the_chosen_family

the_chosen_family

New Member
Guy's & Girls I have a question.

I am very new to the whole Land Rover business and I am trying to learn as I go.

How do I know that the diff lock is engaged on my Disco as there is no light in the dash. :eek:

I mean I can push the selector to the left but how do I know it's working.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Regards

Steve
 
do a search for diff lock, there is loads on here. you basically jack up the front and try to turn wheels. i dunno. something like that. its been covered loads. your light prob aint working due to the sensor being crudded up or your bulb has gone.

G
 
Many thanks.

However I did look on the dash and I cannot find any diff lock signs on the dash at all. Not just one that was not lighting up.
 
should be there somewhere... well i assume so, but i dunno, i own a 90 :) if it is there you know what it looks like?
 
the_chosen_family said:
Many thanks.

However I did look on the dash and I cannot find any diff lock signs on the dash at all. Not just one that was not lighting up.
Click to expand...

It's been a long time since I owned a 200Tdi so bear with me if I get this wrong. If memory serves me correctly the diff lock light should be directly below the glow plug one. It should be amber in colour (when lit) and looks rather like an "H" but with little wheels at the top and bottom of the vertical bars.. If it really doesn't light up then for peace of mind you need to find out why and fix it because disengaging the diff lock via the knob doesn't guarantee the lock has actually disengaged. The light will only go out when it has actually disengaged. Assuming the lock is disengaged when it's not really can be very embarrassing and extremely expensive :mad:

To test it it's on: Jack up the front of the vehicle. Engage the diff lock and put the handbrake on. Try to rotate one of the front wheels ~ they shouldn't rotate. Let the handbrake off and (carefully) try to rotate the wheel again ~ it should try to move the whole vehicle (hence the careful attempt at rotation).

To check it had disengaged: Disengage the diff lock and put the handbrake on. Rotating one of the front wheels should cause the other to rotate in the opposite direction.

HTH :)
 
Moving the knob only invites the diff lock to come on, so put it on the try driving a short distance like a few meters. The light should then be on. if not then you need to look further.
 
quote:
To test it it's on: Jack up the front of the vehicle. Engage the diff lock and put the handbrake on. Try to rotate one of the front wheels ~ they shouldn't rotate. Let the handbrake off and (carefully) try to rotate the wheel again ~ it should try to move the whole vehicle (hence the careful attempt at rotation).

To check it had disengaged: Disengage the diff lock and put the handbrake on. Rotating one of the front wheels should cause the other to rotate in the opposite direction.
Unquote

No no no ....

This will NOT work if BOTH front wheels are off the ground because turning one whel one way with the prop-shaft (and hence the differential in the axle) locked, will merely turn the other wheel on the same axle the other way.

THE way to tell if a 4wheel drive like a Landy has the centre diff locked is to get the front end (or back end - it doesn't matter) raised on a trolley jack which is pointing where the car is pointing, with both wheels clear of the ground.
FIRST, with the centre diff NOT locked, very gently try to drive forward a foot in first gear. If the centre diff is free, the front wheels will simply spin and the car will not move. DO NOT TRY THIS WITH MORE THAN TICKOVER REVS!

SECOND, with the gears in neutral, lock the centre diff. Again, at tickover speed only, clutch down, engage first gear, and even with the front wheels right off the ground (trolley jack, remember?) the car will try to move forward when you ease the clutch up gently.

This must be done with great care or damage / injury can result, but it PROVES if the centre diff is locking up.

If the centre diff is free, i.e NOT locked, if any ONE wheel slips you lose all drive to all 4 wheels. Locking the centre diff means if any one wheel slips, you lose drive only to the axle the slipping wheel is on - the other axle won't lose drive because of that.

CharlesY

CharlesY
 
When I tested mine, I jacked up ONE front wheel only. Seemed to behave as I expected - couldn't turn it with difflock engaged, could turn it with difflock disengaged.

An easier way to test - find some loose ground (gravel is ideal) - let the car drive along in low first and do a full lock turn - if the difflock is engaged you'll hear the tyres skidding in the gravel.
 
jbarlow said:
When I tested mine, I jacked up ONE front wheel only. Seemed to behave as I expected - couldn't turn it with difflock engaged, could turn it with difflock disengaged.

