Drew,
    Try this. Get it to a "unlocked position". Then disconect and
    plug the vacuume line in the engine compartment. If it stays in the 
    unlocked position the problem is the valve in the dash. I think
    thats where your going to find the problem. The axuator it self is
    spring loaded, therefore with out vacumme, the axil, would not engage.
    

                 Eric Zeno
                 emz@nauticom.net
                 86 Syncro
                 86 GL
                 72 240Z
               1936 Chrysler

On Wed, 31 Jul 1996, Drew Jenkins wrote:

> I don't know if other Syncronauts have had this experience, but...
> my rear locking diff is *POSSESSED*!  <Add your appropriate 
> eerie sound here :-)>
> 
> Symptoms: For no apparent reason, the locking diff will activate.
> The LED indicator will turn on and the rear is locked. There is no
> correlation with the speed of the vehicle nor with whether the
> vehicle is turning. Sometimes it will stay active for 10 seconds
> and then go off. Other times it will activate for for more than 5
> minutes.
> 
> Playing with the switch has no affect. This afternoon my wife 
> was driving and it activated a couple miles from home. She drove
> into the driveway and waited for me to get home. Four hours later I
> started it and it was still activated, even though the switch was
> in the off position. During my short drive around the block, it
> activated and deactivated four times.
> 
> I need to exorcise the demon out of this Syncro. Short of calling a
> priest, does anyone have any *serious* suggestions on what may
> be the problem? 
> 
> (I know this is the vanagon list and some levity is expected, but
> this is a *real* problem. It can't be driven until I get this fixed.)
> 
> I am posting from  my private ISP account. I don't subscribe to
> vanagon@lenti from this account so please reply either to 
> the list or to my daytime account: djenkins@foxboro.com.
> 
> Thanks for any info.
>  
> Drew Jenkins  86 Syncro
> djenkins@foxboro.com
>