Converting Hubs on a push button 2005

Having experienced the 4x4 system failing on me while out yesterday I have been trying to read through all the threads on converting to manual hubs.

Please can I check my understanding.

1. I replace the hubs with manual locking ones.
2. When I now select 4wd the system will give me the flashing green 4x4 symbol because it won’t know the system has changed.
3. I need to permanently short out the wires on the grey vacuum sensor so the system thinks it has vac.

4. Operate 4wd and 4wd-l from cabin as required.

Oh yes and then I can remove all the vac pipes, solenoids and all that stuff, just blocking the manifold?

5. If I forget to switch manual hubs back to 2wd nothing too bad happens, just a bit less economic on fuel tyres etc?

Is that it? Or is there something more to it?

Apologies if a stupid question, but all the write ups seemed to be for lever based systems not the buttons.

Make sure to block the vacuum pipe that leads to the system from the manifold. Follow the pipes to the manifold and block the pipe at the first union.

You can then remove the whole system but remember to loop the vacuum ports on each hub, or block them, water can get into the hub otherwise.

Other than that, you've got it. Literally a 5 minute job to put the bypass in.

sniper

So on further investigation turns out that my failure caused by a wire broken of the front 4wd switch of the transfer box.

I fixed the wires back on and if somebody presses the 4wd button in the cabin and I manually press the button under the car the car goes into a mode where the green light flashes. But when I fit the button back into the box it does not work. So the issue is either the switch is faulty or the thing that ought to be pressing the switch is not pressing it.

So where to go next?

Switches are about £60, make sure to identify the correct one.

sniper

In reading around, it appears there may be a ball bearing behind the switch? Is that true? If so how big is it? I did not notice it falling out when I took the switch out and I don't think it is in there now (see pics below) and I cannot see it on the floor anywhere.

So my question is, if there is meant to be a ball bearing in there? If there is and it was not there, is there any way that the system could have worked, because at least for a few minutes it used to work a week ago.

Any advice would be really welcome as I am totally confussed about what is now going on.

I was going to say earlier that there's a ball detente between the two, not that that's much use to you now.