A CL65 WITH PWRED XFLOW DEFERRED INOP. DIVERTED ACCOUNT UNABLE TO BAL THE WING TANKS USING GRAVITY FUEL XFLOW BTWN THE MAIN TANKS.

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ACFT HAD AN MEL 28-24-01(2). NO PWRED XFLOW. FLT FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2; WE RECEIVED 'FUEL IMBAL' IN CLB. WE FOLLOWED THE QRH. THE IMBAL WENT AWAY IN LEVEL FLT. IT RETURNED AGAIN IN CLB. QRH COMPLETED AND MESSAGE TEMPORARILY WENT AWAY. SIDESLIP MANEUVERS WERE DONE. THE FUEL WOULD FLOW INTO LOW TANK THEN GO OUT. QRH FOLLOWED. SIDESLIPS WERE COMPLETED AND THEN THE ACFT LEVELED FOR AT LEAST 30 SECONDS FOR FUEL READINGS. CONTINUED SIDESLIPS (ALL WITH GRAVITY XFLOW ON). LEVELED WITH GRAVITY XFLOW OFF; TRIED WITH IT ON TOO; BROUGHT BACK ON LOW SIDE. IMBAL REMAINED. NO ENG OR FUEL FLOW PROBS INDICATED. WE DISCUSSED AND DECIDED TO NOT SHUT ENG DOWN. DURING THIS TIME; DISCUSSED WITH MAINT AND TOLD THEM OUR DECISION. THEY GAVE SOME IDEAS; DISCUSSED WITH DISPATCH. CONTINUED TO TRY TO BAL; IMBAL REMAINED. AFTER DISCUSSION; WE DIVERTED TO ZZZ3. PAX WERE NOTIFIED AS WELL AS THE FLT ATTENDANT SEVERAL TIMES. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. MAINT IN ZZZ SAID THEY DISCOVERED THE AUTOFLOW INHIBIT FUEL SWITCH ON. NO MESSAGE NOTED ON THE GND IN ZZZ1; INFLT; OR DURING TAXI IN ZZZ. QRH PROVIDED NO TIMELINE GUIDANCE FOR FUEL IMBAL NOR HOW MUCH SLIPPING ACTION TO USE. THIS FACTOR (THE TIME IT WOULD TAKE TO BAL FUEL) CONTRIBUTED TO THE DECISION TO DIVERT; LEADING US TO BELIEVE THE ACFT WAS NOT BALANCING THE FUEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS CREW WAS UNABLE TO BAL THE FUEL IN THE WINGS AND TRIED THE QRH PROC FOR SIDESLIPPING. THE HANDBOOK GIVES NO TIME LINE ON THE SIDESLIP PROC OF SIDESLIP PROC AS TO HOW LONG TO HOLD THE PROC. MAINT FOUND THE AUTOFLOW INHIBIT SWITCH IN THE 'ON' POS.