Sponsored

What happens when the axle lock sensor fails?

mgroeger

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Feb 1, 2018
Threads
150
Messages
5,454
Reaction score
7,844
Location
Hurricane, UT
Vehicle(s)
2021 JLUR 2.0T, 1991 YJ rock crawler
Occupation
I make microchips for a living.
Vehicle Showcase
1
It is a parts supply problem. FCA does not have access to the sensor as a stand-alone item.
Nope. They have plenty of them but for some reason no one has been able to understand they refuse to sell just the sensor. @wibornz crawled straight up Dana/Spycer's ass for a week straight with daily phone calls demanding the part. The guy finally begged him to stop calling and said there is no way we can sell you the part because it is a Mopar part that we are not allowed to release.
There is something going on at FCA which none of us can figure out but they will not sell this solenoid.
Sponsored

 

mgroeger

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Feb 1, 2018
Threads
150
Messages
5,454
Reaction score
7,844
Location
Hurricane, UT
Vehicle(s)
2021 JLUR 2.0T, 1991 YJ rock crawler
Occupation
I make microchips for a living.
Vehicle Showcase
1
Will the other axle still lock? I rarely use the lockers. Just for those spots where two wheels are off the ground or on an exceptionally steep loose pitch. Thanks for the reply.

I asked the service writer if it was covered under the powertrain warranty and was told yes. But you never know until you pick up the jeep.
Once one of the lockers starts to fail the entire system is disabled.
 

mwilk012

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2018
Threads
14
Messages
8,926
Reaction score
8,757
Location
Oklahoma
Vehicle(s)
2018 Ocean Blue JLU Rubicon
Occupation
Service
Nope. They have plenty of them but for some reason no one has been able to understand they refuse to sell just the sensor. @wibornz crawled straight up Dana/Spycer's ass for a week straight with daily phone calls demanding the part. The guy finally begged him to stop calling and said there is no way we can sell you the part because it is a Mopar part that we are not allowed to release.
There is something going on at FCA which none of us can figure out but they will not sell this solenoid.
They are part of the axle assembly as far as Jeep is concerned. They receive them whole. Mopar simply rebrands the items they receive from The manufacturer for many of their parts.
 

mwilk012

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2018
Threads
14
Messages
8,926
Reaction score
8,757
Location
Oklahoma
Vehicle(s)
2018 Ocean Blue JLU Rubicon
Occupation
Service
Do you think there will be an aftermarket sensor that pops up? It's been what, maybe a year or two, and so far nothing. I guess since the dealer takes care of it, many people have not had the need to fix it themselves. I just wonder if there ever will be an aftermarket sensor available.
There will be some Chinese knockoff eventually. The aftermarket still doesn’t have hardly anything for the JL/JT unless it happened to overlap with the other 3.6L equipped Chrysler vehicles out there.
 

Jteakus

Well-Known Member
First Name
John
Joined
Apr 18, 2020
Threads
4
Messages
302
Reaction score
344
Location
Oil City Louisiana
Vehicle(s)
2020 Ecodiesel Unlimited Rubicon
Everything has to be difficult.......
 

Sponsored

Jamrock

Well-Known Member
First Name
David
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Threads
12
Messages
706
Reaction score
801
Location
Jamaica
Vehicle(s)
Suzuki
Nope. They have plenty of them but for some reason no one has been able to understand they refuse to sell just the sensor. @wibornz crawled straight up Dana/Spycer's ass for a week straight with daily phone calls demanding the part. The guy finally begged him to stop calling and said there is no way we can sell you the part because it is a Mopar part that we are not allowed to release.
There is something going on at FCA which none of us can figure out but they will not sell this solenoid.
There are always some components that dealers will only sell as part of a larger set. For whatever reason. When the glass on my Suzuki's wing mirror was broken, I had to replace it from a crashed vehicle. The dealer would only sell the entire wing mirror.

I have seen this with a number of components.
 

Spank

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2017
Threads
25
Messages
2,400
Reaction score
4,022
Location
Colorado
Vehicle(s)
2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, 2020 Dodge Challenger RT Scat Pack
The aftermarket needs to jump on this now. Unless Mopar has updated this part in current Wranglers, which I seriously doubt, this is going to become a common "wear" item that companies can make some decent sales on.
 
