Locking differential questions (80Q)

[Nate Stuart]

> [ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
>
> I pushed the "Lock Diff" button on my "new to me" 1990 80Q the other day
and nothing happened. OK, so it's broken I thought, no biggie. Shortly after
I started noticing odd behavior in tight turns (it would kind of "wind up").
It took me a while (OK, so I'm a little slow!) to realize that it really was
locked. Pushing the button again seemed to fix it. So a couple questions:
>
> 1) After I pushed the button I drove the car on the highway. Isn't it
supposed to unlock over 30MPH? Does it automatically lock again when you go
below 30MPH?

Supposed to unlock after 15mph.

> 2) Is the switch a momentary connected to a controller or is it really an
on/off switch?

Momentary, with a controller under the rear seat.

> 3) Is the diff. vaccum or electrically activated?

Yes. It is an electonically controlled vacuum servo.

> 4) I assume there is a light that's supposed to go on? How hard is it to
fix the lights in that little panel next to the switch?

Yes, but judging by the above happenings I would look at the other end of
the circuit. It may very well be that the switch in the diff to signal if it
is locked, or not, is leading to all the odd behavior. If the switch(or
connection to it) is not shorting then the controller will never know the
diff is locked and to unlock it(I suppose, though it sounds odd) and the
light will never come on. I don't have specifics to test the switch (not at
home, no bentley here), sorry.


Later!
-Nate
'89 90tq
www.newtsplace.com/90tq