Slow but functioning E-locker. Worth cleaning?

Background: My E-locker technically works, it's just extremely moody about when it engages. I try to engage it when sitting at stoplights (5spd w/ grey wire mod) occasionally just to keep it in working condition. Sometimes the little light will keep blinking and not lock in until I've taken off and I'm 2 miles down the road...after which it decides it doesn't want to disengage as I'm approaching a hairpin turn

Other days, it locks in as soon as I click it and disengages right away when I turn it off. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. I've read that serpentine paths help, but no one told my Taco that.

Me question: Is it worth the trouble and risk of tearing everything apart to clean it up and possibly speed up how fast it engages? I've read several excellent write-ups detailing the process. I think I can manage it fine, but if my locker is behaving like most usually do then I don't want the hassle.

In short, do any of you with well cleaned factory E-lockers engage better than what I described?

 

Mine behaves the same way. I *think* that it takes a little rotational difference between the rear wheels to get it to engage. That comes from purely my own anecdotal observations.

I won't, however, give it 2 miles on dry pavement running at speed to attempt to engage.

 

Noted. I guess mine is pretty average then.

 

x2

And dude, lockers are for off-road.. Don't use it on pavement unless you want shit to break

 

Touché .. However looks like you were just burning a little rubber; not driving for miles on pavement. Turning on pavement while locked will cause unnecessary tire wear and create excessive stress on the diff as well as other critical parts.. My .02

 

To clarify, I don't try to make it a habit of driving locked on pavement, and I certainly don't try to take corners locked. The same goes for 4WD to a lesser extent unless the roads are slick enough to allow differential rotation rates. My intent is just to occasionally engage and disengage all of my systems to keep them in working order.

Nonetheless, I appreciate the input. Looks like I just need to make more off-road time.

 

Your locker sounds like it is working properly. When rock crawling mine will act like you're describing, pressure on the gears and gear alignment is the causing the problem. Backoff on the gas and it'll lockup or unlock.

 

Def a good idea to keep 4wd and the elocker engaged from time to time to keep them fresh.

Sometimes if my locker is hesitant to engage I will make slight turns L to R like others have mentioned, but if space is limited while offroad I'll just punch the gas real quick (from a stop) thus spinning one of the wheels allowing the splines to line up and lock up...

 

Thanks everyone for weighing in on this. I don't know if it was the rainy roads, more methodical serpentine path, or maybe just engaging it so much lately but my locker responded a bit faster today when I tried it. I flipped it on and off a few times and it seemed to do as it should.

 

One last update: I think the former owner just never used the locker. Today I was able to lock it in within about 10 ft of pressing the button and quick left and right jerk of the steering wheel. Disengaged just as fast. Glad I didn't tear into it!

 

BOOM! TW does it again.. Glad you got it all sorted out

Now get out and use that summabitch!!

 

Interesting...

I find my locker can be a bit temperamental as well. Which had left me thinking, in a pinch, what if I'm not able to drive a bit further in order for it to engage. But it sounds like if you are stuck, the locker should probably engage as soon as you start spinning the wheels?

I should make a habit of engaging it more often. I suspect as the OP may have noted, the more often you use it, the quicker it will go in, combined with using it under the right conditions. I just have to do the grey wire mod, having to go 4L holds me back from trying it more often...