Welcome to my blog. My name is Ken. One day, I was driving home from work when the engine in my car failed. While I waited for the recovery truck to arrive, I realised I didn’t have a clue what went on underneath the bonnet of my car. I signed up for an auto service course at my local community college, so I could gain the skills I needed to properly maintain my car and repair it if something when wrong while I was on the road. I wanted to start a blog to pass on these skills to other people so that they can look after their automobiles.
An engagement switch is a component located at the clutch and will typically be found in vehicles with four-wheel drive capabilities. This component functions to control how the front axles of your vehicle engage. As such, when you turn on the switch, your vehicle's front differential is supposed to engage so that the front wheels of the car receive more power.
Motorists with four-wheel drive vehicles will typically not pay much attention to this switch, as it tends to function without any incidence for a significant amount of time. Nevertheless, the components of your vehicle, no matter how small, are not immune to disrepair and there may come a time when the engagement switch begins to malfunction. Below are some of the signs that would indicate your engagement switch has acquired some damage and your vehicle may require diff repair.
You are unable to engage the vehicle's four-wheel drive system
A sure-fire sign that your engagement switch has become damaged is if you are unable to engage the front wheels of your car into four-wheel drive mode. This will typically present itself by you having to constantly jiggle or jostle the switch several times before your wheels engage.
In addition to this, you may get the front wheel to engage only to find you are experiencing difficulties staying in four-wheel drive mode. It would be crucial to seek diff repair, especially if you plan to drive on rough terrain, as you will end up experiencing difficulty controlling the wheels of your vehicle. Moreover, the components of your car will be exposed to premature damage if you are driving on rough terrain without your four-wheel drive capabilities.
Your vehicle gets stuck in four-wheel drive mode
Another sign that you may be having problems with your engagement switch is if you find your vehicle keeps getting stuck in four-wheel drive mode. This, in turn, leaves you permanently engaged in four-wheel drive mode. For some motorists, this may seem like a minor problem. However, the reality of the matter is that if you are not consistently driving on rough terrain, staying in four-wheel drive mode will expose the components of your vehicle to accelerated wear and tear. As such, it translates into additional repairs other than having to get your differential fixed. If you notice you cannot disengage from four-wheel drive mode, it is prudent to seek auto repairs before you have a host of other mechanical problems to deal with.
Share30 January 2017
