SO on my way home i tried to lock my diff up in order to give it a little work out. I had success getting it over once before and thought id be able to do it again today with minimal argument. Needless to say, it got almost all the way over but does not want to go in. So i gave up on tht pursuit but the light on the dash will not go off now that im back in HI.
The manual says to drive in reverse for a little and then go forward to un spool the trans? I did this, maybe 100ft in reverse and then foraward but the light wont go off. Am i not going far enough or have i gotten myself into a pickle?

gracias

 

When you tried to lock your diff, where you at a stand still, or were you rolling? for my disco it's ten times easier to do while rolling forward slowly. I would try to lock it again this time rolling forward (if you weren't before) and then disengage it, again rolling forward slowly when putting it back in high "unlocked". Might help, i know that's done the trick for me before.

 

Do you understand that LOCK versus UNLOCK is completely independent of HIGH versus LOW

While there is only one lever, it performs two completely independent functions.

Moving from fully right to fully left locks the center differential, whether you are in HIGH or LOW setting on the transfer case. Do not attempt to engage if any wheel is spinning or slipping (loss of traction condition).

You should be able to shift side-to-side in either high or low. sitting still or moving at any reasonable speed even cruising on the highway if conditions are slick. Do not engage CDL on dry pavement. If you do, when you turn from side to side you will damage the driveline.

To shift from HIGH to LOW or even from LOW back to HIGH , you must be in neutral with the transmission. That is if the solenoid is functioning properly. This is fore and aft movement of the shift lever. Totally seperate independent function of the same short lever. Wheter CDL is engaged or not. You should be able to go high to low or low to high regardless of Center Differential being locked or unlocked.

If the CDL shifting function is not working properly, you really should go ahead and remove the center console to allow you access to the mechanical linkages that actually perform the shifting function when you attempt to move the shifter side to side. The small parts and pieces tend to corrode with age and non-use. When this happens you loose the ability to properly engage and disengage and can cause severe damage quickly as well as loose the fantastic traction you get with CDL engaged.

Removing the center console is not highly difficult, just a pain to deal with. There are good write-ups on-line that walk you thru step-by-step.
So I won't go into great detail here. After you remove the center console completely, you drill out the rivets that hold the rubber boot in place so you can re-use it. Don't cut it like another member said he did. You can pop rivet it back in place upon reassembly.

There is a triangular looking piece at the bottom of the linkages that rotates when you move the lever side-to-side. This is the part that actually engages and disengages the internal piece that actually locks the center differential. There is also a plunger type switch that has to function to allow the CDL light on the dash to illuminate. I had to replace mine as well as replaced ALL of the little clevis pins, clips, locking washers involved. Clean everything real good. Fill the top box with the little gears in it with synthetic LUCAS RED Tractor gear lube to keep it from getting rusted up. Water tends to get in there if you ford deep water when off-roading.

The following pictures show the lower portion of the linkage (the true pivot point), two views of the top of the shifter with the console and the rubber boot removed, one of these looking down from the top. The last picture shows the secret trap door that exist under the carpets. That is when you use a drill and tin snips like I do to gain access. I have since installed a patch now that the CDL shifts properly.

It's really up to you, tear out the console and fix the damn linkage or ignore it and tear out the drive line. My way is about two grand cheaper.

 

you go dan!!

I did mine the lazy way, I drove in lock for several weeks, it locked.

Then it wouldn't unlock for about two miles of straight road.

Finally unlocked as I came to a stop with trans in neutral.

I then started using it every chance I got, (maybe 6 times a day)

Now works great, but if you think about it, it's spring pressure on the shifting fork, so if it's gummy, it's not going to move quickly.

With regular use, it'll free up - mine still hesitates to unlock, unless I slow down (30mph?)

Change your xfer case lube, that may help.

IF THE LIGHT'S ON - IT'S LOCKED

luck,greg

 

To each his own. I even saw one posting on another site where one guy really ****ed up his linkage pounding on the shifter with a sledge hammer, so he welded a broken handle from some old tool there, others have added another shifter so that one shifts the CDL and the other shifts HI/LOW.

