ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Model Specific Suzuki Forum => Suzuki Grand Vitara, Vitara, Chevy Tracker (Gen. 2 Platform) 1999-2005 => Topic started by: entrail on January 03, 2007, 04:15:20 PM
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I have a 01 tracker and the 4x4 stopped working at the camp last week. The 4x4 light is on but it is not working in high or low. It was so muddy up there I had to tow my 2-wheel drive tracker around the yard with my 450 Honda foreman ! Where should I start looking if the light is on? I would have thought if there was any problem with the 4x4 system the light would be out.
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if you hear funny noises it might be a broken diff.
a friend of nine had the same thing happen, light on -2H -2H -2LO
it turned out that a mice had eaten on the cable that engages the front diff :P
the mecanic used a LONG time to figure it out ;D
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The lamp tells you that the pressure switch in the diff has operated, which means that the pump has raised pressure in the mechanism, and the relief valve is shut. This should cause the front axle clutch to engage in the free axle hub - so if it does not, the problem will be inside the diff.
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The lamp tells you that the pressure switch in the diff has operated, which means that the pump has raised pressure in the mechanism, and the relief valve is shut.
I dunno about that. There is a switch in the tcase. My '00 has the pump completely removed (I've lost the sh!t-on-the-fly air diff), but the 4wd light still works. Hmmmm...
My bet is it's the air pump. It might have pooped out, or blown a fuse, or has a leak in the pneumantic line.
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I guess I'll start at the air pump, thats the easiest . I can't see anything being broke in the diff, it worked fine the last time I had it in 4x4 and I wasn't hard on it or anything, it just seems to have stopped working. I did think though that if the light was on, the pump was making pressure, which means no air leaks, blockage or plain pump failure. Is there something that could have seized in the hubs of the diff? It wasn't that long since I had it in, a month or two at the most.
I will start to take a look this weekend, got the flu a couple of days ago, just starting to come around.
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The lamp tells you that the pressure switch in the diff has operated, which means that the pump has raised pressure in the mechanism, and the relief valve is shut.
I dunno about that. There is a switch in the tcase. My '00 has the pump completely removed (I've lost the sh!t-on-the-fly air diff), but the 4wd light still works. Hmmmm...
My bet is it's the air pump. It might have pooped out, or blown a fuse, or has a leak in the pneumantic line.
I do know about it; I have the FSM. If your lamp still works, it must be because it was rewired when the air-operated equipment was removed.
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I guess I'll start at the air pump, thats the easiest . I can't see anything being broke in the diff, it worked fine the last time I had it in 4x4 and I wasn't hard on it or anything, it just seems to have stopped working. I did think though that if the light was on, the pump was making pressure, which means no air leaks, blockage or plain pump failure. Is there something that could have seized in the hubs of the diff?
Yes, the actuator, which is moved by the air pressure, may have jammed. Another possibility is that the pump is making enough pressure to work the valves, but not enough to move the actuator and the clutch. If you have a gauge and t-piece to check it, it should raise 5.4 to 8.25 psi.
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IanL, how do I go about un seizing the actuators if they are stuck ?
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Maybe remove the line and put some descent air pressure to it from a compressor or something. It may just need a little extra "push" to free it up.
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If it makes you feel any better I'm having similar problems with my '01. The light sometimes comes on, sometimes flashes, and is sometimes just off - no matter what the xfer case lever position is (light sometimes is on in 2H!). I'm getting tire of the air diff and would like to convert to the older style - just need to save a few bucks to do so.
Yankee Tim - What did you replace on your truck to eliminate it? I've read that some need just the diff while others need the inner shaft and passenger side cv/axle shaft.
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I do know about it; I have the FSM. If your lamp still works, it must be because it was rewired when the air-operated equipment was removed.
Nope, I never "re-wired" a thing. And I was one of the first guys to lose the "sh!t-on-the-fly" air diff. Light works great., and the pump is completely missing. Sooo... ::)
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Yankee Tim - What did you replace on your truck to eliminate it? I've read that some need just the diff while others need the inner shaft and passenger side cv/axle shaft.
