Rear diff locker wont disengage

[nmt252355]

My son and I purchased a 1998 TLC. The previous owner had done a lot of bush mechanic electrical wiring with aftermarket lights, a brake controller for a trailer, and some other "odd" electric items with wire nuts, in-line splices, etc.. some aftermarket wiring spliced into factory wires, random crap tied into the left kick plate fuse panel...a real can of worms

In our attempt to remove some of the rats nest and start fresh with wiring, the rear diff lock has engaged. 100% positive on that. The rear tires chirp/skip when driving around our cul-du-sac, but track/rotate normal when straight. The front wheels operate normal while turning.

We turned the diff switch to 'off'...still locked. Unplugged the harness from the back of the switch... still locked. Pulled the fuse (27)... still locked.

Any suggestions on how to unlock it so we can at least get it to our local LC mechanic and let the pros figure out this terrible wiring.

 

[SmoothLC]

My son and I purchased a 1998 TLC. The previous owner had done a lot of bush mechanic electrical wiring with aftermarket lights, a brake controller for a trailer, and some other "odd" electric items with wire nuts, in-line splices, etc.. some aftermarket wiring spliced into factory wires, random crap tied into the left kick plate fuse panel...a real can of worms

In our attempt to remove some of the rats nest and start fresh with wiring, the rear diff lock has engaged. 100% positive on that. The rear tires chirp/skip when driving around our cul-du-sac, but track/rotate normal when straight. The front wheels operate normal while turning.

We turned the diff switch to 'off'...still locked. Unplugged the harness from the back of the switch... still locked. Pulled the fuse (27)... still locked.

Any suggestions on how to unlock it so we can at least get it to our local LC mechanic and let the pros figure out this terrible wiring.

Sounds like a real conundrum. You may try taking it off road or on dirt and do some figure 8s to see if that might unlock the diff. That's often been suggested and has worked for me when my first diff hadn't been engaged much over time. (Eventually I just had to replace it.)

 

[Trapper50cal]

Yup, that’s what I was going to suggest.

 

[SteveH]

Worst case, remove the actuator and slide the sleeve back to free the axles. Then figure out if the actuator 'actuates' or not. You might jack up one side and rotate the wheel back and forth while you disengage the locker a few times, to see if that frees it.