HELP 300tdi steerng

Hi wonder if anyone can help. Decided to put my disco in 4 wheel drive today because of the snow. There was a clunk but went into gear. Changed back into normal drive no probs. The icon for 4 wheel drive is lit on the dashboard and will not go out. No big deal probably the switch has got stuck, problem is that if i turn left or right i can feel a judder. Something definatley not right. Had a quick look under car and under bonnet. Seems to be some fluid from the steering box.

Any ideas?

1995 300tdi auto

Your diff lock is stuck on.
Try reversing 300 - 400 yards and see if the light goes out.

Would that affect the steering?

Yes. Diff lock forces both axles to turn at the same speed - cornering gets very difficult like that!

TOP MAN!!!!
I will give it a go in the morning.

Thanks a lot. Was panicking big time.

What should i do if it doesn't work?

Ian

When you reverse, turn the steering lock to lock too .. gets the diff working, wheels rotating at different speeds .. so long as the cdl lever is over to the right hand side it should free off.

When you put it into diff-lock, I find it best to be still rolling, driving straight, no wheelspin and just back off power a tad. Do the same when dropping out of diff-lock, still rolling, still under power but no wheels slipping and in a straight line, just ease off power a tad, move the lever, back on power. Works every time. Ive never had a problem at any speed up to 20, never tried it faster than that ...

Thanks chaps for your input!!!

Will give it a go in the morning.
Wish me luck and watch this space for the result or for more help.

Many regards

ihami said:

Hi wonder if anyone can help. Decided to put my disco in 4 wheel drive today because of the snow......

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From reading that i gather that you didn't/don't know that a discovery is permanent 4 wheel drive and the cdl lever just gives you high and low range 4x4 (in the right position) and high and low range 4x4 diff lock (on the left hand side) , you maybe mistakingly put it into diff lock thinking that it is like jap crap most of which are only 2wd until this is done, hope i've helped out there

K yr right.
I should have said that i put into low range.

Same problem though?

yeah if you imagine your cdl lever as a letter H put it in the lower right corner of the H (where it should be for normal driving) if the light stays on just reverse for 100yds or so, as said above and the light will go out and steering will behave again

Great.

Not convinced with the way my luck has been running lately.
But the general consensous is to put it in reverse.

Thanks

Let you know how i get on

You'll probably find with the auto box, if you're struggling for traction you'll be better off sticking to high range as low range seems much more harsh on mine...

ihami said:

K yr right.
I should have said that i put into low range.

Same problem though?

Click to expand...

No...if a light came on you put diff lock on (which is not a bad thing in the snow) you may also have put it in to low range. Diff lock is pushing the lever to the left for on and right for off..high/low is fore and aft

ihami said:

Great.

Not convinced with the way my luck has been running lately.
But the general consensous is to put it in reverse.

Thanks

Let you know how i get on

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Whereabouts are you? Maybe someone can show you ..

Morning chaps

Well gave it a go and no success!!
What a surprise.

I cannot seem to get the lever over to the right.
Its a eall struggle just to get it in L.

Rang Brownchurch,closed on the weekends..

Is it me not putting the lever in the correct position or is it just stuck.

Lever know has a few positions. H, N, L, Lock and Diff.

I think that i might have to take the centre console out so i can get to the rubber cover so that i can see the gear selection slots.

Any ideas?

get mad with the fooking fing use your boots if ya have to mine was seized solid when i first bought it a little aggression with it and it freed it up

There are no selection slots as you think of them it. The lever acts on two seperate linkages one to the transfewr box for selecting high / low range and the other for diff locked / not locked. if the lever is very stiff then chances are its started to sieze up due to lack of use. you will need center consoul off if it has and you will need to strip it all down and clean it and then re grease it to get it all moving its not as big a job as it sounds now as said b 4 where abouts do you live cos some one might be local enough to give you some personel advice / a hand doing it

robint said:

get mad with the fooking fing use your boots if ya have to mine was seized solid when i first bought it a little aggression with it and it freed it up

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DON'T the linkages to the diff can bend out of shape quite easily as I found out then its a bastard to fix

Thanks chaps.
I will have to get aggessiv.

I live in Ilford, Essex

When I realised my diff lock was siezed , after I first needed it! , I spent about 2 hours & a can of WD40 & spray grease with a spanner on the horizontal pin going back & forth until it eventually freed off. Worth it to have it working! It must never have been off road before.