VTM 4 Lock - clunking noise

[csolay]

Hello everyone. This weekend I took my new 2011 Pilot LX with 4WD to the mountains for a late summer season camping trip. While there, a storm blew in drenching the campground. Given the slippery conditions and muddy mess, I decided to try locking the VTM. The problem that I encountered was an intermittent clunking noise coming for the rear axle. Has anyone experienced this? I am afraid if I take it to the dealership I will be unable to reproduce the problem. Thanks

[dray0n]

How many miles on the truck? Do you haul any trailers with it?

Searching Google, I see a lot of posts about the VTM-4 fluid needing to be changed if a clunking noise is heard. This is from clutch wear or moisture in the fluid. Might be your solution.

[1YESfan]

You did say new and most of us are assuming you read the manual or got some instruction beforehand and stopped the vehicle and dropped the tranny into 1st or 2nd gear before pushing the VTM button. I hope it's nothing but we all know that some mistakes due to human error are done at dealerships or assembly plants so don't hesitate to bring your new vehicle back to the dealership a.s.a.p..

When I first started driving mine I also noticed a sound coming from the back of the vehicle when the front wipers were on when backing up which ended up being just the rear wiper automatically taking a swipe along the rear window.

[rocky]

If you were driving on hard road in 1 or 2 under 18mph with the VTM4 button "locked" you made a bad mistake. Honda even warns against doing that in the OM.

Willing to bet that what you were hearing was either the traction control kicking in or torque wind up stressing out the drive train components. If the latter and you got lucky, the tires would chirp to release the excess torque that had built up. If unlucky, you could conceivably cause a drive shaft failure. But that sounds like a gunshot when it happens.