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The air lockers on my truck aren't working. You can here them clicking but they won't engage. Where should I start?
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Air Lockers Not Working
- Thread starter Russ Knight
- Start date
When you mash the lockup button, is the lights lighting up on the dash? If not, your lights may be bad but lockup may still occur. With truck aired up and shutoff, turn ignition to “run” but do not actually crank it, then mash the lockup button 3 times, all 3 lockup lights should come on. Does it? You should hear a audible “clunk” as each one engages, if not then precede below.
First things first, use my video and check for diagnostic codes in the TIM
If you have codes, post them here for us. Then, Go under your hood on driver sided, take a super small flathead and go to the locker solenoids under the hood, you should see a little red circle with a flat slot cut in it on every air block, you can rotate it manually to test lockup, if it clunks you’re good to go and most likely have bad electronic solenoid for that locker circuit. GO AHEAD AND UNLOCK IT or it will stay locked
Follow these steps carefully and report back
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First things first, use my video and check for diagnostic codes in the TIM
If you have codes, post them here for us. Then, Go under your hood on driver sided, take a super small flathead and go to the locker solenoids under the hood, you should see a little red circle with a flat slot cut in it on every air block, you can rotate it manually to test lockup, if it clunks you’re good to go and most likely have bad electronic solenoid for that locker circuit. GO AHEAD AND UNLOCK IT or it will stay locked
Follow these steps carefully and report back
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
TacMac2012
Active member
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- Wallburg, NC
Mine don't either. They are getting air as I checked, I think the valve in the diffs are stuck if I had to guess but I haven't taken them off yet.
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Apparently, I have discovered, there is an interlock that will not allow the axles to all lock if the CTIS is in highway mode. In any other mode, all three of the axles lock, or at least the indicators on the dash say they are locking. So, if your CTIS is functional, set it to any setting other than highway and see if they lock.
They are lighting up but they aren't locking in the diffs for sure
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Only one axle indicator would light up before I learned to change the CTIS setting. I'll get my son to help me tomorrow and get under the truck and listen to see if I can hear them engage (or not) while he changes the setting.
I put it in a position where it would need lockers to go forward. I could never get it to go with em only the rear would pull. Even climbing the trailer.
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I'll monkey with them. Hopefully I can get them working.
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Suppose a light few drops of Marvel Mystery Oil in the lines in front of the valves would limber them up?
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- Perry, FL
I didn't have time to mess with them this weekend. I think the first order of business will be to determine if the solenoids are operating and sending air to the locker mechanisms. Once I determine that, I'll go from there. If they are getting air, the old MM oil trick will be applied.
Easiest way to test is with the little flathead screw driver I mentioned and twist the little red knob. If you hear air move through there’s about a 90% chance that one locked under the truck as the engagement system under the truck is very robust but the electronic solenoids that you bypass using this test is the weak point in them.
So go through all 4 of them engaging and disengaging. Also don’t drive on the road with any of them locked.
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Thanks Eli!
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Discovered the hose going to the center locker has a big hole in it. Will replace it and see if the axle will lock. having said that, what is the best way to determine if the axle is locking without chaining the truck to a giant tree or something?
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Is there a device that controls (latches / unlatches) the solenoids when sequentially locking or unlocking of the axles each time the switch is pressed? Also, there are four solenoids. I know three of them control the individual lockers on each axle, but what does the fourth one do?
Easiest way is find a ditch, these trucks do not articulate well at all, and quite frequently if I hit my driveway idling in off the road (slow speed) and my truck flexes the rears will simply quit pulling and I have to gently mash the brakes to stop the free rolling wheels and engage my rear lockers then continue idling in. Be careful engaging the lockers with a tire spinning as there is NO safety and you can actually damage them if engaging while one is actively spinning. The operation TM covers this and I’ve actually found some teeth tips in my rear differential from it’s time in the service
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Very useful info, thanks!
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Repaired the hose, but still don't hear a clunk. I hear the clunk when the front axle locks. I know air is going to the center axle. Going to have my mechanic tear into the rear lockers and see what's up I guess.
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I think I have them working now. Found a hose on the middle axle that had been torn in half. Repaired it, and when locking all the axles now, you can feel it in the steering wheel and the inside tires on the rear dig up the terrain when turning. Scared to put it in the mud to test them because if they aren't working and I get stuck, I'll have to get one of my logger friends with a skidder to pull it out.
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- Perry, FL
Well, I was wrong. All lockers have air, front axle is the only one that will engage. I guess I'll pull the actuators and look at them. Rig them to apply air on the bench and see if they work.