advice on using difflocks and low gear
hello there guys
right so i have my 1991 w463 g wagon 300 ge and i have just put bf goodrich all terrain tyres on it. i plan on going offroad i do not know how or when to use the gear lever to the rear im aware its low gear ? in a 463 does it only have two settings ? also when do i use the 3 diff locks i know that these settings are only to be used offroad but what exactly do the locking diffs do and how would i know weather to lock front middle rear or a selection of them ? im sorry for my stupidity but i would hate to destroy my g on my first amateur off roading trip.
regards in advance
lou
Hi Ljg458
You are not stupid we all need to start somewhere and I still have a great deal to learn. Much more experienced members (ladies as well as gentlemen) will give you far more detailed/better advice than me. Lots of different techniques for lots different terrains. I do remember feeling as you do now.
It all comes with experience. Take someone with you who has done it before or follow a more experienced driver and watch what he does.
Start on an easy section off road drive very slowly and learn how the car feels on slippery surfaces. Be gentle with all the controls Watch what you are driving over. You have permanent four wheel drive and will be amazed how far you can get without needing the low ratio box. Once into the low ratio's when the going gets heavy you will be going much slower but will have far more traction.
Diff locks are magic. Mention to a keen land rover owner you have a G and in hushed tones they will sat " WOW theve got lockers all round havent they?" and immediately assume you are a great off roader. The G will look after you off road.
As for when to use them well - Centre one first (I have a 460 so no red buttons for me) If you feel the wheels spinning or are entering a very muddy section or water rear one next and if all else fails the front one as well. The front one will make the steering heavy and rarely will it be needed. Only use them on slippery surfaces and at very low speeds Do not use them on the tarmac and turn them off when they are not needed.
I still remember the first time I took my G off road wonderful......
It only has high and low as its permenant 4wd..As soon as you go off road you should press the centre diff, as this will then give you 50 50 traction between front and rear..the rear diff lock can only be pressed after centre and before the front...thats how it works..The issue with the G is they dont have as much axle articulation than say a LR..so it will lift the wheel sooner, thus losing traction..this is where the rear diff lock comes in..if you require the front at any time it means ou are in deep do do.
Avoid using the front unless you are really stuck, do not engage when spinning wheels, just depress button and accelerate very slowly, but release front locker as soon as you can as you wont be able to steer it very well..engage diff locks on a steep hill decent is advisable as this locks drive to all four and helps with engine breaking to. When off road use the diff locks as oposed to tearing around..just make it a nice gentle drive..there are times you will need momentum on hill climbs as the G is heavy..very heavy.
You will know when you need to change from low to high...do this with gearbox in neutral.
Lou,
Well we have all been there at some time. You have the machine, you have the location, now its about building both your confidence and experience! But please remember, both you and the G are NOT indestructible, so take care.
As Peter Perfect and Panzer have already covered most of what you would need to know, from a practical point of view while in the G, just remember some other points - if its your first time in your G, make sure you have another vehicle going with you, a tow rope is always handy and its about control, slow and steady tends to cost less in broken parts than what I call 'Yarrrrrr Speed' - Sorry to the members who were with me in Ashover last time we were there! 
As you have a 463, you will find the basic 4x4 will get you most places as will high range, though where you need control and precision manouvering, thats when you:
Gentlemen - you say that Low range should only be engaged when stationary and in neutral. Is that really so? I am sure that I have read that it can be done when moving - & I have to say that I have frequently done just that with no complaints from the current G (1991 463 300GDL) and nothing broken. Have I just been lucky? That being said we managed to kill Tim Carnell's ex-G (1990 463 petrol).
Early 463's in neutral,(if auto) but don't need to be stationary, as long as your going fairly slow.
Later 463's 2001 onwards, won't engage low ratio unless you are stopped though, button, not a lever.
My 463 is manual - but I should avoid my bad habits in future it would seem!
My 463 is manual - but I should avoid my bad habits in future it would seem!
As far as I know, no need for neutral then. Just use clutch.
Use of Locking differentials (diff) on W463 models.
The W463 is, as has been mentioned, a permanent four wheel drive, so you will not have a lever to engage or disengage four wheel drive unlike the W460s’.
Your transfer box lever has the one lever working in a single axis; normally positioned rearwards which is high ratio or as indicated by the lever is ‘S’ which is Straße in ‘German’ or Street use.
Moving the lever forwards engages low ratio and on the lever indicated by the letter ‘G’ which is Gelände in ‘German’ or all terrain/cross-country. This lever may be engaged at walking pace, if not, then you may have to stop and try selection, failing that too, select neutral gear in either manual or automatic transmission and retry.
High ratio gear is for gravel or soft ground conditions. Use of low ratio is for extreme terrain use when you are ascending, descending steep or rocky terrain. Experience will teach you to be instinctive of high or low ratio use.
On your centre dash there are three switches in a column. These are sequential in operation. To use these; first engagement is the centre switch that engages the centre diff lock which locks the front and rear axle drive. Should the front axle wheels loose traction then the rear axle drive can be lost rather like one wheel of one axle loosing traction with the other wheel on good ground.
The second switch in the sequence is the bottom one, engaging the rear axle diff- lock. The last switch in the sequence is the top one, engaging the front axle diff. lock.
There are two sets of lights either side of the switches. The left bank is amber in colour indicating the selection of switch. The right bank of lights is red in colour. This indicates positive engagement of the selection made. The switches will not operate any sequence other than that described.
The engagement need not be instant; depending on frequency of diff lock use, it could take a while for the engagement light to illuminate. Consider it good practice to use your diff locks once a month to keep things functional or they may seize up. As should using air conditioner for at least 15 minutes each month to circulate air conditioner lubricant keeping joint seals lubricated and supple avoiding any leakage problems.
