| Author |
Message |
    
Howard Houston
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 02, 2002 - 12:09 pm: | 
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Hey guys, I have a 1996 Discovery, just recently i've noticed i can't get my differentials to lock. the shifter moves over but nothing happens. I can
tell they aren't locked (its pretty easy to tell when they are). and also, my 4X4 light in the dash will go on and off sometimes, mostly when its
raining, is it maybe an electrical short? but i was wondering, do the wheels need to slip first before the dif actually locks? like say i'm on a muddy hill
and i can't get up, do i have to shift to lock the differentials, keep going and when the wheels start to slip they lock? i'm lost. thanks for your help.
howard
email me if you have any suggestions @
[email protected] or
[email protected] |
Bill Bettridge (Billb)
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 02, 2002 - 12:18 pm: |
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Ummm - a stock 96 Disco does not have locking differentials - it has a lockable "center" diff which sends equal power to front and rear.
The light on the dash is not a 4x4 light - you have permanent 4 wheel drive - it only indicates that the center diff has been locked.
There is no slip dtection on the center diff - it is either locked or unlocked regardless of conditons.
Anyway - with that being said - if the diff lock light flickers - like you said, it could be electrical, or a bulb - it is just about impossible to "flicker" in and out of diff lock unless you have some linkage issues (discussed many times here).
Bill |
Blue (Bluegill)
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 02, 2002 - 12:41 pm: |
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when you shift the console lever from the right (unlocked) to left (locked), the little yellow dash light should come on. Since you're actually working the linkage (as opposed to pressing a little dash button), it may take a moment for the light to come on, and it may take a little fore or aft wheel movement to work it into a locked condition.
like Bill said, all the "locking" we're talking about is only locking the center differential (you have three diffs - front @ axle, center transfer case, and rear @ axle). To get the actual axle diffs to lock, you have to install an aftermarket locker. Locking the center differential distributes power equally to the front & rear axles, as opposed to unlocked which gives about 60% to the rear under normal driving conditions, but distributes power front or rear as needed. When you're unlocked, you'll find that the front wheels will spin on a loose hillclimb because the unlocked center diff is sending most of the power to the tractionless front axle. |
Howard houston
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 02, 2002 - 01:03 pm: |
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yes i do understand this entire concept i worded it wrong. thanks for all the info, but any reasons why my "center" differential is not locking? do u think it is a linkage problem? the shifter doesn't just flop around, there is some resistance to moviing it over. how can i tell? should i remove the boot to see? our warranty is expired and the dealership labor is $70/hour, haha so u can see why i'm asking |
jp
| | Posted on Saturday, October 05, 2002 - 10:15 am: |
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How do you know its not locking? Tested how? On loose surfaces, not obvious, on paving, things should start to wind up and gte unpleasant fairly quickly. The light maybe a switch failure underneath on the t/case, or could be some slack in the locking linkage also. |
Jess Brandt (Disco285)
| | Posted on Saturday, October 05, 2002 - 10:43 am: |
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only $70/hour...not bad @ all my dealership in ATL is $85~$90...
LOL
later |
scubaman99
| | Posted on Saturday, October 05, 2002 - 10:44 am: |
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howard
i have 95 and it's had a CDL had a problem engaging as well. after about 3 hrs worth of labor ($300) the problem was solved. it turns out there are couple of areas to look at. (get a manual and check it out if you want to trace the exact possible points of failure)
1. there are two different solinoids to check one in the shifter and one on the actual CDL. those can go bad preventing your CDL from engaging
2. if those are "okay" then check the condition of your wire looms in the passenger kick panel area (just below your glove box... sorry i dont know exactly which one of the gazillion is the one, but if you get a manual you can check the wire colors)
mine turned out to be a croded wire loom in the passenger kick panel area. my disco has the infamous "water leaks in the passenger foot well any time it gets wet". what had happend is over time, all the wires in that area get drenched, and eventually one of the big looms that has something to do with the soloniods ended up shorting out... AKA CDL wont engage. so my mechanic cut the loom off and soldered all the wires together eliminating the loom, and the shorted section.
he showed me exactly what he did and it was a pain in the ass from what i can tell. |
Rob Davison (Pokerob)
| | Posted on Saturday, October 05, 2002 - 11:00 am: |
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soloniods???? it is a mechanical device, your mechanic lied to you. maybe the "light" wouldn't come on but the light is just a reminder. it has nothing to do with the mechanics of sliding the lever over and engaging center diff lock.
this sounds like the classic CDL sieze up. you will have to take aoatr the coverings and get to the linkage and lube it or dissasemble it until it becomes free.
rd |
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