Ive got a recently acquired 96 disco 1 that ive been using for light offroad/adventure duty, and I recently realized I never see any dash lights lit up when using my CDL or engaging 4lo. I see some spots in the cluster for 4wd engagement type lights, but they've never come on with use of the shifter in low gear or lock, or even with key on when the vehicle lights up all of its dash lights.

Short of pulling the cluster and checking the bulb, is the car supposed to illuminate those lights with the key in the on position along with the cel, battery, etc?

A second possibky related question... I blew a rear wheel bearing and long story short, threw the car in center lock to roll it out of my garage with one of the axle shafts removed and got no motion of the vehicle... Is my lock not engaging? With an axle shaft pulled from the rear of the car and the lock engaged, I should be able to move the vehicle with the front wheels, no?

Thanks in advance!

 

The light is supposed to come on in hi/lo locked. There is the bulb in the dash so check that and it's activated by a switch on the transfer case. Real fun to get to, you can either reach up on top of the transfer case from underneath or remove the console and all it's goodness to get a peek at the switch from on top. The light doesn't effect the operation of the transfer case, just a reminder. Yes, if the transfer case is locked it should move the front wheels without regard for what's connected or not in the back. Being that the CDL is 21 years old and British I'd be interested to see what's what.

 

Well, I did a bit more poking around and investigating with my issues. I pulled the cluster and verified that the bulb does in fact work, so that eliminated that issue. I then raised the car up on a hoist and checked the for output from the transfer case. With the car in gear and the CDL unlocked, the car will power a rear wheel with no issue and the fronts will kind of just roll along, as to be expected. But with the CDL locked, i barely get anything out of the front output of the transfer case... The rear wheel is moving along as normal, but the front will just occasionally "tick" forward( not an audible tick, but the wheels as well as the drive shaft just move a very small amount of rotation at a time). It looks like I've got something buggered up.... I haven't yet pulled the center console and checked the linkage for issue, but it moves very very freely, and from the bottom of the car I was able to put a screwdriver and manually push on the pivot linkage on the CDL lock and it appears to move all the way and correctly.

Is there an adjustment on the linkage that could be off, causing the CDL not to engage all the way? Anything that might wear out and cause it to fail to reach full actuation? I see that the center pivot bolt on the vertical portion of the linkage(I hope this makes sense)does thread in to the housing and have a lock nut so theoretically that is an adjustment of some sort

My next question, the CDL is a mechanical lock, correct? I did a fluid service recently so I don't think its low, but if it was a viscous coupling, it might behave this way if the level is off.

Next questions, is there anything electrical that needs to be operating for the CDL to engage? I know there is a switch on the side of the t-case but I'm under the impression it only exists to let the car know it is in lock and light up the dash.

Fingers crossed...

 

The light only exists to let YOU know the CDL is locked. No viscous. I'd think the problem is with the shifter itself. Something buggered up would make a buggered up noise which you have none. The CDL is purely mechanical. No solenoids, no hydraulics, no motor actuators. Check the physical condition of the shifter meaning the physical condition within it's housing. When it's working properly you'll feel the transfer case engage, the shifter will not breeze through without you feeling the engagement of the shift dog in the t-case. What I think is happening is the shifter is not allowing full motion of the dog, only a partial hence the hesitation of the front shaft. You need a copy of the "Rave" = Service Manual. It's in the troubleshooting section.

 

these should help understand the inner workings...