06 jimny - how to check engaging 4wd?

Hi all, hope hope i've not overlooked a similar post somewhere, but here goes. Was doing a test drive in a 06 jimny vvti, pushbutton 4wd. Found a gravel car park to check out he 4wd. Selected 4h, green light on dash appeared, drove around in circles - didn't seem to wind up at all, gunned it and dumped the clutch - rear wheel spin only. Engaged reverse, same deal, rear wheel spin only.
Selected 4l, got the light, got the low range, drove around in circles, no wind up.

Didn't hand over the $.

got a call from the dealer later saying mechanic checked it out, all operating correctly. Suggested that maybe I didn't know how Suzuki 4wd worked.

What's the prognosis?

If the pneumatic lockers don't engage will you still get the green lights?

Ae the pneumatic lockers supposed to engage in 4h?

Am I correct in assuming that 2h -4h is just locking 2 front hubs and 4h - 4l is selecting low ratio, nothing else(hubs already locked when 2h -4l).

Thanks for your time.

2wd= rear propshaft drives rear wheels, front propshaft not driven, hubs unlocked so front axle doesn't rotate.
4wd =rear propshaft drives rear wheels, front propshaft locked to rear so drives front wheels, hubs lock so front and rear wheels drive.
4wd low = as above, but an extra gear in the transfer box reduces the speed of the propshafts.

The test least likely to break the vehicle is jack up one front wheel, with the car ticking over in neutral, handbrake on.
2wd = the wheel will rotate by hand round and round. (and the front propshaft doesn't turn.)
4wd = hubs go click click and wheel will not rotate, just moves a little each way.

NB do not engage 4wd on tarmac, or it will break.
If you want permanent 4wd, get a Terios, Shogun Pinin, Rav4, Range Rover, Landrover, subaru, late Grand Vitara, Freelander, CRV, etc.

facade wrote: 4wd = hubs go click click and wheel will not rotate, just moves a little each way.

Not true. The gearbox is in neutral so it will turn, albeit it will turn the prop, the transfer box gears and some of the gearbox gears and might take a bit of effort.

If the front axle is up on stands with the engine running and the gearbox in neutral and 4wd engaged when you turn a front wheel by hand either the prop (most likely) or the other front wheel will spin. If it's still in freewheel nothing else will spin. You have to do it with both front wheels to know if both hubs have locked.

I don't know how the electric button version works in selecting 4wd in the transfer box though to know if the transfer box has successfully gone into 4wd but you will notice the rise in revs and reduction in speed in low range though, so I suppose that's possibly a way of testing but someone else with knowledge of them will tell you on here I'm sure.

I prefer to feel a lever mechanically go cur plunk personally!

Kirkynut

kirkynut wrote:

facade wrote: 4wd = hubs go click click and wheel will not rotate, just moves a little each way.

Not true. The gearbox is in neutral so it will turn, albeit it will turn the prop, the transfer box gears and some of the gearbox gears and might take a bit of effort.



i was lead to belive there is no center diff in a jimny so if one wheel at the front is jacked up how will it turn the gear box seeing the rear wheels and the other font wheel is on the ground and there is no center diff to spilt the drive unevenly between front and rear so i it wont turn correct me if im wrong

Unless the push button jimny has a centre diff, with one wheel off the floor and the handbrake on, the only thing that can turn is the opposite front wheel, and that will have to skid backwards, you will need to be very strong for this to happen.

Best test is to stop going up a muddy hill, get the back wheels to spin, stop put it in 4h if you drive up the hill it works if the back wheels just spin it doesn't work, so put it in reverse & go back down the hill to hard standing.