A few 4.8 Questions

[Herrie]

The petrol Patrols have timing chains and not timing belts!

[navigator]

Hello Gideon

One of my other questions was already answered, it being about the diff-lock switch. I have heard that there is a problem with it but wasn't sure if it was with the actual switch on the dash or wether it was at the diff itself....it sounds like it is at the diff itself being the solinoid.

The solenoid is not in the diff, but is a seperate item located in the engine bay on the firewall. It receives electrical signal from the switch and channels engine vacuum to either side of the diaphragm at the diff to actuate the mechanism. This means there are no electric wires runnong to the rear axle, just two vacuum hoses.

I beleive it is better to use an independent specialist, but obviously they are more difficult to find for a Patrol than for the Landies. The management system on the 4.8 is fairly sophisticated, but I have only heard of one 4.8 going into limp mode, and that was due to a sub-standard pirate radiator not cooling gearbox oil.

Conman(!) - dankie vir daai info oor die solenoid wat die d/lock kan laat sukkel.

Ek het op 'n stadium gedink dat myne dieselfde probleem het maar ek vermoed dis omdat ek die diff lock in 2WD wou aanskakel

[Herrie]

My Patrol se een pypie was geblok agv stof wat ingesuig was en 'n bietjie nattigheid omdat die rubber pypies nie behoorlik geseel het nie.

[Peter Connan]

Navigator ek weet nou nie van die nuwer karre nie, maar in my ou Y60 kan mens die diff-lock enige tyd aansit. Selfs teen 150 op die freeway. Mens moenie, maar mens kan.

Aan die een kant is dit egter lekker, want onder sekere omstandighede sal 4x4 niks help nie, en low range jou net hinder, maar diff lock is wat jy nodig het.

[dieselfan]

Navigator ek weet nou nie van die nuwer karre nie, maar in my ou Y60 kan mens die diff-lock enige tyd aansit. Selfs teen 150 op die freeway. Mens moenie, maar mens kan.

Aan die een kant is dit egter lekker, want onder sekere omstandighede sal 4x4 niks help nie, en low range jou net hinder, maar diff lock is wat jy nodig het.

Now buying secondhand has me all scared the pruner didn't do just that WWW

When would you want a 4x2 DL?

[David]

... weet nou nie van die nuwer karre nie, maar in my ou Y60 kan mens die diff-lock enige tyd aansit....

Peter : The 4.8's diff lock can only be engaged when in 4x4 and it has a buzzer which moans when you go faster than 40km/h!

Dieselfan: Some of the older 4x4's are equiped with manual locking hubs which means you have to get out of the vehicle to lock them - then it is much easier if you just need a bit more traction to use the 'moffie knoppie' and keep your feet clean

[Peter Connan]

Dieselfan and David, yes, my car has manual hubs, but that is not what I am talking about.
If you are driving slowly through a cross-axle big enough to get the Patrol to lift wheels, 4x4 is not going to help at all, and nor is low range. Only Diff lock, tracion control or a shove will get you out of that situation.

With regard to damage, a diff lock is pretty much either working or broken. The only thing really likely to break a patrol's diff lock is engaging it while one wheel is spinning, or spinning the wheels up in loose stuff and then suddenly getting traction, and the result of both is generally a broken side-shaft.

[Stefan]

Dieselfan and David, yes, my car has manual hubs, but that is not what I am talking about.
If you are driving slowly through a cross-axle big enough to get the Patrol to lift wheels, 4x4 is not going to help at all, and nor is low range. Only Diff lock, tracion control or a shove will get you out of that situation.

With regard to damage, a diff lock is pretty much either working or broken. The only thing really likely to break a patrol's diff lock is engaging it while one wheel is spinning, or spinning the wheels up in loose stuff and then suddenly getting traction, and the result of both is generally a broken side-shaft.

This will happen to all vehicles operating without electronic TC, HDC, TRS, DSC, ETC. Not just patrols. (I still like my odds of not breaking a side-shaft better in a Patrol )

[dieselfan]

Dieselfan and David, yes, my car has manual hubs, but that is not what I am talking about..

The more modern ones with auto hubs, do they give issues rocking in mud / sand? The last manual locking hub we had was a sani, been auto's since and always "rocked" them

[Peter Connan]

Dieselfan, everybody I know rocks them, and nobody I know has broken one yet, but it can happen and if you plan to rock it would be safer to lock them manually.