I'm just going to throw this out here, I've been searching for answers and can't find anything. I have a 2000 LC and when I press the CDL button, nothing happens. I don't get lights, I don't hear a relay click on the passenger side, its dead in the water. I ordered the indicator switch for good measures and will install it, but I don't feel like anything is engaging. Any thoughts?
Center Differential Lock Transfer Indicator Switch Problem (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Kigiin
- Start date
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So I did this fix today.
I had the symptom where I click the center locker button, I hear a sound of something engaging but the light never turns on on the dash. When I drive in circles I can feel the diff is locked so the mechanicals were working just not the electronics. I didn't think the light bulb on the dash was dead as nobody uses this thing so I thought it might be the switch. Also, when I start up the car I notice all the lights like engine warning light or ABS light come on but the center diff light doesn't come on, so I found that odd and thought maybe the light bulb went bad but then decided to tackle the switch first before the dash bulb.
I'm glad to say it worked, but it was a pain in the a$ to access that switch.
Some advice:
- Get a 12" 27mm wrench. I don't think anything longer would of worked easily.
- I bent the heat shield above the cat down a little when working on the switch, to prevent it cutting into me, then bent it back when I'm done.
- Lie down perpendicular to the length of the car, with your head pointing on the passenger side's door. This allows you to use both hands touching the switch.
- At first I thought my 27mm wrench was too big and loose as it was not "biting onto" the sensor's hex. Lying down perpendicular to the length of the car and using two hands, with left hand touching the sensor and holding the circular part of the wrench, and right hand applying the torque, this worked best. You cannot see anything but using feel my left hand was able make sure I was able to securely mount the whole wrench into the Hex of the switch. When I didn't have my second hand the wrench kept getting loose and moving around.
- Before inserting the new switch, make sure the electrical pins are "straight". If it's bent you will never be able to get the connector on.
- Electrical connector was hard to remove. I had to "press" it down and the press clip was facing away so you cannot see it. After you press it down and jerk it up a little, it makes a "click" sound and unlocks delicately and then you can spend more of your energy forcing the thing up. If you're not careful the clip will lock again, so just press it down again.
- When I took the original switch off it didn't have a washer that came off. I decided not to put the washer that came with my new switch on, as I thought it might have welded/rusted onto the transfer case surface. I was afraid if I put the washer the tolerance for the switch will be too "high" and not engage...
This video is a good tutorial. I used.
There are 3 switches it appears on the transfer case. I replace the one in the video and in this thread. If you are looking at the transfer case from the front of the car, the sensor is on the 11 o'clock side.
Putting the car into Drive, I press the lock button. And low and behold the lights come one!
And when I press the button again it turns off!
So confirmed it works.
I had the symptom where I click the center locker button, I hear a sound of something engaging but the light never turns on on the dash. When I drive in circles I can feel the diff is locked so the mechanicals were working just not the electronics. I didn't think the light bulb on the dash was dead as nobody uses this thing so I thought it might be the switch. Also, when I start up the car I notice all the lights like engine warning light or ABS light come on but the center diff light doesn't come on, so I found that odd and thought maybe the light bulb went bad but then decided to tackle the switch first before the dash bulb.
I'm glad to say it worked, but it was a pain in the a$ to access that switch.
Some advice:
- Get a 12" 27mm wrench. I don't think anything longer would of worked easily.
- I bent the heat shield above the cat down a little when working on the switch, to prevent it cutting into me, then bent it back when I'm done.
- Lie down perpendicular to the length of the car, with your head pointing on the passenger side's door. This allows you to use both hands touching the switch.
- At first I thought my 27mm wrench was too big and loose as it was not "biting onto" the sensor's hex. Lying down perpendicular to the length of the car and using two hands, with left hand touching the sensor and holding the circular part of the wrench, and right hand applying the torque, this worked best. You cannot see anything but using feel my left hand was able make sure I was able to securely mount the whole wrench into the Hex of the switch. When I didn't have my second hand the wrench kept getting loose and moving around.
- Before inserting the new switch, make sure the electrical pins are "straight". If it's bent you will never be able to get the connector on.
- Electrical connector was hard to remove. I had to "press" it down and the press clip was facing away so you cannot see it. After you press it down and jerk it up a little, it makes a "click" sound and unlocks delicately and then you can spend more of your energy forcing the thing up. If you're not careful the clip will lock again, so just press it down again.
- When I took the original switch off it didn't have a washer that came off. I decided not to put the washer that came with my new switch on, as I thought it might have welded/rusted onto the transfer case surface. I was afraid if I put the washer the tolerance for the switch will be too "high" and not engage...
This video is a good tutorial. I used.
There are 3 switches it appears on the transfer case. I replace the one in the video and in this thread. If you are looking at the transfer case from the front of the car, the sensor is on the 11 o'clock side.
Putting the car into Drive, I press the lock button. And low and behold the lights come one!
And when I press the button again it turns off!
So confirmed it works.
xeuxaz
SILVER Star
What's the part number on the switch?
hoser
SILVER Star
Often the switch isn’t broken. Just needs to be pulled off and exercised.
