Flashing centre diff lock list avoid long drives?

[Nemo2]

I took my car for a long drive. After an hour the centre diff lock light started flashing. When I turn the engine off and start the engine, it stops flashing for a while. It only flashes after some time driving.

Does anybody have ideas what it could be starting with the easiest and cheapest first? I'm hoping that there's a sensor that needs cleaning and it's a case of unscrew, WD and wire brush.

My rear wheel lights are never on but I think it's the bulbs as it's an old car.

Should I avoid long drives until I can fix it?

[marcthelegend]

The simplest and cheapest "fix" is to simply drive in 4H, that's what i've been doing for a few years now without issue, don't notice an increase in fuel usage, have better control in the wet and don't have that damn flashing centre diff light after 20 minutes of driving either.

Otherwise, the simplest place to start is to uncover the front diff actuator (look for a rubber boot coming off the diff, pull it back and get someone to switch between 2H and 4H with the car running, you may have to get them to reverse slowly if it doesnt move .. if nothing happens at all, you'll need to replace the solenoids under the airbox.

If it does move in / out, then the likely culprit will be one of 5 sensors on top of the transfer case, I've heard they're a pain to access but TBH haven't had the problem so can't comment on what the job entails.

Hopefully its just a solenoid though!

Cheers,

Marc

[erad]

Nemo2:
To answer your question, I doubt that driving any great distances with the lights flashing will do any damage. The default setting for the system is 4WD, and to engage 2WD required some vacuum to disengage the front differential. As long as you don't have the centre diff lock engaged, all should be quite safe. If your CD lock does engage, you will know about it - the steering will get heavy and the car will groan and moan as the transmission binds up (the front wheels travel further than the rear wheels and eventually things will bind up noticeably).

I had the same problem with my NW manual transmission Pajero. The local dealer could not find anything wrong - no codes coming up on their MUTT diagnostic thingy (so they said anyway). Anyway, I had 2 new Hankook AT tyres on the rear and 2 original Bridgestone highway tread (OEM) on the front, all nominally the same size - 275/65/17. Whenever I engaged 4WD, particularly when towing my caravan, after a while the 4 green lights would go out and the orange CD light came on flashing. Stop and shut the engine off and the system would go back to normal for a while and then it would go silly again. The initial flashing would come on after quite a while and is almost seemed as if it were temperature related - the hotter it was outside, the quicker the lights came on. Eventually I drove most of the way on my caravan trip in 2WD and had no flashing lights.

As said above, the local dealer could find nothing wrong. I eventually bought 2 new Hankooks to match the others on the rear, and after a while, got to tow the caravan again. 3700 km later, towing in 4WD all the way and no lights come up. I have also bought an iCarsoft scan tool, and that has the facility to scan the transfer case. Lo and behold - 3 stored codes come up! Mismatch tyre sizes!; Switch 1 and Switch 3 codes also. I cannot clear these codes, but certainly the tyre size has been rectified, and 3700 km of towing seems to verify that. Not sure about Switch 1 and Switch 3, but nothing is showing on the instrument panel as I drive along so I am reasonably happy. How come I can find the codes but the dealer cannot??? Switch 1 and Switch 3 codes probably came up when I drove through some flood water near Longreach (well before the current drought). Possibly they had dirty contacts, but I cannot clear the codes to confirm this.

Interestingly, the iCarsoft tool clears some other codes but it will not clear the transfer case codes. I have approached the unit seller and he offered to send another unit for me to try, but thusfar it has not arrived so I cannot determine if the codes are real or not. I also have a Scangauge II scanner which is permanently plugged into the diagnostic socket. I use that to monitor boost, engine coolant temperature, volts and inlet air temperature, but although it can clear codes, it seem to monitor only the engine codes. I had an ABS code (abnormally low voltage) and the iCarsoft unit cleared that code for me.

[RUGGA]

.. if nothing happens at all, you'll need to replace the solenoids under the airbox.

Nemo, Everything you described is exactly what I had. Drive around town for a month and no probs, head out on a cruise of about 1/2 and what I think is more important - hills - and the light would flash. I knew that shifting from 2wd to 4wd worked cause I would drive to a beach and feel my rear wheels bogging in the sand, select 4wd, let lights stop flashing and away I go.

Like you I could have tried many things (God knows I have read every thing) but I took a $9.00 (on special in china somewhere) chance on the front diff solienoid, All Fixed.

You can test these solids by applying 12v to them, if they are ok you will hear them click.

This is by far the easiest route BUT you do learn a hell of a lot about your car and 4wd system when you look into every part that is involved.

[RUGGA]

What car do you have?

[Nemo2]

What car do you have?

I have a 2001 3.5l peteol V6 auto pajero. Thanks everyone. I'm going to have a look this week when I get time and see if I can figure it out. I'm going for a trip down to Margaret River from Perth this weekend so I'm glad it shouldn't cause any problems. Could it cause a problem if there's a vac leak and I'm in 2wd?

[Boo Boo]

i had the same problem and found the diaphragm in the front diff acuator had failed, I bought a second hand actuator from a wreckers and I have not had the problem for the last 2 and a half years.

I found it by pulling back the rubber boot that covers the actuator shaft to see if it was moving whilst someone in the car angaged and disengaged the 2 - 4H lever. It was not moving so this is where I started looking.

[RUGGA]

Could it cause a problem if there's a vac leak and I'm in 2wd?

No. The way the system works, it always wants to be in 4H. When you start the car your vacuum operated actuator pulls across and holds it in 2H any loss of vac will return to 4H.

To save yourself any stress, just put it in 4H and you “shouldn’t” see the lights at all on your trip.



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