Diff Lock Vacuum Solenoid

[Wynvat]

Dit wil vir my voorkom of die ewenaargrendelvakuumskakelaar op die Patrollies bietjie wispelturig is, en daarby is die Nissan werkswinkels nie vertroud met die probleem nie.

My difflock het opgehou werk rondom 22000km. Met die 30000km diens het Nissan my verseker dat die difflock werk. Met die 45000km diens het ek weer daaroor gekla, en weer is ek verseker dat die difflock werk.

Ek het toe maar elders gaan hulp soek by 'n toegewyde 4x4 werkswinkel. Hulle het gou vasgestel dat die vacume solenoid nie werk nie. Hulle het my met hierdie inligting teruggestuur na Nissan toe, wat toe uiteindelik daarmee saamgestem het, en die solenoid vervang het (onder waarborg).

Nadat ek die difflock lanklaas gebruik het, het ek hom toe noudiedag nodig. Weer wou hy niks weet nie. Die liggie bly net flikker, maar g'n difflock.

Nadat ek die difflock herhaaldelik aan-en afgeskakel het, het hy uiteindelik gevat.

Daarna het ek hom daagliks, sommer op die sypaadjie, ten minste 5 keer aangeskakel. Hoe meer ek dit gedoen het, hoe gouer het hy gevat.

Lyk vir my hy moet gereeld gebruik word, anders raak hy lui.

Is daar ander ouens hier wat ook hiermee sukkel? Ek gaan hom nou maar voortaan ten minste weekliks aanskakel om hom "los" te hou.

[Gerrit Loubser]

My difflock stopped working recently and I fixed it over the weekend. It turned out to be a loose vacuum pipe, but unfortunately I missed it when looking for the obvious/easy fix right at the beginning. I went through a comprehensive exercise checking various bits of the system using the manual as a guide (a very approximate guide, it turned out). At least now I know the system better. My vacuum solenoids work very positively and the diff lock engages quite quickly. I do try to engage the lock as often as I can to keep the works from seizing.

[Patrol4.8]

Hi Wynvat

My Patrol se solenoid maak ook so as hy vir 'n tydjie nie gebruik was nie, 'n paar houe met iets soos 'n skroewedraaier se agterkant en hy werk weer

[G-MAN]

Eish! Patrol's is so capable die difflocks word nooit gebruik nie, dan "hibernate" die solenoids so bietjie....

[AJ Dup]

Myne doen presies die selfde het al gedink om hom te vervang wat sal dit kos Ek sal maar vir tyd en wyl die skroewedraaier manier probeer.

[Patrol4.8]

Hmmm solenoid is baie duurder as skroewedraaier

[Pieter du Toit]

Gentleman gentleman - if there is one man on this forum that can honestly speak of first hand experrience of diff lock and vacuum solenoid problems - THEN IT IS ME!!!!

I am on my second (damaged) diff lock - all because of the vacuum solenoid that nobody picked up was faulty. The following happened.

My diff lock stopped working - and when trying to engage it went coupled with a GRR - GRR - GRR sound - almost like grinding or slipping teeth. My diff lock light just kept on flashing on the dashboard. Long story short - the diff lock was removed and the following was what I was met with - see pic below.




So a new diff lock was ordered and put in - and walla - end of my problems - or so I thouhgt.

First 4x4 trip thereafter - about a month down the line - the diff lock is till not working - and making the same GRR-GRR-GRR noise when trying to engage - so back to the installer. After many and harsh words with the installer the Diff lock comes out again - only to be met with the same picture as above - brand new diff lock and not even 2000 km later and not even used once. The diff lock disengaging solenoid was not working at all - thus the diff lock did not know whehter it should be engaged or disengaged - thus causing the diff lock teeth to be grinded away slowly but surely under normal driving conditions.

