Sometime between Thanksgiving and Xmas I was playing around w/ a friend's borrowed Nanocom. Definitely changed settings in BCU and SLABS. I was trying to figure out why my key could be removed with the car off but in any gear (I posted about this), not just with the gearshift selector in park as it's designed in the NA market. Anyway, I never did figure that out.

Fast Forward: Tonight in the snow tried to get the Disco into Low Range and I'll be damned if the transfer case shifter won't move, at all (even in Neutral, even when slightly moving). It is like it's blocked. So guessing this is related electrically to the transfer case solenoid. The H-N-L lever always moved very easily on this truck (well exercised mechanism, I don't think it's a frozen linkage from lack of use in other words).

My question: If I selected the wrong option in the below BCU options, would it cause this? I can't remember but *might* have had it in NONE or NO TRANSF when I saved the settings. Oops. Would that then cause the solenoid not to disengage and thus keep my Disco 100% stuck in High? Problem is I no longer have Nanocom access so before I pay $500 for one or rent it, or start ripping out the solenoid, just curious...

I checked all relevant fuses. (pass fusebox 20, 21, 25, & underhood 13)

TRANSM-LOCK-WARN 

*  Shift interlock: Certain market legislations require that an vehicle must be in neutral or 
park before removal of the ignition key is allowed, the BCU therefore, is able to be programmed to control solenoids for this purpose. Available options are:
*  The vehicle is not fitted with a shift interlock solenoid (NONE). 

*  The vehicle is fitted with both shift interlock and transfer box interlock solenoids 
(SHIFT). 

*  The vehicle is fitted with a shift interlock but no transfer box interlock solenoid (NO 
TRANSF). 


 

The transfer case shift lever is only mechanically attached to the case. Most likely you need to spray down the underside of the lever with PB blaster and work it slowly back and forth. Don’t force it to hard. The BCU does not control any mechanism to prevent the shift lever from moving.

 

Not true. There is an interlock solenoid on the high-low shift. Whether it is affected by the BCU is a question I cannot answer, but it seems likely given the circumstances.

RAVE, page 41-17 (emphasis added):
"A ... boss provides for the location of the high/low range cable. The cable is attached to a plate which moves in a forward or rearward direction with the selector lever. On North American and Japanese specification models, plate movement is prevented by an interlock solenoid when the ignition key is not in the ignition."

 

Learned something new, thanks for pointing that out.

 

 

Thanks all. So if I have it in the wrong setting, would it cause this ?

 

Update: I sucked it up and paid the $500 for a Nanocom, will be here next week. So I'll report back then ... !

From reading RAVE and electrical diagrams, it sounds like this transfer case solenoid/interlock is only energized when in neutral and key is in... so ... if I coded it incorrectly to say there is no component, then it would remain stuck in the locked position, rendering me unable to shift from H into N (and thus into L) because it remains locked out.

What fun.

 

Only thing which seems odd to me. It mentions both the Transmission Interlock & TC Interlock listed under the same setting. If the setting was indeed wrong wouldn't it also not come out of Park?

 

It is a bit odd but here's how I'm reading it ...

*  The vehicle is not fitted with a shift interlock solenoid (NONE). 
 -- this means that the Disco does not have the park interlock (gearbox) or the transfer case interlock

*  The vehicle is fitted with both shift interlock and transfer box interlock solenoids 
(SHIFT). 
 -- this is what I think most NA Discos have, both

*  The vehicle is fitted with a shift interlock but no transfer box interlock solenoid (NO 
TRANSF). 
 -- this is what I think I may have accidentally selected on mine, because if the car doesn't try to energize the transfer case solenoid, it will remain "locked".