An easier way to test - find some loose ground (gravel is ideal) - let the car drive along in low first and do a full lock turn - if the difflock is engaged you'll hear the tyres skidding in the gravel.
Click to expand...

The only way I can see that working would be if the transfer box lever was in NEUTRAL when you tried it.

If it was in transfer box neutral, it would behave as you say.

CharlesY
 
CharlesY said:
The only way I can see that working would be if the transfer box lever was in NEUTRAL when you tried it.

If it was in transfer box neutral, it would behave as you say.

CharlesY
Click to expand...

Hold on I'm confused now. If my transfer box is in neutral then nothing happens at all because it does not drive anything. Or am I missing something fundamental or is something not working correctly.
 
If the transfer box is in neutral, then EITHER

the centre DIFFERENTIAL is locked, or it is free - one or the other.

If the centre diff is LOCKED, then the front prop shaft is solidly connected to the back propshaft, so if the back wheels are on the ground the front propshaft AND THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL CAGE are locked solid. This means
1. if BOTH front wheels are off the ground, if you turn one, the other will turn in the opposite direction
2. if only one front wheel is off the ground you won't be able to turn it.

If the centre diff is FREE, AND the transfer box is in Neutral, than you WILL be able to turn ONE front wheel even if the other is still on the ground, and you will turn the front diff, front propshaft and centre diff in the process, which will take some effort.

CharlesY
 
jack up one wheel, start the engine, stick it in gear and let the clutch out. The jacked up wheel should rotate. If it doesn't, sell the Disco quickly. Engage diff lock and let out the clutch again. If it falls of the jack your diff lock is engaged. This is about the quickest method.
 
JimAttrill said:
jack up one wheel, start the engine, stick it in gear and let the clutch out. The jacked up wheel should rotate. If it doesn't, sell the Disco quickly. Engage diff lock and let out the clutch again. If it falls of the jack your diff lock is engaged. This is about the quickest method.
Click to expand...

You might add not to try this in your garage pointing at the end wall ....
 
CharlesY said:
The only way I can see that working would be if the transfer box lever was in NEUTRAL when you tried it.

If it was in transfer box neutral, it would behave as you say.

CharlesY
Click to expand...
Don't see why that would make a difference, so long as the main box is in neutral - you're just turning a few extra cogs. All we're trying to test here is that the 2 propshafts are connected which as far as I know has got nowt to do with the H/L/N setting of the transfer box...
 
jbarlow said:
Don't see why that would make a difference, so long as the main box is in neutral - you're just turning a few extra cogs. All we're trying to test here is that the 2 propshafts are connected which as far as I know has got nowt to do with the H/L/N setting of the transfer box...
Click to expand...

You have insufficient grasp of the arrangement of things to make that sort of pronouncement.

It makes a HUGE difference whether the thing is "in gear" or not.

IN gear with back wheels on the ground means the centre diff "cage" is held stationary. This is because its drive gear cannot turn due to all the gears above it being connected right through to the engine.

OUT of gear with the back wheels on the ground means the centre diff "cage" CAN turn, which makes for an entirely different situation.

But of course you'll know best. I freely admit that.

CharlesY
 
yella said:
its a 200tdi of course the 2 props are connected, its permanant 4wd ffs, but as charles says, you know best eh ;)
Click to expand...

Hey Yella, are we patient or what?

I hope we get our rewards in Heaven, loads of Lassies and Landies ....

CharlesY
 
CharlesY said:
Hey Yella, are we patient or what?

I hope we get our rewards in Heaven, loads of Lassies and Landies ....

CharlesY
Click to expand...

Sorry I didn't mean to annoy you guys. I just read my post again and it does sound a bit too much like a statement of fact that can't possibly be wrong, which was unintended.

I was just trying to figure out why what you said didn't fit with my (limited) experience or understanding of how that stuff works. That's all.

Now, I'd been assuming that if the main box was in N, your transfer box wouldn't be connected through to the engine. Still, it ain't that important so forget it - I'm only trying to find out as much as possible coz I think mine's gonna break at some point.

Thanks and please continue to have patience, I'm sure you guys have helped me out on occasions in the past and it is appreciated.
 
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