1 wheel drive. whats wrong?

hi. im new here.hello to everyone.
i have just brought a jimny plus on a 09 plate.
it has a 2 inch body lift and a 3 inch suspension lift.
also running 31/10.5/15 mastercraft courser tyres.

i was on my way home in the snow last night and was in 4h. was driving like a dream untill i decided to pull the handbrake up before i had stoped and bang!
the 4wd light was still on but im only getting drive through the drivers rear wheel. its the same if i put it back into 2wd.frount hubs are locking but not turning. What have i done?

should still be under manufacturers warrenty see if you can blag a repair.

Handbrake turns in a 4x4 are a no no, at a guess you may have smashed you rear diff?

Wont my warrenty be void due to the lift kit?

sounds like you blown the transfer box with putting the handbrake on as handbrake is on rear drums but in 4wd it drives the front through the transfer case therefore the back stops including the prob however if moving the front still turns the prop when it should be turning at the same ratio as the rear.

the chain in the transfer case may have snapped under the strain

warranty may be void but got to try cos its an expensive fix. take it to Suzuki but its either a new transfer chain or transfer box

you must have had a lot of grip though

you shouldn't drive in 4wd unless your not moving as you will damage the drive train as you have now.

also 2wd is rear wheel drive not front

When it is in 4wd all props are turning but only drivers rear wheel spins. How comes this is happening.

hmm that sounds a mixture of things then

If you have the wheels in the air and only one turns that could be normal, the diff sends drive to the wheel with the least traction.
If ur on snow the above still applies.

If you can get all 4 off the floor try turning both rear wheels together. Repat for the front.
If when u turn both rear and ur in 4x4 the front or at least one should turn. Reverse(the process) and turn the front together.

The car is sitting in at least a inch of solid ice from the snow. All four wheels are on same surface. If i put it in 2h 4h or 4l still only the rear drivers side spins. There is no strange noises at all comeing from the car. Would i hear a broken transfer box/diff?

Sounds like the front hubs are not locked.
Try shifting from 4wd to 2wd to 4wd with the engine running, listen for the "clack" from the front hubs.
If it still won't work leave it in 4wd.
Undo the bolts holding the hubs on, pull them off, and see if they have locked.
Inside is a splined lump that will turn with fingers inside if it is not locked.
If it isn't, wiggle and pull and it will fly outwards and lock to the teeth inside the hub. Do this for both, and refit.

Don't touch the transfer lever, and the front axle should drive, you will either get moving, or spin a wheel at front and back. One wheel will always spin on a slippy surface, just means the differential is working.

the hubs are deff locking. also i dont have a lever its on a button on dash. if i put it into first gear and try pull off the rear drivers side just spins up and the others make no effort at all to move. i will wip the hubs off tomorow and check but you can deff hear them lock. i cant understand why im only getting power to one of the rear wheels.

Oh crikey its electronic :blink:

There is a great list of things to go wrong.

AFAIK, if the 4wd light isn't on, it isn't in 4wd.

If the front propshaft is rotating along with the back when you try to drive (don't get run over looking), but neither front wheel is, then the hubs are not engaged, or there is a broken CV, differential or halfshaft in the front axle.

If you can rotate the front propshaft by hand then it is not in 4wd.

In 2wd, one back wheel will spin, the one with the least grip. Try feeding one of your rubber floor mats into the spinning wheel, it should grip and the other side spins. (you could try gentle handbrake to load both wheels and you might get both to rotate.

I don't think stopping with the handbrake will damage anything.

If you have been driving on dry tarmac in 4wd for a long time you could have broken a front cv joint.

Thanks for your help so far. I will play about with it in the mourning and let you know how i get on. Could i of blown a fuse for the engaging of the hubs?