Wow, it's been a while. I thought i had a write-up about it here on ZW, back in '02. I know I did the reseach and write up for ARB (for Tim Lund at the time) so they could sell lockers world wide, but somehow they didn't get the directions right. >:(
Basically, you can use a Kick 2-pin carrier (why?) or a Sammy 4 pin carrier. Sammy works better, as you won't need to space the carrier. Basically the spacing thing is same as you would do if you were using Kick R&Ps in a Sammy, due to R&P thickness. Oddly enuff, you can use GV R&P's on a Sammy diff and you don't need the can&spacer that you would need with Kicker gears.
Anyway, I digress.
Use a Sammy 4-pin carrier. You need a donor Kick CV passenger side shaft from a later year (96-98 I seem to remember), Jap built (not CAMI) 1.6L Kick (not SPORT). It's 26 spline to match the GV. You need the inner stub on the Kick CV and marry it to the intermediate shaft and outter CV of the GV. Put it all together with some manual hubs (Warn, Aisin, etc.) and Voila! You got a NORMAL GV that can accept a lunch box locker, or a Sammy ARB. Just make sure you don't have a soda-can front axle.
Or you can take the easier route. As long as I can talk Blacknight into taking the Toy SAS with me (otherwise it's his), I'll soon have a solid steel front axle assmebly with the conversion completely done on eBay for sale to the highest bidder. ;D
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Thanks Yankee-Tim - I'll keep my eyes peeled on ebay, but I may get around to doing this sooner rather than later since I'm starting to really miss having four wheel drive.
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I ordered a front diff and parts from a '96 sidekick with the correct gear ratio for my truck from Trail Tough. They actually knew what I was talking about when I called and explained what I needed to do, so they must be getting inquiries about this more often now. Thanks again for the info Yankee-Tim. It will be nice to have four wheel drive again!
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Nope, I never "re-wired" a thing. And I was one of the first guys to lose the "sh!t-on-the-fly" air diff. Light works great., and the pump is completely missing. Sooo... ::)
Now see, that's even stranger, as I found when the line to the diff from the pump lost its 'plug', my 4WD light stopped working.
Tim, you know me, I'm kinda lazy about doing things like that, but I wanted it to work, for some reason.
Oh, and your explanation about the Sammy diff must explain why I didn't need the passenger's side axle mutation to make mine work. The GV OEM axle was perfect...well, for my uses, that is. Shannon would have it snapped in 10 minutes.
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Yankee-Tim,
I installed the 2 pinion sidekick diff into my '01 and will be getting the sidekick 26 spline passenger side shaft in the mail this week. My question is what to do about the driverside inner shaft. It seems like it is just 1/4 inch too long now - should I have gotten one of those from a sidekick as well? Or can the end be ground down just a bit while still retaining the spring loaded ring on the end? Thanks again for the info.
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i put the '96 kick passenger side stub axle onto my outer axle this weekend and ground down the end of the inner shaft just a little. everything seems to fit well now. if anybody is having problems with their air activated front diff i would highly recommend this conversion.
a new air pump from the dealer would have been $420 + tax = $450 in NJ
conversion cost me $470:
sidekick front diff (aluminum, 4.62 gears - Trail Tough) $225 + $30 s&h = $255
Manual front hubs (manual warm premium hubs - Rocky Road) $125 + $15 s&h = $140
sidekick pass cv/axle (Trail Tough) $35 + $15 s&h = $50
2 qts oil, new bolts, RTV, CV moly grease (auto parts store) $25
I actually had installed the manual hubs a few years ago to combat the oil leak problem that is common on the passenger side front axle housing so this conversion was definitely the cost effective way for me. Plus, I know that the 4wd will always work and not leave me stranded!
The installation was not too bad, but 2 people make reinstalling the axle housing much easier. It took me the better part of a day to do the install - but this was my first time doing something like this on the tracker.
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one more thing - after looking at the air diff and playing with the actuator on it, i believe you could weld the actuator into the "engaged" position permanently. this would significantly cut down on costs if you can do your own welding!
once you get the diff out you can use a bike pump to engage it and see how it works.