cdl lever moves but does not engage

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ColeCam

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Next question.... was the cdl light ever on??? The one that looks like I--I on the dash? If it was never on, I am guessing that it was never engaged...I could put mine on the left side and the light would not come on and it wasn't engaged......
 

Sergei

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Disco1 - no. Again - matters not if you engage cdl or not - its not controlling power distribution between wheels on same axle. It controls power distribution between axles. Aka - if you cant move BOTH wheels on one axle, then you shouldnt be able to move BOTH wheels on other one. Basicall to check if cdl is not or not with your method you need to jack both wheels on same axle up, and then try to rotate them at same time. They shouldnt spin :)

However if you raise just one - it may spin, even though cdl is engaged. Thats why people buying all those lockers and limited slip diffs.

ColeCam - yes, thats the one that you should see. If its not lit up there are usually few reasons to cause this:
- electrical glitches (even though its mechanical - go figure)
- leveler is broken (not likely, imho)
- lamp is burn out
- you trying to engage cdl when transmission "wound up" - same thing will cause issues with disengaging lock. You basically have to let track to go up/down one gear to get engaging working. Or you have to be standing still. And yes - manual doesnt say so - but its general condition on which locking/unlocking is easier. So if you trying to engage things while driving in 1st gear with RPMs around 3K - it may refuse to do so.

In order to check if things are really really engaged - raise up front of truck on 2 jack stands.

Stick jack under diff housing and raise rear. Or if you lucky to have 4 jack stands - do same raising with 2 stands for rear.

Now crank truck up. Put it in first gear. Go to rear or front and either together with friend or using some long stick try to block both wheels movement at same time (wheels on same axle). Notice how other axle keep spinning.

Now engage CDL. Matters not if light isnt coming up.

Try to do same blocking. You should have utterly hard time to block movement. And when you finally do - other axle will stop rotating.

If it happens - you got cdl working, its just light that wont.
 
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96Discose7

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I has used the link shown in prevoius post and it work like a charm, as for the light mine did not work until I used the truck in LOCK for a while in snow one day, I did find that there is the switch you can adjust so it comes on, the switch is located forward facing on the housing under the truck, check to see if your wires are connected .... more info an procedures can found on the RAVE cd [not that i endorse pirated software..... but argh matey, any port in a storm... -Andy
 

ColeCam

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Andy-
Where is the switch you are describing? What housing are you talking about... the transfercase or something else? I can get my light to come on now but not every time, but I know it is locking... I would like to know where that sensor/switch is.
 
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96Discose7

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sorry for the confusion, the sensor switch is located to the right[as you look at the transfercase] it is right next to the actuall switch for the CDL, where the linkage links to, I hope I am being clear.... i do not have the rave cd here, but i can grab the info and post up the directions for you later if you need more info , the switch sensor screws into the housing and you make contact when in lock, then screw another turn and tighten the lock nut, let me know if you need more -A
 

tommy33

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The light was never on and I drove off from the point of purchase in November with it in high lock. I have not driven it since Christmas because I have not figured this out yet.
 

ColeCam

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I am guessing that the best next step would be to disconnect the shifter from the T-case, and see if you can manually unlock it from below. I am just guessing again, but maybe it was stuck before in unlock, and someone bent the shifter to the left trying to get it in?.... The shifter is a problem, but not as major as the T-case, first go to the source being the T-case...if you can lock/unlock it, that would be step one, then figure out how to loosen up the shifter.
 

tommy33

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Shifter broken or bent is very possible. When I took off the knob and boot and removed the rubber mat, I saw that the plastic consol around the shifter (on the locked-low side) was badly cracked and it looked like someone was really trying to jam the thing over into lock. As I said, I had driven it 1000 miles with the shifter in lock high and it drove normally. So me thinks the shifter is the culprit.

I am going to try to lock it using a 13mm socket tomorrow. I'll let you know.

Thanks for the many, many tips!!
 

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