4WD Light Flashing?

The pipe I said to check is the one that goes to the blue cylinder, that you can see in your second picture. It looks connected.

The trouble with paying someone to fix it is you can spend a lot of money, if the problem isn't a simple split pipe (that you could see yourself) fault finding can take hours.

Best option is to get a kit to fit manual locking hubs, expensive, but probably will work out cheaper as the kit is bolt on.

I'll help you fit the kit if you like, I'm only a few miles away.

(Sorry, but I'm not committing to fix the vacuum hubs, that can take a whole day, and there are only a few seconds each week when I'm not at work)

Thanks for your offer of assistance, there really are some top people on this site!

I've checked the vacuum hose and it seems fine... I haven't looked underneath the car but I know that it's been off road in the past, so there could be all kinds of possible faults. For all I know the 4WD may have never worked, although it did drive well on some rough terrain earlier in the year. How much is the manual diff kit, and is it an easy job? I've only ever done basic car maintenance in the past, so I might have my work cut out!

Jack the front up and pop it on some axle stands , spin one of the wheels does the other wheel turn the oposite way ?
Now with the car in neutral put it in 4wd and try the test again
If the wheels spin first time the hubs are locked
If the spin the second time the are working

The manual hubs brand new are around £150 and you need a set of adaptor rings from the shop here for £25.

Most people buy second hand vitara or SJ hubs from eBay, but these usually need a strip down and regrease, and you must get the conical washers with them.


Before you spend money, park on the drive, get a torch and examine the pipes underneath, you can do this lying down, you don't need a jack.

Starting at the wheel end, you will see this:






The two rubber pipes are what you are following. Make sure they are connected at both hubs, then follow the two pipes, they go to metal pipes that run along the axle, and tee off along the drivers side suspension arm on the inside. Check that nothing is detached or broken. Favourite is the pipes split and come off the hub end.

If you can't see anything obvious, things get expensive quickly.

Thanks, that's very helpful. I'll have a look in the daylight tomorrow.

Houston, I think we have a problem...

Untitled by SteBurns , on Flickr

I'd seen those trailing pipes a while ago, and neither me nor my neighbours knew what they were for...

What's the best option from here?