Centre Diff Lock sticking in (D1)

[Thommo]

Hi knowledgeable ones, can someone throw some info at me, I have looked at the RAVE "oracle" but does not seem to give me any ideas!

I have always had the CDL light remain illuminated for about 10 - 20 seconds after disengaging, I have been lead to believe this is "Normal" (True or False).

Did a big drive on the sand yesterday with CDL engaged in High Range for a couple of hours. Finally back on the hard stuff and could not get CDL light to go out after repeated attempts. Believing it to be a "sticky light" and knowing I have disengaged it correctly (everything shifted OK and felt like it had all dropped in place through the drive line) off I went?????

Things just did not seem right, motor/drive line appeared to be labouring at about 3K rpm and felt like (or me just being paranoid) drive line was binding ???

NOT GOOD I think to myself and after several more attempts and about 30 - 40 klms of stop/start driving I jacked up a diff and started to check what was turning and what wasn't.

Eventually after spinning wheels and shafts by hand in various configurations and fault finding processes the CDL light goes out! (go figure).

My synopsis (wrong or right ?) for some reason the CDL selection is sticking in
and I obviously had it engaged for a few Klms on the hard stuff (not too many corners luckily). Does not sound or feel like I have done TOO much harm but not to sure what I should do from here? perhaps just a change of fluids with some gear additives to free everything up ??? Also a techo question someone might expand on ? when the CDL light is illuminated does it change the Engine Management configurations ? It just felt like the motor was running differently but could not quite put a finger on it (or is this just me being paranoid again?)

I have done a bit of a search but it appears most CDL problems are the opposite in that they don't engage or the CDL light does NOT come on when engaged?

Thanks
Thommo
D1V8ESman

[long stroke]

Have a look at the diff lock linkages, i have heard about problems with these seizing up if the diff lock doesn't get used much;)

CHEERS TIM.

[Tombie]

Sometimes to get it to disengage you may need to back up a little distance (on the soft stuff)...

The light is attached to the locking mechanism, if the light is on, the lock is in!!!

You should be fine...

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Tombie and long stroke are spot on,,

use it or lose it!!:p

[Thommo]

Thanks for the quick replies team.

I tried the backing up thing (and all other conceivable manoeuvres including standing on one leg whilst patting my tummy and head at the same time LOL).

Looks like I will have to venture underneath and try to access the linkages or am I best off going through the top looking at the pics on the RAVE CD. Hopefully the linkages will just need a good clean and re-grease?

I am thinking that perhaps previous owner did not do much 4x4ing hence it is all a bit sticky. What sort a damage/wear and tear is likely to have occurred to the centre diff (assuming I have driven about 30 - 40ks on the bitumen with it locked in), it all seems to be OK? Transfer has a minor leak (don't they all) but was not looking at pulling it out anytime soon.

Thanks
Thommo

[Tombie]

Thanks for the quick replies team.

I tried the backing up thing (and all other conceivable manoeuvres including standing on one leg whilst patting my tummy and head at the same time LOL).

Looks like I will have to venture underneath and try to access the linkages or am I best off going through the top looking at the pics on the RAVE CD. Hopefully the linkages will just need a good clean and re-grease?

I am thinking that perhaps previous owner did not do much 4x4ing hence it is all a bit sticky. What sort a damage/wear and tear is likely to have occurred to the centre diff (assuming I have driven about 30 - 40ks on the bitumen with it locked in), it all seems to be OK? Transfer has a minor leak (don't they all) but was not looking at pulling it out anytime soon.

Thanks
Thommo

If you can move the lever its not the linkages...

Could just be a bit tight inside from lack of use...

Some times they can be a bugger....

[Leo109]

The gurus will correct me if I'm wrong but I doubt a few tens of kms on a sealed surface will do much harm. A few hundred might be a different issue.

As others have mentioned, moving the lever from lock to unlock doesn't necessarily release the centre diff lock. It is a spring-loaded release mechanism and needs to be unloaded to 'pop' out of engagement once the lever is moved out of the engaged position.

Just occassionally they can be a real bugger to get to release - you have to reverse and drive forward and swivel the steering several times on a loose surface. But generally if you disengage just before, or not long after reaching a sealed surface and then change gears or load/unload (i.e. throttle on/throttle off) a couple of times it will drop out. And also as mentioned, the more you use it the less 'sticky' it seems to be.

Ian

Ian

[long stroke]

If you listen closely you should beable to hear it ingage and disengage (a little tink noise, spring loaded):)

TIM.

[extreme6.5]

Yep, I find the best way on my 01 defender is to disengage the diff lock with 50m or so to go on the soft stuff, then it pops out right away.If you need it in until back on the hard stuff the reversing trick usually works but occsionally I have needed 2/3 goes and that's reversing 50m or so....

[waynep]

I sometimes find that braking hard will disengage the CDL.

Seems to be fairly common for it to stay on for a while.