1997 Terios center differential lock clunking when switched on problem with driving when engaged

Hi I have a question about the diff lock on my 4x4 Terios 2009. My WhatsApp nr is 083 640 5317 and my e-mail address is [email protected]. I had the clutch replaced with a clutch kit and after that if I drive the car in the normal mode (without diff lock engaged) the car struggles to make sharp turns to the left and right and it almost feels as if the car is sticky. There is also a vibration or shudder on the car between 40 and 60 km an hour which is not felt if you exceed 80km per hour. There is also a high pitched humming noise audible when you slow down approaching a stop street. The steering wheel also feels tight, almost as if the power steering is not as effective as usual. HOWEVER, if I engage the diff lock all these symptoms disappear and the car runs very smoothly, it turns on a coin, no shudder at all, no humming noise, just a very smooth ride indeed. I almost get the idea that either the diff lock stays on/engaged in the normal mode and that it disengages when you press the diff lock button and the diff lock light comes on. In other words I almost get the idea that the diff lock system now works the other way around. What is your opinion, could something have gone wrong with the diff lock switch when the clutch was repaired?

Yes it will, once no power is going to it it should or it could remain locked as well Give it a try . But you should have a look at the relay

1 2
3 4

that is what the pins should look lik 1 - 4 should power it
try grounding pins 1 - 4 this should lick or unlock the diff..

the front drive shaft when locked in 4 WD does drive the front diff
that inn turn drives the both front wheels if both have the same amount of traction
if one wheel is off the ground then the other will spin at twice the speed as that is what a differential is designed to do
now if you have a problem diff center ( broken teeth etc ) the there will be awful noises, clunks and bangs as the teeth from the pinion and crown wheel mismatch and hit on each other
no noises when in 4WD indicates a good diff center
the next problem will be a broken axle at the splines into the diff center spider gears ( same as one wheel off the ground or in a bog) the only wheels doing the driving are the rear wheels
next are the "u" joints or cv joints but again there will be lots of noises involved
lastly and the most frequent is the drives at the hubs
depending on the hub locks you have it will not n be locking in one or both wheels due to faulty actuator , dry damaged locking mechanism, stripped splines or not manually engaged
understand this --unless you have limited slip differentials or diff lockers on the vehicle any 2 opposing wheels or any wheels on the same side that have lost traction and regardless of being in 4WD or not you will not be going anywhere
so to fix --start at the drive hubs both sides to check actuation , engagement , then work back into the diff

IF you are in constant 4wd then you will not have a centre diff unless you have an AWD. The difference is that AWD transfer cases have a centre diff that allows different road speeds between the front and rear diffs as in going over speed bumps and dips ion the road It is the same operation in the front and rear diffs that allow one wheel to go faster than the other when cornering. However in 4wd drive there is no diff action in the transfer case and both front and rear axles drive at the same speed regardless of speed bumps and dips in the road . This action produces what is known as torque wind up which results in the handling characteristics. This torque wind up places stress on all the drive line train and results in failures such as .that you describe.. This wind up is not noticeable when driving on loose surfaces slippery surfaces or in mud as it is allowed to escape when the wheels spin . If you have an AWD with diff lock capabilities then check that the diff lock is operating correctly

what series? 80? LC?
which car do you have, we dont know see this quote
All 80s sold in North America and Europe now have a full-time four-wheel drive system. In Japan, Africa, and Australia, a part-time system was still available. 80s produced between 1990 and 1991 had an open centre differential which was lockable in 4HI and automatically locked in 4LO. From 1992 onward, vehicles with anti-lock brakes had a viscous coupling that sent a maximum of 30% torque to the non-slipping axle. The differential was lockable in 4HI and automatically locked in 4LO. unquote..
what drive do you have.????????? see the ambiguity here>>>????
Part time or Full time, it varies by unsaid COUNTRY !!

do not run Part time on dry pavement only ice or offroad.
or it will not shift or if does , it will wind up.

with or with out center differential.????
if with center and on dry road, the switch is bad or the linkage is failing
if no center diff, stop driving in part time 4wd on dry roads.

Sorry no idea here without as look to see whats wrong ,could very well be a electric solonoid switch that locks up a dog clutch but 4x4 is not something i do very often .Most i see are permanant 4x4 isnt this truck permanant rear wheel drive anyway and you lock in the front diff by means of a solonoid or a cable

This is a manual center differential lock button for 4WD models.
When you push this button, it manually locks the front and rear axles. An amber C DIFF LOCK light should appear on the dash board when engaged.
Push it again and it will disengage. It may take a few seconds to disengage, and a beeping will be heard until the diff is unlocked.

The center differential lock is only meant to be used in emergency situations. Driving with it engaged at all times can damage your differential.

Do you have the front hubs disengaged and the shift lever in 2wheel drive. If this is the case, the tyres will fight against each other while turning on bitumen.

pressed the c diff lock by accident - now the alarm wont go off when I turn it off? What should I do?

well don , if this is a 4wd , actually even if it wasn't i show it to have locking diff(s) , if you have 4wd i show you to have a switch and a light somewhere on dash display indicating if it is locked in or not . , if you look at the passenger side of the rear differential you might see some electronical gizmo attached to it . i recently worked on a lx470 , it was awesome , i cracked the woodgrain cover around the power window switch , ouch , it cost $500 just for that little piece of woodgrain , lexus is very proud of their parts , lol , enjoy that vehicle . i would sure appreciate a FIX YA vote . thank you .

J5