[Duck70]

So some background. A few months ago I was driving and the dash lit up with lights, 'brake', 'abs/dsc', '4x4'. No AWD.

I took it to BMW and they said $5000 for new transfer case, nope. Took it to indy mechanic and they took apart the motor actuator and they found the stripped worm gear. I had that replaced with a new 'Original Equipment Supplier' part (non-OEM). A week or so later, dash lights up again and no AWD. Shop can't find the culprit (didnt take the motor actuator apart this time) and recommends either trying a BMW OEM motor actuator or just a new transfer case all together.

Would a malfunctioning transfer case eat up a brand new motor actuator or could I just have received a lemon of a part? Any recommendations?

[jskin1510]

I just replaced my transfer case Actuator about a month ago. I saw some videos and it looked there were multiple parts in there that potentially could be the culprit. Maybe the gear they fixed was part of the problem but not all of it?

Unfortunately, last week a few of those lights came back on. I was going around a turn and it was a little wet. I'm unsure (and doubtful) this was the first time since I replaced the actuator that the AWD needed to engage. I'm wondering if maybe some sort of adaptations or need to be reset or reprogrammed. I'm wondering what others have to say about this as well, we both might have the same issue.

[torrque]

I would try a transfer case adapation/reset with ISTA before doing anything else.
But never, ever replace any parts hard to get to with anything else but BMW oem part, no Original Equipment Supplier cr*po.

I spent 5 months troubleshooting my car knowing for sure the crank angle sensor was replaced twice. It was replaced ok, only with non BMW part, and it was intermittently causing the car to shake, stutter.
yes, 5 months... I am still scarred from that experience.

[nsjames]

there's nothing wrong with aftermarket parts if you don't buy cheap shit.

you think the delphi pump I put in my car is any less quality than the one they sell to BMW, that BMW marks up another 50%?

it sounds like OPs shop doesn't want to deal with anything more than a quick parts swap. they couldn't even be bothered to look at the actuator they just repaired when the repair didn't fix the issue.

no, I don't believe that your case ate the part, unless there's something wrong with the parts that it interacts with, in which case the shop didn't diagnose your issue correctly.
I do agree that the transfer case needs reset. If they awapped actuator parts then the VTG module needs to relearn the end points of travel for the actuator.
if you simply run through the fluid reset procedure it will do this.

also, all of those lights could bec aused by something as simple as a wheel speed sensor failing. The actuator may have never been the root of your problem.