What am I not seeing? Rear e-locker problem

[Pj Benn]

E-locker just flashes when trying to engage in 4L. Pulled locker then disassembled, regreased and put new gaskets, reassembled. It is getting power. Switch works. Disc inside is spinning because of marks in new grease

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

But for some reason gear does not move

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

The shaft is not broken. I cannot wrap my mind around why gear is not moving. Please help


Couldn’t get photos to embed for some reason sorry

 

[DrivingGloves]

I can't speak to why the gear is not turning. You already have more experience with these lockers than I do by pulling and greasing yours.

AFAIK, the flashing light is to 'annoy' the driver that the e-locker is engaged and to drive very slowy, carefully, not on concrete etc., not necessarily that it has found and is reporting an error. Unless you mean it is flashing at a higher rate than usual?

 

[snydmax]

From my minimal experience, the light flashes while the locker is actually in the process of engaging, or you exceed the max speed of 5mph... a solid light indicates the locker has engaged and is functional.

First time I use mine (after obtaining the vehicle last year) the flashing went on for while. I slowed down, stopped, shifted to neutral, etc. and it did eventually engage and stop flashing. Has been more reliable since then.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pj Benn]

Yes flashing means trying to engage and solid light means engagement. I know the sensor works because when I manually engage locker with a screwdriver the light stays solid. Still can’t figure out why gear isn’t turning

 

[pavelvoivoda]

It's simple. The diff lock motor is not moving because it doesn't receive power because of two reasons: a) limit switch signal inside the motor is not at end of contact runway, or if it is b) power doesn't reach the motor winding to rotate rotor.

Just check the condition of the bigger connector from the two (smaller one is for the switch that turns on the RR DIFF LOCK light on the dash, which you already mentioned that it works)

The wires in the connector should be checked for continuity. You do this by lifting up the rear left seat, remove the rocker panel door plastic cover, and lift the carpet up to expose the fuel tank cover and a plastic holder between the door and the fuel tank cover with two connectors.

Use a multimeter to check for continuity of all the wires that you see there that connect to the bigger connector on the actuator at the diff. Specifically the ones that go into the bigger connector of the two on the actuator. There should be:
a ground wire white/black,
a Light green/red,
a light green,
light green/black,
and a light green/yellow wire.

Visually and electrically check all those with the multimeter.

One of them (or more) usually brakes at the connector on the actuator, and you must repair it by removing the pin on the connector and soldering a new one to the broken wire and inserting it into the same position on the connector. If there arent any broken, check the next connector in that whole wire loom. It is mounted to the frame right next to the fuel tank ribbed fill hose on the rear of the tank.

Side note - the marking on the diagram that say B01 and BN2 which are the two connectors - B01 is the next connector that is mounted on a bracket to the frame, and BN2 is the one that is under the seat inside the cab.

Hope this helps here is a pic of the diagram

 

[pavelvoivoda]

EDIT: I just saw the video and pic thru my phone. There weren't opening on my computer. I see that it is getting power so forget the above post. It seems there may be something wrong with the winding spring that the disk you mentioned winds. Disassemble it and see if it is attached correctly to the rotating axle of the big sprocket.

 

[Bad Luck]

I can't speak to why the gear is not turning. You already have more experience with these lockers than I do by pulling and greasing yours.

AFAIK, the flashing light is to 'annoy' the driver that the e-locker is engaged and to drive very slowy, carefully, not on concrete etc., not necessarily that it has found and is reporting an error. Unless you mean it is flashing at a higher rate than usual?

Flashing rear diff light (or 4wd lights) mean that the system is trying to engage (or disengage) but it isn't fully engaged yet. Light will turn solid when it is engaged.

 

[St Runner]

Mine will sit in neutral with the light flashing all day, but as soon as I put it in gear and apply torque it clicks and the light goes solid

 

[Pj Benn]

EDIT: I just saw the video and pic thru my phone. There weren't opening on my computer. I see that it is getting power so forget the above post. It seems there may be something wrong with the winding spring that the disk you mentioned winds. Disassemble it and see if it is attached correctly to the rotating axle of the big sprocket.

Thanks for the detailed responses. I was trying to figure out how the spring functions when I had it apart but couldn’t really figure it out. Here are some pics of how it was when I disassembled the first time

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

Does this look correct? I put it back the same way but since it never worked maybe it was incorrect in the first place.

 

[SeaBassHWD]

Have you been successful locking it in before? If not, try this:

Chock the front tires, jack up the rear, put in neutral, hit the diff lock button and manually turn the rear wheels both forwards and backwards. it should lock.

 

[pavelvoivoda]

Does this look correct? I put it back the same way but since it never worked maybe it was incorrect in the first place.

The way it works is when you press the switch to lock the diff, the little motor inside rotates the big sprocket using the worm gear, which winds the spring. Then it's a matter of aligning the locking sleeve and the crown hub, and the spring instantly pushes the lock sleeve into the crown. This action won't happen until after you align the lock sleeve with the crown hub.

Aligning happens when both rear drive axles turn at different speeds. You can do this by turning all the way left or right and start moving slowly forward or backwards (which ever way is more convenient on the trail), until eventually the sleeve's teeth align with the grooves on the crown hub and the spring is able to push the sleeve into the crown hub, locking the left drive axle solid to the crown, and the dash light stops blinking and stays ON. It only blinks when this movement has not been completed.

This aligning can take from a few inches of movement forward or backwards to a few feet. I kinda depends on the tires' friction to the ground.

I see in the video, that the little gear on the motor doesn't turn. If you say that the big sprocket inside turns, as it seems in the video (the motor slightly moves when it winds the spring), then it's something to do with the spring, or the whole big sprocket no being adjusted correctly to the electric runways in the plastic cap, although I don't remember it having an adjustment setting when you put it together. It's not like the actuator on the transfer case on the newer transfers where it must be set to a correct position before reassembly...but dont quote me on that for the rear diff lock actuator.

When you mount the actuator back on the diff, make sure you first manually lock the diff using a flat screw driver, then mount the actuator observing the matchmark on the little gear as per the instructions (after you find out why the little gear doesn't rotate as in the video). Here is a pick from the instruction manual.

Here is the instruction:

 

[rkntoy]

Have you been successful locking it in before? If not, try this:

Chock the front tires, jack up the rear, put in neutral, hit the diff lock button and manually turn the rear wheels both forwards and backwards. it should lock.

Please don't do this unless you disable the 4LO safety first.