Last week I climbed under my 2000 D2 with a 10mm wrench and enguaged the CDL, looked on the dash and the CDL light was on, I was very excited. I built a lever to help switch the CDL on and off from the side of the truck, attached it and the CDL dash light came on...more great news. Went out on a dirt road to try the locked centre diff out for the first time in this trucks life. enguaged my little switch lever but no dash light. put it in drive and went forward a few feet and no dash light.
If I'm nto seeing a dash light the CDL is not enguaged correct? Is there a small chance that the dash light isn't working? If so how do I know I'm in CDL mode or not?
THanks for any help.

FYI I also tried switching to CDL when the truck was off then started it but no CDL light and no ABS,TC,HD lights.

 

Would be strange for all your lights to go out at once. Try it again with truck off and let us know results.

 

Without CDL engaged "Unlocked"
If you get one wheel off the ground and spinning or spinning for what ever reason, all the other wheels will wait, and not move you until that wheel gets traction. Traction Control may keep this from being 100% true as the ABS breaking will attempt to do its magic and get things moving, and is why LR did away with CDL when the TC system was added in the D2.

With CDL engaged "Locked"
In the same scenario, the other wheel on the same axle as the spinning wheel will wait on the spinning wheel to gain traction (because of the differential), but since the front and rear axles are "locked" to work independent of each other. (Deactivating the center differential that ties the front and rear axles together), the axle with the non-spinning wheel will function as normal and move you forward.

There may be others who can explain it better, but this is the general idea.

 

The 3 amigos will come on if, with the CDL engaged you shut off the engine and then restart, that is normal.
Don't mess with it till you are actually going to do wheeling, then engage it play and when you get back to the main road, disengage the CDL before shutting off the engine.

 

THanks guys, I took it back to a dirt road and the CDL light came on and then off when I switched it back. But now after enguaging the CDL for probably the first time in this trucks life, I'm hearing a creeking,squeeking noise from under the truck. I drove around my neighborhood very slowly (CDL off) and it's creeking and squeking, speeds up as I speed up. The truck runs fine and feels fine but I'm hearing the noise. could this be something bad happening within the t case after not useing the CDL for 12 years.
No strange feel in drive or opporation just that sound. It doesn't do it in neutral either.

 

You may just be paranoid. I highly doubt its the T-Case. How's your front prop shaft? Has it been serviced recently? Has it been rebuilt w/ greasable u-joints?

Wait. I just re-read your post. Can you elaborate on the part where you mention "it doesn't do it in neutral either" ?

 

Sometimes you will get one to stiffin up from never being used but once you work it a bit it tends to free up and never give anymore problems grease it up and work it a little bit. If your listening for a noise sometimes your mind will play a trick on you. But do share more info on neutral and no noise.

 

I'll drive it for a bit and see if the noise goes away. It's definetly a noise. Us LR drivers have an accute hearing with our trucks. We hear new noises.

 

re: We hear new noises.

Especially the rustle of Ben Franklins falling out of the wallet at a rapid rate....

 

First, before doing anything, has your front drive shaft ever been rebuilt and how often do you grease all 6 of the fittings.
If the shaft is original, do not drive it or you can loose your tranny when the shaft lets go,