So, I’ve had a recurring “Transmission Fault - Traction Reduced” error message at startup for months now due to my locking rear diff stuck in the open position. It seems the vehicle tests it at startup each time and evaluates whether or not it’s operational.

Since mine was sticking, it threw the error each time it was started. I have noticed for a while it would also struggle to open after coming to a complete stop then making a 90 deg left turn; it would make a rumble until it could unlock fully. At first I thought it was the ABS activating but if the transmission fault message was thrown and the diff lock motor was deactivated it never would rumble on turns. So I knew it was the locker.

If I ever needed my rear locker for off roading I could crawl underneath and smack the motor housing with a hammer a couple of times to break it loose. It would usually work for a few climbs then bind again but could get me through some tough spots if needed. It always came back quickly however.

I’m very frugal and since I bought this rig for only $5000, I’m not going to pay $1000 to get a new factory motor installed. I generally look for the DIY fix first before replacing parts and even then I’m going to do it myself. In my research I figured out that the likely culprit was the bearing and wheel at the far end of the motor which rested inside a bulge in the housing. I heard of someone drilling out someone drilling out somewhere on the housing and spraying lube inside but didn’t know exactly where. So I made an educated guess and decided to test the theory myself.





I crawled under the rear of the vehicle under the rear diff. Above the diff, on the right side is the “bulge” in the housing where the wheel and bearing were located. I wriggled my drill up there and slowly worked it until it broke through, trying to keep any debris from getting shoved inside once the bit broke through. There seems to be enough space that you don’t have to worry too much about drilling into the actual motor bearing. I then got a bottle of lube with a straw and shot a fair amount of lube in there. But not so much it flooded the unit.





Ever since doing this procedure I have struggled to hear a single sign of it binding. I have done one fairly technical off road outing, the majority on off-road mode which seems to make the locker activate more easily. So far there’s still no transmission fault on startup!

My next step, if this didn’t work, was to attempt to remove the black motor housing WITHOUT removing the entire locker motor. It seems the bolts are accessible enough that it can be done. I haven’t had to go that far yet. I also just covered the hole with duct tape as I tested it so I could reapply if necessary. I will soon cover in JB Weld epoxy putty to restore its waterproof state.

Hope this helps someone else out and possibly saves them a few hundred dollars!

 

It will be a temp fix as lubrication on the brushes, which is where it will end up, will muck it all up. But at least it seems to help and since its already not working, really does not matter if it buys you some time. Of course seal that hole otherwise water will get in. Also OEM new actuators are not $1k unless buying from a scammer. And yes, you can remove the black housing but you will never, ever get it back together under there. Its just easier to remove the entire actual and gear assembly. Its only four bolts and its not hard to do.

 

@DakotaTravler I thought of you when going through some of this as I've seen a number of posts from you on this subject. Can you fill me in on why it's so hard to put the black cover back on "in situ"? It SEEMS like it would just slide off/on with the bolts removed. I obviously haven't tried it so I'd love to know what the pitfalls may be if I were to mess with it. I get that it may just be easier to remove the whole thing but more in the interest of trying things I'd like to figure out how all of this works.

I also read elsewhere that a guy who disassembled one of these saw a bunch of worn dusty material on what he described as a braking mechanism which led to it all sticking. Do you know what he is referring to?

 

Magnets. The black housing has em and then you have the motor core. They want to connect so its tricky to get it all lined on the bench, not hard just tricky. But under the truck? I can't imagine it would be easy. As for a braking mechanism, there is none that I know of so not sure what that person even means. The actuator and gear housing contain is basically the very strong electric motor which drives the gears you can see in my thread below. The motor is a stepper motor and the gearing does not spin like some sorta motor, the motor basically drives the clutches into variable degrees of engagement (pressure) from non to full lock and everything in between. So when stuck you can end up with the diff in partial engagement, which of course can wear down the clutch pack in the diff.

https://landroverforums.com/forum/lr...ection-101515/