Disconnect assembly with a dog clutch and method for operation of the disconnect assembly

A differential system, comprising:

• a differential with an input gear meshing with a gear in a transmission and one or more pinion gears that mesh with a plurality of output gears;
• and
• a differential disconnect assembly comprising:
• a dog clutch selectively disconnecting the input gear from the plurality of output gears;
• and
• a solenoid coupled to the dog clutch and engage the dog clutch when energized;
• and
• a controller including instructions stored in non-transitory memory that when executed, during disengagement of the dog clutch, cause the controller to:
• energize the solenoid with a first current value;
• de-energize the solenoid to disengage the dog clutch;
• following the de-energization, transiently re-energize the solenoid in response to the dog clutch moving from an engagement zone to a transition zone, the re-energizing using a second current value to apply a force in an engagement direction that is opposite a disengagement direction when the dog clutch is disengaged but before the dog clutch reaches a fully retracted position.

A method for operating a disconnect assembly in a differential system, comprising:

• energizing a solenoid with a first current to sustain engagement of a dog clutch in the disconnect assembly;
• initiating dog clutch disengagement via de-energization of the solenoid;
• and
• responsive to an engagement sensor indicating that the dog clutch has moved from an engagement zone to a transition zone during the dog clutch disengagement, re-energizing the solenoid via a second current that is less than the first current.