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zrickety

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I bought the z locker fix already, it's been shipped. I don't have this issue yet, but I'm sure as hell not going to let the dealer swap axles to fix it, or put in a replacement sensor that will just fail again.
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entropy

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I am planning a locker install in my dana 44 rear axle for the next year. Would an ARB locker suffer any issues? are there more reliable than these E-lockers?
 

1996cc

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I am planning a locker install in my dana 44 rear axle for the next year. Would an ARB locker suffer any issues? are there more reliable than these E-lockers?
Any locker can have issues. But ARBs seem to be more reliable.
 

mgroeger

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I am planning a locker install in my dana 44 rear axle for the next year. Would an ARB locker suffer any issues? are there more reliable than these E-lockers?
There is nothing wrong with the locker itself. It's the extra sensor that Jeep uses to check the state of the locker for safety issues. The locker themselves perform great.
 

KarnaughMI

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There is nothing wrong with the locker itself. It's the extra sensor that Jeep uses to check the state of the locker for safety issues. The locker themselves perform great.
What mgroeger said ... the lockers are good for nearly all of us (even the air powered version on the TJs was decent). I imagine the change in design from the JKs was two-fold in that 1) it's something for the way the switches and systems works (safety) and 2) I think the biggest reason was to remove the "challenge" of when the sensor fails on previous rubicon lockers (both TJ and Rubicon), such that, you have to remove the carrier (or at least pull pry it out a fair amount) to change the sensor if/when it fails (and the string/stick trick). This created a challenge for the shadetree mechanic who doesn't typically have the spreader to help with reinstallation. I had to do front seals on my JK and while it wasn't too bad I always mother-effed that design though. But I also spent the night at a Holiday Inn and was an ASE mechanic a lifetime ago.

My daughter's TJ Rubicon sensors are bad, but the lockers and pumps work flawless. The dash light just keeps blinking. I'm not in the mood to pull the carriers to replace the sensors.

-Tom
 

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EricIsRight

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It seems to me that you guys must realize that in all likelihood you are buying the EXACT same sensors that went bad/leaked right? Why would you want to buy another sensor that is likely to go bad AGAIN?
 
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It seems to me that you guys must realize that in all likelihood you are buying the EXACT same sensors that went bad/leaked right? Why would you want to buy another sensor that is likely to go bad AGAIN?
This thread is a how-to for preventing a non-failed sensor from failing. If Jeep/Dana/TE Connectivity got their shit together and made a better sensor then that would be great, but this is a second-best solution.
 

mgroeger

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It seems to me that you guys must realize that in all likelihood you are buying the EXACT same sensors that went bad/leaked right? Why would you want to buy another sensor that is likely to go bad AGAIN?
First - you can't buy the sensors. What they are referring to is the Z Automotive sensors they are putting in their axles and these are nothing like the original. It is simply a bypass circuit completely encapsulated in epoxy.
Second - We know that these have not been redesigned and will leak again so when I put my new one in (that I harvested from another axle) I siliconed the top of the sensor to seal it. Others are taking theirs out and sealing it as well before it fails.
 

Craigzjeep

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Thanks for taking the time for the detailed write up and the technical reasons on the failure points, good advice and something to keep in mind with other JL maintenance.
I'm starting to miss my 72 Chevy truck.
 

Dave928

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First, you need to be careful using silicone, some is corrosive to copper (the traces on PCBs) and could ruin the guts of the sensor you’re trying to protect. You really should use an actual potting compound or epoxy like 3M Scotch-Weld Epoxy Potting Compound DP270 Clear or Black.

Second, you could probably just drill two holes on opposite sides of the housing and do the potting without even removing the sensor.
 

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Sierra

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Interesting. Mine was a pain in the butt to open up and it broke in the process. This might mean there are some sensors that leak through the connector while others leak through the lid seam.



I pulled a failed sensor completely apart and cleaned it with contact cleaner, but the contamination seemed to permeate the PCB. You can easily tell by checking the resistance between the two outer pins on the sensor - if there's any conductivity at all, the sensor is contaminated.

Here's something to try if you have a failed sensor:
An electrical engineer friend of mine tried to salvage my board by de-soldering all the components and running high voltage to the contacts, which was successful in burning up the contamination (ZAP! spark!). Unfortunately the sensor wouldn't work after it was re-soldered, though - I'm not exactly sure why. The PCB checked out okay afterwards, but I might have cooked the sensor while soldering it.
It's also a very simple PCB, so it wouldn't take much to reverse engineer it and have a batch made overseas for around five bucks ( https://easyeda.com/ ). It's the hall sensor itself that is proprietary and non-replaceable.
Great idea! I’ll test mine. 👍🏻
 

Steve JLUR

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Worth their weight in gold...or $179 for the Z locker fix.
Issues like this make me sad, but it's nice there is an aftermarket solution.
That thread seems to have died in Oct of last year. Have you heard anything more about getting replacements, or having some made? Thanks.
 

Steve JLUR

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zrickety

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mgroeger

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That thread seems to have died in Oct of last year. Have you heard anything more about getting replacements, or having some made? Thanks.
That thread has been posted on less than a month ago. No new info, you still can't buy the sensor, they are still failing and FCA is still replacing axles. Your only options are to get your axle replaced, get the Z Harness or pot the sensor before it fails.
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