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Any progress on getting this sorted out? The only reason I ask is because within the past 2 weeks I have used both functions of the switch I added. By that I mean I used 2WD Low (2 weeks ago today) in reverse with the switch set to "manual" when backing the trailer and then 4WD high/low (yesterday) with the switch set to "auto" yesterday.
Hope your summer has started well on the other side of the pond.
Weather here is great now, unfortunately work now gets in the way of things through till August when I will have time to investigate further. I work on systems for crop drying & storage so up until harvest is over it's kinda busy & this year we have record sales which is good for the buckzooka but hard on free time.
I have a few things to do (upgrades not maintenance) onthe truck as soon as I get a free week!
As far as harvest goes - cherries are coming here real soon, and it owns me right now. California had a dismal crop, our crop is fat and juicy - but the rain storms won't cease (damages the ripe fruit). Add the Trump tariff to our exports to China, and I have no idea where we'll be when these little nuggets ripen up.
I've been too lazy to install a switch so far - I just pull the plug and it works perfectly.
I am confident in the video and my instructions because the switch works flawlessly in my truck, but am very curious to see what you find out when you get it working.
Maybe somebody with a working switch could use a multi meter to measure voltage at the connector in the different scenarios with the switch (for different wire positions)? I haven't really looked at mine yet (and compared wires) but one could compare the output voltages with a multi-meter from the connector with the rocker switch in the manual hubs vs auto hubs position. Seems like there should be two options available (ground like Sous did or Power).
Maybe somebody with a working switch could use a multi meter to measure voltage at the connector in the different scenarios with the switch (for different wire positions)? I haven't really looked at mine yet (and compared wires) but one could compare the output voltages with a multi-meter from the connector with the rocker switch in the manual hubs vs auto hubs position. Seems like there should be two options available (ground like Sous did or Power).
I think bigb56 has figured out the issue. Go to post #50 in the thread below where bigb56 replied and you will see all sorts of research and testing that he has performed.
In addition, I PM'd shovelheadrob a few hours ago and provided him the details to getting it working properly. I have also updated the the video description to reflect that if the mod does not work by splicing a switch into the black/gray wire, the blue/pink wire will probably make the mod switch work.
I've had a couple of days free so I have been doing a few upgrades, power sliding rear window, F650 lower dash from Riffraff with switches (including one for the 2WD mod!) So while I had the electrical box & soldering iron out I pulled out the passenger side battery & rewired the vacuum solenoid.
With a bit of trepidation I have gone through selecting 4wd & 4wd lo, with the switch in both closed & open positions, jumping in & out of the cab to try rotating the front driveshafts...........
.Every thing works as it should, because I have used the power wire the indicator on the switch is illuminated when the switch is closed (hubs locked when switched into either 4wd or 4wd lo), I will be leaving it in that position until such time as I need to shunt the trailer around.
Looks like I need a couple more gauges! I'm going to add airbags to the rear axle so that gauge will fill one hole, suggestions for the other one? I already have trans temp, egt & boost on the pillar.
I also added a couple of 12v power outlets in the overhead console along with 2 usb points.
I hated having the cable for the dash cam hanging in the windscreen & I can leave a cell phone charging and out of sight.
Just to be clear, you did get the 2WD Lo mod to work as intended?
If so, which wire did you splice the switch into? I know you had some trouble with the gray/black that I used, but others have had to splice the switch into the blue/pink wire.
I still find this very strange how it works on one truck one way, but not another. Even though they are the same year...
Looks like I need a couple more gauges! I'm going to add airbags to the rear axle so that gauge will fill one hole, suggestions for the other one? I already have trans temp, egt & boost on the pillar.
A fuel pressure gauge would be a wise choice for the empty hole
Just to be clear, you did get the 2WD Lo mod to work as intended?
If so, which wire did you splice the switch into? I know you had some trouble with the gray/black that I used, but others have had to splice the switch into the blue/pink wire.
I still find this very strange how it works on one truck one way, but not another. Even though they are the same year...
Yes it works as it should, I'm using the red power wire, I'd already tried the blue/pink when I first attempted the mod & that hadn't worked either! As you say no rhyme or reason to this other than that my truck was built for Canada if that makes a difference. One thing that I did notice as I did the initial testing with key on, engine not running, was the amount of time that the vacuum pump was running (I have no leaks) when switching between modes, it could well be perfectly normal & that it's not normally heard over the music from the injectors! Everything (AC vents etc) works as normal so I don't think it's a concern.
Rob, I am glad you got it working and am so sorry for your troubles. If I had known there would be anomalies like this, I would not have made the video. I have had thoughts of pulling it down off of YouTube anyway, and might still do that.
My vacuum pump runs for quite a while the first time in the morning, I know that for sure. The wiring should have zero effect on the pump and reservoirs ability to maintain a vacuum state. I had a very, very small hole in the red hard plastic line from the reservoir to the rubber boot. It took me almost an hour to find it. It was the size of a pin hole and would cause the pump to cycle on about every 5 minutes for 15 seconds or so. Strange...
Anyway, I am very glad you got the mod working correctly. Please post up in the future after you have tried it out and let us know what you think. I have not heard bad reviews from anyone that has done it.
I wouldn't pull the "how to" video, maybe add a caveat that on some trucks you may have to use the live wire? Which isn't actually live all the time, I went through the motions again today to check again & I noticed that the power indicator on the switch is not on all the time that the switch is in the closed circuit position, there must be a logical sequence but at the moment I don't have the inclination to work it out! I'm just happy it works. Thanks for your's & everyone else's input & concerns to get this working (hopefully anyone can now make it work.)
Yes sir, I look forward to your thoughts on the ease of backing the trailer up. I know for those of us with the ZF6 it makes a world of difference. Also, as you may have seen in the thread I linked above, it does make a very noticeable difference for trucks with the 4R100 transmission as well.
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