 4 corners up on jack stands all 4 wheels turn. Sometimes just driving on a dry road it will disable the awd. I have flushed the fluids and it didn't help anything. Any ideas?

 

4 wheels will turn on jackstands because of preload. It doesn't mean AWD is engaged.

It's most likely the rear solenoid/check valve. The temp sensor inside often fails, disabling the AWD. (Part #3 in the drawing)

 

And at Nearly $500.00 from my local Chevy dealer, I decided to order on off Amazon at $320.00, OEM part supposedly too.

My question, the owners manual doesn't tell me what type of oil to use. I have heard on other forums that the rear diff(rear drive module RDM) takes Versatrak fluid. The only stuff I can find on Amazon says it's $32.00 per half qt I seen others complain that if they use RP Syncrho max that the RDM groans and grinds/ doesn't work very well. Is there an alternative fluid that works as well as the GM stuff, or am I stuck going to the dealer at $36.00/qt if I heard him right when I asked about that too. Also how much do I need, the owners manual doesn't tell me.

Also the owners manual tells me it needs replaced at 7500mi and then... Every 7500mi after that? That seems wrong considering I have 80k miles on this 02 Venture, and think I've only ever done the trans oil once.

 

it's right on page 7-23 of the manual.




The manual recommends checking and topping off the fluid at 12 month or oil change intervals. I don't see anything about draining it, but I would do it every 50,000 mi. Capacity is 2.1 quarts. I wouldn't use any other fluid.