If the linkages are "barely" stuck, they will improve with use. However, that does not really resolve a stuck linkage caused by corrosion like mine had.. If I was going to take it off-road, I definitely would go thru the trouble of removing the console and resolving the problem. If you're not off-roading you don't really need it anyway. Also, tearing it down allows you to further waterproof it before going off-road. Now I fully understand how mine works and it is well lubed and works very well.

What would be really bad was if the light did not come on, but the CDL was actually locked or not fully unlocked.

Put whatever effort in it that you feel it is worth. Personally I have a lot more time than Money to invest in keeping mine going.

 

Ive learned there is no real correlation between the little light on the dash and the diff being actually locked... Sometimes i can engage the diff lock (and feel the difference once its locked) and the light still isn't on.. Other times it will come on and wont go out once back unlocked... Ive learned to treat the light as a general "may or may not" be locked indicator.

 

[QUOTE=Danny Lee 97 Disco;193358]To each his own. I even saw one posting on another site where one guy really ****ed up his linkage pounding on the shifter with a sledge hammer, so he welded a broken handle from some old tool there, others have added another shifter so that one shifts the CDL and the other shifts HI/LOW.


What would be really bad was if the light did not come on, but the CDL was actually locked or not fully unlocked.

Dan several years ago, I took mine apart and freed the linkage, but it would not lock.

As I've stated b/4, I'm lazy, so I wasn't doing it again until/unless I had to.

I realized the fork is driven by a heavy spring inside the case, so I started the to leave it in lock for a period of time..

It finally turned on the light (activated by the fork moving, not the external linkage)

As I said, it reacted sluggish at first, but now works as it should.

I need a trip to the mall to try it out in the flowerbeds.

BAJA, if the switch for the light is sticking, it may not shut off in unlock.

luck,greg

 

Greg,

That's cool, but I just think that telling someone to leave it is engaged is couting a potential disaster if it should suddenly engage driving at speed on pavement. If you turn with it engaged as such, won't it create havoc within the driveline?

Another simple question regarding the CDL Switch, does it merely activate the light when engaged or will a open switch prevent CDL from working?

Mine old switch read open circuit with plunger in either position. Now since replacing switch and lubing the linkage as well as replacing all the little pieces, mine is working great.

 

I believe the lock "winding up" the drivetrain is a function of the difference in F/R tire radius to ground based on lower front pressure (1/4"?)

The manual says lock/unlock any speed & not to corner on pavement. (as you know, the rear tires in a turn travel a shorter distance than the front, the sharper, the worse)

Remembering the yoke that locks it is pushed back and forth by a spring, if the locking collar is bound up, the spring has more difficulty pushing it to unlock.

When it "winds up", depending on the duration, it could be torsional bound all the way out to the tires.

It can/will break something, or spin the wheel to relieve the twist.

The "cdl" light switch is just a push to close type switch, as the cdl yoke slides back on the shaft, a bevel on the yoke contacts the switch, closing it and activating the light.

Guys have said their cdl is locked, but the light is on, I imagine it's sticking

The sw only works the light, you may also have a solenoid that locks out low range if you're trying to shift while the trans is in gear. "shiftlock solenoid"

We also have a beeper that sounds when hi/lo is in neutral.

I haven't turned sharply in lock (won't on pavement), but compared to my pathfinder that had limited-slip front/rear, lock on these is subtle. (open diffs)

luck,greg

 

So the light was def on, but the diff wasnt locked. I drove it to work yesterday because i was pretty sure it was safe. By the time i got off the highway the light had gone off. This leads me to believe that that spring you guys are describing as well as the rest of the linkage is probably pretty gummed up and corroded. So this may warrant a taking apart and lubing up.

As far as the diff lock shifter is concerned, i have never needed it as i havent done any off roading but i just figure that if i have a truck that does something that cool, i want it to work. I did NOT realize that the car could be locked from high or low, i thought it had to go through the neutral gate in order to to the left and then you select high or low. Which explains a lot of my issue trying to get the diff to walk over to the left side. I'll do some more playing with it over the weekend. But i think it's loose enough where i can get it in there with out having to tear everything apart.

Cross your fingers, hopefully i dont get it stuck in lock.

Thanks