Misinformation [WAS: RE: Need '87 5000 Q owners manuel]

["Buchholz, Steven" <Steven.Buchholz@kla-tencor.com>]

... I agree with your sentiments ... this is all the more reason to
ensure that you are providing the correct information.  We all are
providing our responses with good intentions; and I know that I have
mistakenly provided misinformation.  In this case, I think the best
source of info would be the Owner's Manual ... which the original poster
obviously cannot do until he gets one.  I have been able to get Owner's
Manuals from the dealer's parts department ... and they aren't that
expensive.  Interestingly enough I have seen two _different_ Owner's
Manuals for the '88 5kCSQ!

Let's let the original poster figure out for himself how the switch
works ...

Right next to the diff lock switch there is a little diagram of the
drive train with two green lights.  Notice that one of the lights is in
the place of the rear differential and the other is in the place of the
CENTER differential ... the front differential has no locking mechanism.
When a particular light is illuminated it means that the associated
differential is locked ... this means that it is really no longer a
differential, and that the input shaft and both output shafts are
turning together.  

Now that we know how the panel works, we can test to see what the
positions on the switch do.  It turns out that the locks usually need to
have some motion to be able to engage or disengage.  Go to a quiet
straight street and drive slowly in a straight line while changing the
position of the switch.  You might want to steer the car slightly left
and right to allow the diff locks to engage.  I find my old urq can take
some time before the locks engage, but on the 5kq they pop in and out
pretty quickly.  Once you have seen the locks engage or disengage try
the other position.  You may want to try switching between the settings
a few times to make sure the behavior is consistent.  Now that we know
how to determine how the switch works ... let me report how the switch
on my '88 5kCSQW works.  Position 1 locks only the center differential,
and position 2 locks BOTH the center and rear differentials ...

The owner's manual will describe the situations where use of the
differential locks is suggested.  I always like to mention the fact that
the owner's manual for the QTC states that differential locks may be
useful for racing situations ... :)

One final comment is that on your car ('87 5kQ) if you have ABS, it will
automatically be disabled if either differential is locked.  Uh, oh ...
I feel another question coming ... what does that ABS switch on the dash
do? ... ;-)

HTH!
Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)

> ----------
> 
> Poor guy - asks a simple question and gets 3 different answers!
> 
> How bout . . .
> 
> "1" locks front wheels
> "2" locks rear wheels
>