Flashing 4wd light and no 4wd!!

[SteveW]

If anyone can give me any advice on this one it would be much appreciated.

I was out and about in my Jimny this afternoon when I noticed the 4wd light was flashing and not just staying on like normal. I then noticed that I didn't appear to have 4wd ( making getting off the site I was on pretty interesting!).

It runs fine in 2 high and runs in 4h and 4l but only in 2wd from what I can see although its obviously difficult to see what the passenger side wheels are doing when your on your own!. After jetwashing it everything appears ok underneath and the front prop is free spinning in 2h and appears to lock so that when its wobbled it reacts the same as the rear when in 4h and 4l!

Anyone had this or know what the best course of action for fixing its gonna be because I'll tackle some DIY but I'm no mechanic so any help would be useful so that I can work out whether to have a go myself or get it to a garage!

Cheers

Steve.

[mlines]

This is usually the vacuum operated hubs either failing to operate or the solenoid failing to say they have operated. Its a technically simply but access wise a pain in the neck job.

Check the solenoids first  - they are under the relay/fuse box by the battery - clean them out., they have little foam "air filters" in them that clog. Then check that the vacuum pipes are all connected and there are  no splits in the system

Finally if none of this works then strip and clean the hubs themselves.

Martin

[SteveW]

Cheers Martin I'll check those things and see if I can sort it.

Might sound like a silly question but how does the system work? I understand a normal 4wd system but once you get into vacuum hubs and such things I get a bit lost!

Steve.

[glaggs]

Basically you hace two electronically opperated valves which engage or disenge the hubs. Usual problem is the rubber part of the pipe spit or pull off the solid pipe which runs along the drivers side radius arm and along the axel. On mine the pipes on the axel became rotten and leaked. Tried al sorts of sollutions but in the end fitted manual AVM hubs available from .http://lrsoffroad.co.uk/ for approx £165.00  No more probs. The othe down side of vacuum system is if you get a leak and spend too long in water it can suck the dirty water through the bearings.

[SteveW]

Cheers glaggs

Think I'm gonna look into some manual hubs if the ones that are on are gonna be a problem like this too regular. Are they a pretty easy fit?

Steve.

[SteveW]

Got the problem fixed now, it was a split piece of flexible tubing at the front end of the radius arm. Good old insulating tape has made a pretty good temporary fix while I source so new tubing.

Cheers for the help.

Steve.