Diff locks (operation)

[beg]

Question is how long does it take for diff lock lights to stop flashing after disengaged?

 

[rovie]

Question is how long does it take for diff lock lights to stop flashing after disengaged?

When I first deactivated only the front and rear locks, the lights did not stop after about 20 meters. Then I deactivated the center lock and all lights went out after less than 10 meters.

 

[Wilaspira]

Question is how long does it take for diff lock lights to stop flashing after disengaged?

It took what seemed quite a few minutes on my short test on gravel of the centre diff and rear diff. In fact it took long enough for me to doubt that the locks had been released albeit from a driving perspective they seemed to be. I say this because I initially tried pressing the rear lock diff and it was not obvious that anything had changed (the light just kept flashing) so I then pushed the hi/lo lever from lo locked to hi unlocked. The lock light still flashed and I think I am right in recalling although the centre diff lock warning light went out the rear diff warning light (on the small panel ahead of the steering panel) stayed on. I then tried turning the vehicle off and then on and this made no difference so I drove and after c50m the rear diff lock lights etc went out. Ps don’t take this as gospel as to what happened re lights etc because my main concern was listening out for “complaining” mechanical sounds (there weren’t any thankfully) and whether I should be calling the dealer!

 

[Wilaspira]

Perhaps my error was initially focusing on pressing buttons/moving levers rather than moving forward?

 

[beg]

I engaged centre then rear moved atound 20 mtres disengadged rear then centre but rear light is still flashing will take for short drive today to see if it will rectify itself.

 

[beg]

All sorted as soon as i left gate turning all lights stopped flashing and back to normal will go through process again later but all good .

 

[Cheshire cat]

It took what seemed quite a few minutes on my short test on gravel of the centre diff and rear diff. In fact it took long enough for me to doubt that the locks had been released albeit from a driving perspective they seemed to be. I say this because I initially tried pressing the rear lock diff and it was not obvious that anything had changed (the light just kept flashing) so I then pushed the hi/lo lever from lo locked to hi unlocked. The lock light still flashed and I think I am right in recalling although the centre diff lock warning light went out the rear diff warning light (on the small panel ahead of the steering panel) stayed on. I then tried turning the vehicle off and then on and this made no difference so I drove and after c50m the rear diff lock lights etc went out. Ps don’t take this as gospel as to what happened re lights etc because my main concern was listening out for “complaining” mechanical sounds (there weren’t any thankfully) and whether I should be calling the dealer!

Had very similar experience today whilst practicing the procedure in a field. On top of your experience, my front diff lock would not engage but showed red on the status screen. Again, driving forwards, backwards, turning engine on and off, made no difference. I suspect that now the vehicle has been sat for an hour in my garage, it will have reset.

 

[rovie]

Had very similar experience today whilst practicing the procedure in a field. On top of your experience, my front diff lock would not engage but showed red on the status screen. Again, driving forwards, backwards, turning engine on and off, made no difference. I suspect that now the vehicle has been sat for an hour in my garage, it will have reset.

Yes, that's how it was for me too. I posted this somewhere in my experiences weeks ago.

 

[Trialmaster]

I am sure you will have all read the manuals and seen the vids. I found them really useful and added them to my own page: https://grenadier4x4.uk/videos-from-ig/

The link below is an INEOS Grenadier Vimeo - which won't preview in the post for some reason.

INEOS Grenadier How To - Differential Locks on Vimeo

 

[MileHigh]

So to go from high to low you need to be stopped, and have the transmission in neutral to make the change.

i’m a little fuzzy on the locking differentials. It seems you can be moving at a low speed, but do you have to be moving?

so you were riding around and you get stuck, and the ESC is not capable of getting you unstuck. So you move the transmission to neutral shift into low, shift back into gear and try to go on your merry way.

Let’s say you’re still stuck. Stuck is it not moving without spinning the wheels. So now you go to engage the center locking differential. Can you do that from the stand still? If that doesn’t get you unstuck and you start down the path of adding the front and rear differentials, can you do those at a dead stop? Will the differentials not engage until your wheels roll a certain amount, but if your wheels are spinning, perhaps, not evenly, what does that mean?

Did I hear it right Also that if you undo the center locking differential the other two will automatically unlock? Is that a feature, or should you not do that as a way of unengaging all of them?

does the center locking differential only work in low gear?

 

[DaveB]

So to go from high to low you need to be stopped, and have the transmission in neutral to make the change.

i’m a little fuzzy on the locking differentials. It seems you can be moving at a low speed, but do you have to be moving?

so you were riding around and you get stuck, and the ESC is not capable of getting you unstuck. So you move the transmission to neutral shift into low, shift back into gear and try to go on your merry way.

Let’s say you’re still stuck. Stuck is it not moving without spinning the wheels. So now you go to engage the center locking differential. Can you do that from the stand still? If that doesn’t get you unstuck and you start down the path of adding the front and rear differentials, can you do those at a dead stop? Will the differentials not engage until your wheels roll a certain amount, but if your wheels are spinning, perhaps, not evenly, what does that mean?

Did I hear it right Also that if you undo the center locking differential the other two will automatically unlock? Is that a feature, or should you not do that as a way of unengaging all of them?

does the center locking differential only work in low gear?

If you are riding around, and then get stuck, you should get out of the vehicle and hand the keys to someone else.
You should look at the terrain ahead and decide what is required before you get into trouble.
Select off road mode early
If it looks muddy then probably best to lock the centre diff before entering the mud.
Decide if low range is best.
If it includes water, or is a steep dusty/loose rocky hill, then lock the rear diff first and maybe think about the front diff if it is fairly straight.
Slow and steady with careful planning and as much control as possible reduces the chance you will get stuck, break something, or as often happens run into someone coming along the track the other way.

