My Locking Differential Wouldn't Disengage. What now?

Today I was driving on a dirt road and engaged the locking differential. Next thing I know it won't disengage. Crawled under the truck and tapped it with a crescent wrench. Afterwards it disengaged. I'm familiar with the proper procedure for using the locker. Often I need to turn the wheel a little to engage/disengage, but that's normal. This time is was just plain stuck.

Question is what now? Could it have been an electrical problem or mechanical?

 

Oh it's mechanical trade the truck in and buy a Frontier before it blows up and takes every thing out..... just kidding

Your truck is fine

They do stick it was probably just loaded up and needed a bit harder of a jolt then usually to get it disengaged

 

Can you take apart an actuator or something like that inside and clean it?

 

Can you yes, it's your truck you can do what ever you like to it. Would I recommend it no if you can't put it back together for what ever reason or there is any small parts that weren't put back in properly or missed it can cause more damage then good. I would start by checking your oil and what it looks like. How old is the oil and how often do you lock that diff up ? I'd go baby steps before ripping and tearing I'm sure the actuator isnt cheap. But it's your truck do with it as you will.

 

I would say on average I engage the locker about once a month to keep it working like I've read you should. I'm pretty good about changing the oils in the diffs and transfer case. Last time I changed the diff oil was at 95,000 with Royal Purple. I'm at 115,000 now.

 

My truck had the same problem today. Easily engaged when I pressed the locker button, wouldn't disengage until I crawled under the truck and tapped it with a wrench. I guess I'll try changing the oil in the rear diff and see if that does anything.

 

Mine would do this too. I would just put it in reverse, back up, put back in drive until it disengaged. Always worked. Putting it in reverse always seemed to take the pressure off the drive-line enough to disengage the locker. Give it try next time..

 

I tried that for like 30 minutes still wouldn't work. Only thing that seems to work is tapping it with a wrench.

 

Sorry to hear that bro. Maybe if you cycle it more often the problem will go away. I usually cycle mine every week or so even if I'm not going off road just to keep it working.

 

I had mine do that on my 06 and I had to rock it. The locking motor is a glorified clock motor, not much to it. All that it does if push a gear inside the diff. I'll bet that yours just rusted up and stuck, mine rusted up and eventually wouldn't engage. I'll bet that you could pull the motor and manually unlock it if you had to.

 

I have a friend that has a shop so at some point I'll pull the motor and take a look. Too bad Toyota wants like $700 for the silly thing. I found a couple of links to reparing them, so maybe that will be an option. I also found a used one for $200 something. Maybe I'll get lucky and there's just some crud in it that cleaning will fix.

 

I've read other people that have found a lot of grime and corrosion in theirs and took them apart to clean them and had them working like new. Hopefully you'll get out of this relatively cheaply. Good luck and let us know what you do.

 

Thanks I'll keep you guys posted.