Diff reliability

[Sammyd]

How reliable have your diff been. Easily engaged and disengaged? Any major malfunctions?

 

[Gxgn]

I think you’ll find that the diffs have been quite reliable. Engaging them is slightly tricky with the double push. Disengaging them is another story - be ready for large steering wheel turns to turn them off. Definitely harder than the quick on off in a Ford and not something you want to do on and off all day.

 

[Tazzieman]

I think you’ll find that the diffs have been quite reliable. Engaging them is slightly tricky with the double push. Disengaging them is another story - be ready for large steering wheel turns to turn them off. Definitely harder than the quick on off in a Ford and not something you want to do on and off all day.

They disengage when you unlock the centre diff. The telltale lights are what take a bit of twisting to extinguish.

 

[LRNAD90]

They disengage when you unlock the centre diff. The telltale lights are what take a bit of twisting to extinguish.

Actual disengagement doesn't seem to be the issue. Problem being you can't lock them again until the computer decides they have been unlocked..

 

[Clark Kent]

Actual disengagement doesn't seem to be the issue. Problem being you can't lock them again until the computer decides they have been unlocked..

I recall there was a change of mind software update for MY24+. If you disengaged diff locks you could re-engage them again without the vehicle waiting to confirm disengagement via the wheel speed sensors.

 

[CRH]

I think you’ll find that the diffs have been quite reliable. Engaging them is slightly tricky with the double push. Disengaging them is another story - be ready for large steering wheel turns to turn them off. Definitely harder than the quick on off in a Ford and not something you want to do on and off all day.

Is it double push for offroad setting and a single for the diff lock?
I got mixed up when I first got mine and went back to the dealer to be shown that I'm an idiot

 

[Tazzieman]

Actual disengagement doesn't seem to be the issue. Problem being you can't lock them again until the computer decides they have been unlocked..

I am yet to meet the rapid lock- unlock-lock scenario but as they say YMMV.

 

[Sammyd]

During my test drive (m y 2025) the salesman had a tough time disengaging the front and rear diffs. I tried first under his guidance. no luck. Then he tried on his own after I got out. That caused some concern for me.
Subsequently, I started to consider vehicles without the locking diffs, as I don’t think I would need more than the center locker, for my use case. Then, I stumbled upon a thread suggesting no one would want the vehicle after me without the diffs.

 

[CRH]

During my test drive (m y 2025) the salesman had a tough time disengaging the front and rear diffs. I tried first under his guidance. no luck. Then he tried on his own after I got out. That caused some concern for me.
Subsequently, I started to consider vehicles with the locking diffs, as I don’t think I would need more than the center locker, for my use case. Then, I stumbled upon a thread suggesting no one would want the vehicle after me without the diffs.

If the tyres aren't screeching on tarmac, it's just the software that's not registered the disengagement.

 

[AZGrenadier]

mine never seems to have an issue unlocking, but the light does stay on for a while. You can definitely feel when they unlock which is basically right when you push it.

 

[ECrider]

mine never seems to have an issue unlocking, but the light does stay on for a while. You can definitely feel when they unlock which is basically right when you push it.

That's my experience as well. Just wish could re-lock (MY23) without them having to stop flashing.

 

[AZGrenadier]

That's my experience as well. Just wish could re-lock (MY23) without them having to stop flashing.

Thats true, I guess I haven't run into a situation yet where it made a big difference for me. Rare that I have needed to engage the front and the rear may drag a bit if locked but doesn't seem to make a big difference on most of the stuff I am running around on. I guess on high traction (rock) surfaces it would make a bit more of a difference.

 

[Turbine205]

I think you’ll find that the diffs have been quite reliable. Engaging them is slightly tricky with the double push. Disengaging them is another story - be ready for large steering wheel turns to turn them off. Definitely harder than the quick on off in a Ford and not something you want to do on and off all day.

It is a double push for off road mode and a SINGLE push for rear and front diffs. People always get this mixed up, double push the diff buttons and end up getting frustrated.

I use mine a lot to help crawl out of very soft sand and have not had any issues. Another SINGLE push to disengage and off you go. The lights will stop flashing after a a few seconds, the difference will disengage as soon as you hit the button.

If you keep on jabbing the button trying to get them to engage out disengage you’re going to have problems. ONE PUSH ONLY.

 

[Glen]

If you keep on jabbing the button trying to get them to engage out disengage you’re going to have problems. ONE PUSH ONLY.

A few days ago, I set up across a narrow road to pull a van out of the ditch. The road was very icy with a dusting of snow. I had to do a lot of back-and-forth to set up across the road, so I left the transfer case in High / no CDL until I was in position. Worried about getting T-boned by road traffic, I got in a hurry and failed to select Low / CDL before pressing the rear diff lock switch. The diff didn’t lock of course, so in my temporary confusion I pressed the button a few more times. In short order, I had a flashing red rear diff lock symbol on the warning panel and an orange “Rear Diff Lock Error” message on the instrument panel.

With these two error messages, it quickly became obvious the rear diff lock switch no longer had any sway over the drivetrain. I shut the vehicle off, waited 10 seconds, then restarted. The error persisted. I continued the job in Low / CDL, finished up and drove about 10 minutes to my home. The rear diff lock error indications persisted for that whole half-hour. I checked the vehicle at 10 and 20 minutes after my initial shutdown at home and the error was still present.

The next day - about 12 hours later - the error had cleared and I was able to lock and unlock all the diffs as usual. So something happened overnight to clear the error. The diffs always worked fine . . . this was a case of operator error resulting in being denied diff lock selection for some lengthy period. I doubt it is the case, but it feels like some twisted idea to punish the operator for making a mistake.

My dealer asked Ineos tech about my circumstance and the engineer said something useful. He said that if the front or rear diff lock switch is pressed for more than 5 seconds, a diff lock error will be raised. I asked for a quick way to clear the error but haven’t received a response. This last bit seems most important to me - if I really need a diff locked to get out of a situation, a drivetrain configuration error shouldn’t force me to camp out overnight waiting for the error message to clear so the diff lock switch works once again.

Before you start madly typing “Hey stupid, learn how the diff locks work,” - thanks, I know how they work. In my haste, I screwed up the order of operations. The consequence of that mistake should not be to deny use of the system.

I’ve done extensive software development and testing, and I know users can be very inaccurate with reports about what they did, especially when they are in a situation where the software isn’t performing as they expect. This includes me if I’m not primed for an error condition, so my recollection of exactly how I got into the error is likely muddled - I was distracted with trying not to get into an accident myself. Compounding the situation was I had a very short distance to maneuver in, so along with button presses, I was moving back and forth to give the diff a chance to more easily lock. Rather than pressing the diff lock button for 5 continuous seconds (even distracted, I know that’s wrong), I suspect I may have pressed the button multiple times over a very short duration and that had the same effect.

So, like @Turbine205 said, the consequences for multiple button presses can be severe. My suggestion is that if the first one-second front or rear diff lock button press doesn’t work, STOP, count off 5 seconds, then verify your drivetrain configuration before you press the button again. And if anyone knows how to quickly clear the error messages I saw, please chime in.