Manual Hubs install

Whatever hubs it has, they definitely shouldn't unlock when rolling backwards. That would mean you wouldn't have 4wd in reverse, which is a great recipe for getting stuck!

TBH after reading this.. I will first go for the search and if not too difficult, replace the solonoid switch. At GBP40 on autodoc etc (correction later....GBP140!!!!) I can live with this (...nope..)  - must just be sure of the part so that I don't order the wrong thing. Same time, also if not a mission, look at replacing the rubber vacuum lines. If that lot still does not solve the issue, then I will go for the manual hubs. Last step I will shout for help or rob a bank and go to Suzuki.

I had these hubs on my toyota 4x4 bakkies in SA (I have never seen that model in UK or Germany) and they worked a treat. I was used to the low range gear lever on my series 2 landies, nissan, and toyota 4x4s, so this is the first electronic push button shift and I gotta say not my favorite. I like to hold a stubby gear lever, engage and go, not rely on a light bulb flashing on / off...

The solonoid/vac/switch is easy to test, disconnect the hose from the solenoid with the switch on it, plug it with something and see if you get a steady green light when engaging 4x4. If you do the vac, solenoid and switch are both fine.

If you don't it might be the vac take off from the engine (this is near the solenoid) or the vac reservoir tank.which has a leak.

It could of course be the solenoid (probably unlikely) or the switch which is faulty.

I wouldn't bother trying to fix the vac lines from the solenoids to the hubs, there are so many joints, flexible and rigid pipes and the Suzuki parts are really expensive. I would just buy some length of vac pipe (two colours, one for lock, one for unlock) and a couple of T-pieces, then run two hoses from the solenoids to both hubs, so there are no joints down below, there is nothing to fail then.

This is what I am going to do when time allows so I can go back to the vac hubs if I want to, but TBH I like the manual hubs now, they are definately in 2 or 4 WD, no worries if the hubs have engaged or not.

Robin

wrote:

Whatever hubs it has, they definitely shouldn't unlock when rolling backwards. That would mean you wouldn't have 4wd in reverse, which is a great recipe for getting stuck!

just like Mercedes Viano Vito and some of those vans with 4matic "4x4". only works forward

I am travelling on the other side of the planet atm but this issue is bugging me and I want to have an action plan when I get back in a few weeks time. I looked at my piping before I left and the piping all looks pretty neat. I cannot see the Solenoid or anything under it without lots of dismantling. Trouble shooting this will mean involving my local mechanic (pricey) or Suzuki (cost more than the vehicle is worth no doubt). And when fixed, what is to stop this appearing again. Logic causes me to lean towards me getting rid of the vacuum system and replacing with free-wheeling hubs.

However the 4wd light is stuck on and flashing 2x/sec. According to the wiki article this means the 4wd system has engaged but no successful vacuum signal has been received. Assuming this to be the case, my question:

If I plug the 4wd system as suggested, and replace the hubs with manual hubs, will the 4WD controller know the current state that the 4wd system is in and correctly activate the 4WD-H light on the dash, and respond to a disengage signal when 2WD button is pressed and correctly disengage the 4WD system? (i.e will the system operate correctly when each of the 3 activator buttons is pressed, including with the correct light signals on the dash and on the 3 activator buttons)

Alternative question: do I need to get rid of the flashing 4WD light before switching to Manual hubs?

puzzled JAG...

The electric transfer box is controlled by switches in the transfer box, and the clutch/(neutral for autos) switch.

It engages 4WD at the transfer before it activates the hubs (there is a syncho cone in the transfer that brings the front propshaft upto speed).

The vacuum switch is used to tell the controller that a vacuum appeared in the pipes that pull the hub in, if one does, then the controller assumes the hubs worked, if no vacuum, the hubs didn't work and the light flashes.

According to the manual, the controller doesn't reverse the sequence and drop back to 2wd if the vacuum doesn't come up, so you can just fit hubs and ignore the flashing light.


By far the best option is simply to short out the vacuum switch though, as the flashing light is annoying.

Plugging the pipes only works if all the pipework is perfect (upto the plugs), and the solenoid valves work perfectly.


The fault with my gen 3 turned out to be a solenoid valve stuck half way venting the vacuum, nothing wrong with the pipes or hubs.

Followup:
Well the saga has drawn to a very positive end. Thanks to everyone for their advice. I received my hubs from Tim at LambertsEngineering (top service), and they took all of 15 minutes a side to fit. I did not need the spacers (I hope...!) and the result looks just what I wanted. So the Jimny is now back to being a 4x4 not a 2x4!
Hope the picture comes out OK...
Chuffed as a pig in dirt..


Julian

I can see the reliability upside of manual hubs but the push-button system does allow you to switch between 2WD and 4WD in typical British snow conditions, i.e. main roads salted tarmac, side roads and car parks covered in snow or ice.  4WD is not happy on bare tarmac, so you could be stopping a lot.

Ok for people who only use 4WD off-road, though.

If there's snow in the forecast, first thing you do is lock the hubs. Then you are prepared for any time you need 4wd. There's no need to unlock them every time you go out of 4wd.

Well, apart from the strain on the transfer box and the difficult cornering!  4WD isn't even recommended for long on wet tarmac.

Locking the hubs does not engage the front axle in the transfer case. With hubs locked the car is still in 2wd until you press the 4wd button.

Didn't know that.  So what's the point in having hubs that can unlock?  Just to save a bit of wear on the front axle?