Only then upon further investigation it was found that my vacuum solenoid is not working - so now it is off to Nissan again to get the vacuum solenoid. First one ordered is the wrong one they sent (after about 10 days) from Jo'burg - so I take out my vacuum solenoid - take it to Ettienne Kuhn (Parts Manager Nissan Parow) who takes photographs of it to send to Nissan SA to ensure they sent the right thing next time round. 2 Weeks later the parts guy phones me to say the solenoid has arrived - just to get there to find they have sent the wrong thing again!!!!!

Then they did not know what to do - and basically gave up. And on top of it they can only get me new diff lock gears in hopefully 21 days also - another problem. Meantime the installer don't want to replace the diff lock parts(which he must do at his cost) until a new solenoid is found - I was so furious to say the least. I told them to cancel everything I am going to replace my rear diff lock with an ARB locker.

Couple a days later I found out it is not that easy to replace the rear diff lock with an ARB Locker - problem being the one side shaft is too long and needs to be cut - the other one is too short and there is no "right" size side shaft available in SA - It has to be imported from Australia. And to top it all - ARB does not have a diff lock for my car available in SA - and the soonest they might be able to help me is end Novemebr - this I was told in the beginning of October. And then we complain about the agents giving bad service or not having parts available - it happens everywhere. So back to Nissan AGAIN.

Eventually I convince the one parts guy to go with me to the workshop - there must be either a Patrol or Patrol bakkie in for a service in order to get a different vin no to work on to look on the system for the vacuum solenoid. So this one guy that works in the parts store inside the workshop gets involved - and trues bob there is a 2006/7 Patrol 4.8 in for a service - with exactly the same vacuum solenoid unit as in my vehicle. So he undertakes to start looking and sourcing the correct part for me. And behold - the same day he phones to say he got the right part - it will be here in 3 days and the cost is R2184-??. And 3 days later it was here.

Now I am waiting on the diff lock gears again - this would have been here on the 05th Novembe alreay - but so far nothing. Every week it is just going over to the following week - and then nothing again. I don't think anybody realise how frustrated I am by now - I feel like I can turn the world up side down!!! These diff lock episodes of mine has been ongoing now since the 15th June when my car went in for the first time because of the GRR - GRR sound and the diff lock light flashing showing no engagement. At least my vacuum solenoid has been replaced and the vacuum system seems to be working fine now again.

[AJ Dup]

Where else except from the stealers can I find the solenoid?

[Gerrit Loubser]

The Aussies seem to replace the original Hitachi solenoid valves with a valve from MAC Valves. Have a look at these links:

http://forums.overlander.com.au/viewtop ... 3fe6bb388e

http://www.patrol4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21781&

The part number that they quote for the MAC valve is: 45A-GC1-DDBA-1BA-M532F

The local agents for MAC are Pneumatic Electric Control Systems (http://www.pecspower.co.za/), but any of several pneumatic solenoid valves should work.

[Wynvat]

This appears to be a disturbingly common problem.

See also here:

http://www.nissan4x4.co.za/forum/forum_ ... PN=1&TPN=1

What concerns me the most, is that the agents were not capable of finding the source of the problem. In fact, they maintained that there was no problem, and that the difflock was working. They even said that they have tested the difflock by turning on a gravel surface, and that they could feel the rear wheels "digging in". When I told them that what they felt was as a result of the configuration of 4x4 on a 2WD/4WD vehicle, they thought that I was too clever for my own good . They also maintained that the manual was incorrect, and that the difflock light was supposed to flicker, in order to warn one that the difflock is engaged! .

After having had the difflock inspected by a dedicated 4x4 workshop, I was told that it was the solenoid. Armed with this information, I approached a different agent, who promptly ordered and installed a new solenoid. When I spoke to the Nissan technician after he installed the new solenoid, he told me that he thinks that my Patrol was imported to SA by "mistake", and that it was destinied for an overseas market, as my engine lay-out differs from the pictures in his manual . This is obviously not the case, I have a common "SA" GRX.

What is clear is that Nissan does not go to any lengths to have their technicians trained on Patrols. They simply do not know their Patrol stuff.

If I could only find a Nissan techie who knows his Patrols, I would follow him religiously anywhere in Gauteng.