The switches should be used as and when conditions demand and switched off when not needed. Experienced Mercedes drivers can operate these switches blindly rather like an experienced typist, typing away without observing the key board. Switching off can be done in reverse order individually or if the centre switch is disengaged; this will automatically extinguish the other switches.
Having all switches on for prolonged periods or when not on soft ground can cause a build up of ‘transmission wind up’, a condition noticeable when the steering seems to become heavier or the vehicle becoming difficult to steer. Ignoring these signs can lead to serious failure somewhere in the transmission line. Should this be sensed, switch off the front axle lock. If the engagement light does not extinguish, you might need to travel in reverse, the same path taken to travel forwards hoping to unwind any tension.
Point to note; should you suffer a puncture whilst off roading or immediately having used diff locks, take care changing your wheel. Drivers’ could leave the wheel brace mounted on a wheel nut or bolt after slackening the bolts and move onto jacking up the vehicle in order to execute wheel change. NEVER do this! Should the transmission retain any transmission wind up; as soon as the vehicle is jacked, the lifting wheel may sling the wheel brace causing serious injury to any one standing in line of the wheel and brace. Always use wheel chocks front and rear of one wheel per axle before lifting vehicle and stand the jack on solid and flat surface. Use a flat block of wood under jack if necessary.
I have some further material for your understanding to appreciate the anticipation of diff. locking conditions – I hope it is of assistance.
In servicing of the front axle, like the rear axle requires oil changes at every 36,000 miles other wise check and replenish oil as necessary every 12,000 miles. If there are any serious oil leaks, obviously, these need to be tended to as appropriate. For the front axle further; every two years, fill up the swivel hubs with grease up to the drain plug level (equates to two strokes of the hand grease pump in a completely empty chamber).
Check wheel bearing and king pin play every 12,000 miles. Do not adjust excessive front wheel bearing play, you need to replace wheel bearing and king pin bearings if you have excessive play. Adjusting the front wheel bearing will only result in bearing collapse.
For the rear axle, keep the oil drain clean and unblock if necessary, every 12000 miles or more frequently if off-roading. The drain hole can be found on the back plate under the axle tube. There is no servicing of the locking diffs' except as I have mentioned above use them every month to keep things functioning otherwise they can be lazy of seize up in which case a strip down and clean is the only option.
Although there is no schedule by Mercedes to do so, change the brake fluid of the diff locks every two to three years. Brake fluid is hygroscopic which means over time it absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. Water in brake fluid reduces its efficiency and be a source of rust developing inside the locking diff surface. This leads for the locking diff to fail and seize.
A couple of French army sqaddies looking for their diff locks on a P4 !
PS - Four GWOA members managed this section without incident.
Good luck Ljg458, and have fun.
One thing nobody has mentioned as far as I can see is the desirability of engaging the diff-locks in anticipation of a problem, rather than waiting until you get into a wheel spinning situation and, consequently, lose momentum. If you observe the terrain that you are approaching, you can usually tell if the locks are going to be required, so get them in and engaged before the problems with traction arise. Then disengage the axle locks, at least, as soon as conditions allow. If you miss a tell-tale sign and end up with a solitary front or rear wheel spinning, allow it to stop rotating before you try to engage the difflock(s). The axle locks work by physically connecting the left and right halfshafts together, so trying to do so when one is spinning and t'other is stationary can be damaging to the splines. There is a lot of mass in a spinning 16" wheel with a muddy off-road tyre on it.
The other subject that I didn't see mentioned was the matter of where you actually intend to go off-roading with your G. It's a potential minefield, so, unless you have a few acres of your own or privately available land open to you, please make sure you research the relevant vehicular Rights of Way and only go where you are permitted. So, not on designated Footpaths, Bridleways or Restricted Byways. I don't know whereabouts you are, but it usually pays to get in with an active club who know what they are doing, such as the All Wheel Drive Club (AWDC).
Just as a cautionary tale, MoD and Wiltshire police, for example, are coming down hard on errant off-roaders on Salisbury Plain Training Area. There are vehicular rights of way there, but there are also MoD tracks which are not R of W's. Also there are a lot of archaeological sites which, understandably, they are very sensitive about. Off-road motors and motorcycles have been confiscated and crushed, so it pays to know when you are in the right. Like I said, have fun.
Quercus - old oak! The MoD had two policemen on the plain and made them redundant. The Wiltshire Police have a rural crime team that covers the Plain - all two of them. One works north Wilts, the other south - and of course they have to be on opposite shifts so that one of them can advise the PCSO's. So the Plain becomes a play ground at its own cost. I have spoken to the PCC but he is not terribly interested - crime in Swindon is more important.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/fil...
I live in Swindon... believe me, they're not interested in crime here either!
Out on SPTA there are wardens, quite a few, who also work well into the night (sometimes) too.
I'm out there laning a helluva lot, so if anyone wants a guide, give me a shout.
Whilst it's true there are a lot of tracks out there that don'e have public access on, pretty much all of the "graded" flat gravel tracks are classified as cat1 tracks, and the public are allowed to use them courtesy of the MoD (subject to range flags obviously), but these can be closed at any given moment.
there are of course hundreds of byways out there. Having a good knowledge of a map helps, or something like memory map running on a carPC or laptop if handy too. they range from flat tracks to muddy bits. at the moment, with this sun, the place will be like a desert and very dusty!
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thank you so so much to everyone who has replied so far every reply has been very helpful i am touched at how helpful and informative you have all been i feel like i hav learnt a lot. my g was standing for 8 years what should i do to service the diffs does anyone know ? are there grese nipples to be lubricated ?
thank you all so so much for your advice so far im so happy i found this site and could mingle with you all.
regards
lou