Did I break my center diff?

[oftpiste]

This makes sense. So practically speaking, when one either engages or disengages the center diff locker button, you must move a little bit (slowly and gently of course) and that is what will actually engage and disengage as well as make the indicator lights goo out.

What was making me wonder about things working proplery is that when the button is pushed indicator lights in the dash illuminate immediately, whereas they don't go out immediately when you push the button again. It's almost impossible to determine without relying on the indicator lights which position the button is ins.

I sure wish they put that thing somewhere else. It's right there where my knee god, and if I have the seat close to the wheel it's way to easy to know into the button when jumping into the car.

I'm in the PNW, and was in the mountains yesterday at near-zero temps.

The actuator is a pin that interlocks, or meshes with the gears. When you push the button the actuator will wait until it sees proper alignment with the hole, so it can lock the differential. This splits the power evenly between the front and rear axle. When it's locked, they can't turn at different speeds. That is why you get the tire chirp, or binding feel. When you unlock the center diff it's the same cycle as when you lock it. It waits until it senses the gears are aligned and there is no stress bound up in the drivetrain. It only unlocks when it can be done smoothly with no shocks, or violent unloading of tension.

I hope that helps!

 

[Lx470iH8Mud]

Wouldn't it be possible to swap the diff switch location with the hazard light? Rather bump that with my knee? Any thoughts as it's the same size and shape switch?

 

[DJWUZJ]

Wouldn't it be possible to swap the diff switch location with the hazard light? Rather bump that with my knee? Any thoughts as it's the same size and shape switch?

Confined that this will not work. The hazard and CDL switch are actually a part of the same unit, and cannot be reversed, flipped, etc

 

[2000UZJ]

Confined that this will not work. The hazard and CDL switch are actually a part of the same unit, and cannot be reversed, flipped, etc

With some extensions on the harness I would bet you could move the buttons to the passenger side. You'd have to dremel the blank plate and make a mount for the buttons but totally doable. It's a few wires, nothing crazy. I've never hit the button with my knee.

 

[yotasavg]

With some extensions on the harness I would bet you could move the buttons to the passenger side. You'd have to dremel the blank plate and make a mount for the buttons but totally doable. It's a few wires, nothing crazy. I've never hit the button with my knee.

Or even better you could get that button unit from a RHD 100... I believe the hazards and CDL buttons are where we have the blank, and visa versa. I feel like I've seen a pic or two like that...

I have a question though. This weekend I took my 100 up to some snow to try it out in winter conditions. It did so well it was boring... I guess that's a good thing. Coming down though, there were 100+ foot icy stretches with patches of pavement between. I went down this with the CDL open but was wishing it was locked. Would it have been ok to leave it locked in the future? Sweeping turns, but nothing tight, think more of a mountain highway.

 

[DJWUZJ]

My personal thought (could be wrong) is that you are better off learning its tendencies in the snow, and improving skills that way. This way you also aren't just waiting for opportune times to engage/disengage depending on conditions.

I grew up in upstate NY with gnarly lake effect snow. I drove a wrangler in 2wd 99% of the time in the stuff.

Ice is a whole different ball game...

 

[oftpiste]

back to the diff lock button.....

I was thinking maybe there's some kind of a hard plastic hood kind of thing with an opening at the top of just enough to push it while protecting it from errant knees.

something like these but smaller (duh!)

http://www.zorotools.com/g/00010994...kw={keyword}&gclid=CNzur92HprsCFZSCfgodqmkARg

http://www.grainger.com/product/SAF...NAL-Keypad-Cover-3FVR3?functionCode=P2IDP2PCP

 

[RobRed]

With some extensions on the harness I would bet you could move the buttons to the passenger side. You'd have to dremel the blank plate and make a mount for the buttons but totally doable. It's a few wires, nothing crazy. I've never hit the button with my knee.

It's part of the pcb for the HVAC.

 

[stridertexas]

I engaged the CDL while in high going about 20. Got up to about 35 and turned it off. The lights wouldn't go out til I slowed to under 10, then a narly loud thunk came and the lights went out. Is such a loud "thunk" normal? Left like someone hit a sledge hammer on the floor board behind me.

I'm a newbie, can you tell? : )

 

[Cfbrenton1]

Not normal. I usually hear nothing or almost nothing.

 

[SmoothLC]

Not normal. I usually hear nothing or almost nothing.

Right. Shouldn't hear a thing or "almost nothing".

 

[stridertexas]

The bang occurred when I did it on pavement as a test. Took her off road this weekend, and no noises at all. Guess it bound up pretty tight while on the pavement for about 1/4 mile.

 

[yotasavg]

Ya... I wouldn't do that on pavement with my truck, nor anyone else's. At least you know now!

 

[stridertexas]

I read in previous posts that as long as it was a straight line you could engage and disengage the CDL on dry pavement. Which is what I did.

So is the purpose of the CDL to really just be off road only? I thought under heavy rain/snow it was ok to engage it on pavement, but on dry pavement only as long as you drove in a straight line...

 

[yotasavg]

In theory that makes sense, I just wouldn't chance it for testing purposes. When there's patches of ice in the winter I'm very careful to not change direction too much where it's not slick, makes me nervous (with CDL engaged obviosly). I figure you're better off testing such things in the dirt, plus then you're already there to play