 

[MileHigh]

Man plans, God laughs.

The dang thing comes with a winch as an option- and it isn't always to help the other guy

I am far from an off road expert, and I was thinking as much for snow/ice and the other drivers in my household that might end up driving it. I just wanted to know the envelope that they systems will work in. Is it even worth making a cheat sheet for them if the window of applicability is pretty small and the potential for jacking it up is high.

 

[James]

Man plans, God laughs.

The dang thing comes with a winch as an option- and it isn't always to help the other guy

I am far from an off road expert, and I was thinking as much for snow/ice and the other drivers in my household that might end up driving it. I just wanted to know the envelope that they systems will work in. Is it even worth making a cheat sheet for them if the window of applicability is pretty small and the potential for jacking it up is high.

If someone who needs a cheat sheet is driving anywhere they need diffs to be locked, I would strongly encourage that they stop, and sleep or walk to help. Ideally you dont even get to being i the situation. That type of driving, in a heavy offroad car is not about turning on trick tech, it requires a lot of physics and mechanical/vehicle knowledge. Anyone ca learn it, but trying to ’turn on’ tricks would likely make a bad situation dangerously worse.

 

[AnD3rew]

If someone who needs a cheat sheet is driving anywhere they need diffs to be locked, I would strongly encourage that they stop, and sleep or walk to help. Ideally you dont even get to being i the situation. That type of driving, in a heavy offroad car is not about turning on trick tech, it requires a lot of physics and mechanical/vehicle knowledge. Anyone ca learn it, but trying to ’turn on’ tricks would likely make a bad situation dangerously worse.

Not sure I 100% agree with you here. Definitely agree you need to know your limits and either go with experienced people who can help you or or stop if it looks like it’s going to challenge your capabilities. But even experienced people can sometimes make errors or situations turn out to be unexpectedly tricky. If you are used to vehicles that have detroit or air lockers these Eaton lockers are a bit different and a bit tricky and the way that INEOS has implemented them also complicates things a little. A cheat sheet to keep in the glovebox isn’t a terrible idea. Even just as a refresher before you enter the track, or tonise while you practice somewhere safe.

 

[bigleonski]

If you are riding around, and then get stuck, you should get out of the vehicle and hand the keys to someone else.
You should look at the terrain ahead and decide what is required before you get into trouble.
Select off road mode early
If it looks muddy then probably best to lock the centre diff before entering the mud.
Decide if low range is best.
If it includes water, or is a steep dusty/loose rocky hill, then lock the rear diff first and maybe think about the front diff if it is fairly straight.
Slow and steady with careful planning and as much control as possible reduces the chance you will get stuck, break something, or as often happens run into someone coming along the track the other way.

I wish I could always be as perfect as that.
Sometimes, when the planets don’t allign, the unexpected happens.

That’s why we have recovery gear. It’s not always to help someone else out.

 

[MileHigh]

Well, that's the two posts with out an answer...

I think it is also interesting that you guys are both from down under and I'm not. And not only that, I live at over a mile high- in technically high-desert, so 'mud' (except for this year) isn't really my issue. Snow is my number one issue, like potentially 8 months out of the year. And that isn't exactly true because ice is the real issue around traction. And snow and ice aren't as predictable as mud. I-70 in ski season will get you full pucker. 10 below, 10,000 feet up, high winds, traffic moving between 15-80mph on inclines that usually are found in amusement parks. And snakes, just kidding, you guys have the snakes. But we all have different driving challenges. I really just wanted to know if you can engage the lockers at 0mph?

 

[rovie]

Well, that's the two posts with out an answer...

I think it is also interesting that you guys are both from down under and I'm not. And not only that, I live at over a mile high- in technically high-desert, so 'mud' (except for this year) isn't really my issue. Snow is my number one issue, like potentially 8 months out of the year. And that isn't exactly true because ice is the real issue around traction. And snow and ice aren't as predictable as mud. I-70 in ski season will get you full pucker. 10 below, 10,000 feet up, high winds, traffic moving between 15-80mph on inclines that usually are found in amusement parks. And snakes, just kidding, you guys have the snakes. But we all have different driving challenges. I really just wanted to know if you can engage the lockers at 0mph?

Basically, you can activate them in a standing position. However, it is not certain whether they will really engage. Therefore, help by driving very slowly forwards and backwards.

 

[Shopkeep]

Basically, you can activate them in a standing position. However, it is not certain whether they will really engage. Therefore, help by driving very slowly forwards and backwards.

Is it that the lockers are not engaging or rather they are engaged but the sensors & software are not confirming the engagement? At this stage I would have more faith in the Eton lockers actually working when requested than the Ineos buggy software recognising they have started or stopped working.

 

[DaveB]

I wish I could always be as perfect as that.
Sometimes, when the planets don’t allign, the unexpected happens.

That’s why we have recovery gear. It’s not always to help someone else out.

I agree but maybe once or twice in 5 years.
Weekend warriors and Youtube heroes go at things like a bull at a gate.
Those of us who can't afford to write off a $100K vehicle tend to be a bit more circumspect.

 

[DaveB]

Is it that the lockers are not engaging or rather they are engaged but the sensors & software are not confirming the engagement? At this stage I would have more faith in the Eton lockers actually working when requested than the Ineos buggy software recognising they have started or stopped working.

The vehicle has to move forward or backward for them to engage.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT_H6rpd-Ck