OP
OP
MtCamper

MtCamper

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ken
Joined
Mar 30, 2018
Threads
47
Messages
592
Reaction score
875
Location
NW Montana and Yuma Az
Vehicle(s)
2018 jlUR White Rubi, 2018 GMC 3500 Duramax,
Occupation
Retired Snowbird
Thanks for all the responses. Unfortunately thread got hijacked a bit and I'm still not sure what I should do if I get the service axle locker system light and I'm in the middle of the desert. It looks like the worst case is I can still drive out with one of the axles locked. Would disconnecting the electronics to the diffs allow the axle to unlock so it could be driven on pavement? If I get the service axle locker system message and I don't activate the locker switch, can I drive the Jeep in 2H,4H and 4L without fear the lockers will self engage? If the dealer can't get me in for service or I'm waiting for parts, can I still drive the Jeep and use 4H and 4L if I don't activate the lockers? As you can see I'm confused as to how the sensor and activator interact in the diff.
 

CarbonSteel

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2019
Threads
296
Messages
5,268
Reaction score
7,145
Location
Colorado
Vehicle(s)
2023 Ford Bronco Wildtrak
Vehicle Showcase
1
....and FCA isn't paying for it, their supplier probably is.
Not if the module was designed or specified by FCA, which based on Dana's response of not being able to sell it, indicates that it was.
 

Sponsored

HungryHound

Well-Known Member
First Name
Rick
Joined
Dec 24, 2020
Threads
17
Messages
1,301
Reaction score
2,776
Location
TN & FL
Vehicle(s)
1975 CJ-5, 1983 CJ-5, 1998 TJ, 2021 JLURe
Not if the module was designed or specified by FCA, which based on Dana's response of not being able to sell it, indicates that it was.
So it's a design issue? I figured it was a run of bad sensors. Obviously, having to replace the whole axle instead of just the sensor is a bad design IMHO.
 

CarbonSteel

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2019
Threads
296
Messages
5,268
Reaction score
7,145
Location
Colorado
Vehicle(s)
2023 Ford Bronco Wildtrak
Vehicle Showcase
1
So it's a design issue? I figured it was a run of bad sensors. Obviously, having to replace the whole axle instead of just the sensor is a bad design IMHO.
The sensors which are partially submerged in and are constantly bathed in hot oil are not sealed. Replacement axles have the same sensor in them and are failing again. The process that @chevymitchell created to pot them in epoxy should have been done at the factory.
 

HungryHound

Well-Known Member
First Name
Rick
Joined
Dec 24, 2020
Threads
17
Messages
1,301
Reaction score
2,776
Location
TN & FL
Vehicle(s)
1975 CJ-5, 1983 CJ-5, 1998 TJ, 2021 JLURe
The sensors which are partially submerged in and are constantly bathed in hot oil are not sealed. Replacement axles have the same sensor in them and are failing again. The process that @chevymitchell created to pot them in epoxy should have been done at the factory.
Is it some sort of capacitive or inductive prox sensor? Used the plastic-tipped ones for a while when upgrading some of our process equipment, then switched to the all stainless ones when the plastic ones started failing. Maybe using these single-draw SS sensors will fix the problem. Of course, that may have been Dana's original design, but JTE switched to the cheaper plastic ones for cost. Accountants have a way of screwing up some really good designs.
 

CarbonSteel

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2019
Threads
296
Messages
5,268
Reaction score
7,145
Location
Colorado
Vehicle(s)
2023 Ford Bronco Wildtrak
Vehicle Showcase
1
Is it some sort of capacitive or inductive prox sensor? Used the plastic-tipped ones for a while when upgrading some of our process equipment, then switched to the all stainless ones when the plastic ones started failing. Maybe using these single-draw SS sensors will fix the problem. Of course, that may have been Dana's original design, but JTE switched to the cheaper plastic ones for cost. Accountants have a way of screwing up some really good designs.
No sure about that, but the PCB is fully exposed and the unit is not sealed (or not sealed very well) and gear oil seeps in either through the power connector or the cover. Once the module has completely filled, it eventually shorts out when initialized. Since the module is not available separately, the owner has 4 choices:

1. Live with it.
2. Pursue FCA for an axle replacement which is a band-aid since the new module is not sealed either.
3. Pot the modules before they fail.
4. Look at using the Z Automotive "bypass harness", though I cannot tell if it just fools the computer and shuts off the warning message or if it actually brings the axle back into normal operation. With that said, there have been reports here that the harness did not work.
 

roaniecowpony

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Threads
144
Messages
7,240
Reaction score
9,297
Location
SoCal
Vehicle(s)
2018 JLUR, 14 GMC 1500 CC All TERRAIN
Occupation
Retired Engineer
So...what exactly is this sensor doing? I know there is a speed limitation on the locker engaging and staying engaged. So is it a simple speed sensor?
Sponsored

 
 



Top