Issues with the center diff and rear diff lock,advice needed.

[Styyy]

Well 2 weeks ago I joined the Mitsu community and picked up a 1995 SR with 158,000 miles. First night I pulled the running boards off ,then put a set of 31 inch tires I has for my Scout 800a on the factory wheels. Next I replaced the rear sway bar endlinks,one was broken. Today I put 4 new Bilsteins in. Shakedown went great. So I decided to see if the 4WD,diffs were working correctly.
2wd to 4wd was ok,but when shifting to 4wdlc the center diff lock light just kept flashing? and rear diff lock wouldnt light when hitting the switch?
Where do I start troubleshooting? I believe the previous owner rarely used the diff locks.
I have downloaded the FSM and will look at it tomorrow ,but any advice would be appreciated.
cheers,
Jerry

 

[Styyy]

Oh I did a search but didnt really find any pertinent info.

 

[nckwltn]

it might be that the sensors that recognize when the center is locked are stuck/malfunctioning/broken.

I have a '99, and I'm pretty sure the center lock is a mechanical one. Meaning that the engagement of the center lock is fully dependent on the position of the transfer case selection lever. This is opposed to the rear diff that requires an electrical relay to active a pump to lock the rear.


So, if you have the lever in the right spot, it actually probably is locked. Perhaps locking the center, and then driving around on some dirt roads/trails for 15-20 minutes to see if the possibly unused sensor regains it's mojo and figures out the center actually is locked.

I don't exactly recall, but does the rear locker require the center locker to be fully engaged first? If so, then you really do want that sensor to properly function

 

[JamesW]

If the 4wd system hasn't been used for a while it gets a bit sticky,put it in 4h first,and go a few meters forward then a few meters backward,keep repeating this until the 2 green lights at the front come on

Then put it to 4hlc and do the same again,you'll hear a click and the centre diff light will come on. it can take quite a while of going back and fourth for it to click in. and the Rear locker will only come on with the centre diff locked,so once the orange diff light comes on solid,the rear locker should be able to come on once you press the button.

 

[Styyy]

Great info. Ill try this. I also found the troubleshooting guide for the rear diff in the FSM. Havent found anything for the center diff yet?

 

[nwoods]

I had to work mine in to. When I bought mine I was told the gizmo in the front was out and it wouldn't engage in 4wd. It was just a little crusty.... And the light bulbs were out on the dash! I spent about an hour on a mild trail working the system in and out and it started operating smoothly.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Keep in mind that 90-95% of SUV owners will never even engage 4-lo, so the parts associated with it may literally be a bit rusty when you try to use it at first. My seller didn't even know what a diff lock was.

 

[eurosonic]

Yep rear locker works only if center is locked

 

[Styyy]

Ok,Ive got the 4wd working pretty smoothly. But I yet to get the center diff to fully engage,light keeps flashing,forward,reverse...
The ABS light came on temporarily but went off after stopping the car and turning it off? Brakes felt fine. Is there anything to lubricate or adjust to get the center diff to engage?
thanks

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Isn't the center diff just another term for the transfer case or are they actually 2 separate things?

 

[Styyy]

Not sure? All I know is in order for it to be fully engaged/locked the indicator light in the dash needs to be solid , then and only then I can lock the rear diff. I just want everything working as it should.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Not sure? All I know is in order for it to be fully engaged/locked the indicator light in the dash needs to be solid , then and only then I can lock the rear diff. I just want everything working as it should.

You probably don't need the rear diff lock for the winter, best bet is when it warms up to go through the entire 4wd system and clean/grease/chase wires to make sure it's 100% working.

 

[Styyy]

Mabey not for the winter,but def for the spring fishing on the beach. Im anal and dont want to discover somethings not working when I actually need it. Better sort things out in advance.
thanks,
Jerry

 

[Styyy]

Not sure why Mitsubihi calls it the "winter package" when they include the rear diff lock??

 

[off-roader]

Not sure why Mitsubihi calls it the "winter package" when they include the rear diff lock??

one word answer for that... "Marketing".

Also the center diff lock is a 'locker' in the transfer case. It locks both front and rear drive-train to ensure they spin at the same rate.