Locker Position Sensor Potting - DANA 44

[jav_eee]

Wasn’t able to get back to finishing this up and reinstalling the sensors until today. Got them back in and everything is working great. No errors showing up and lockers are engaging/disengaging as they should. I agree with what others have said, the lockers now seem to respond lightning fast compared to previous. Another successful potting logged for this awesome thread!

I’m noticing a near instant activation as well. OP is awesome for this.

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[kscott]

Need some help. Im getting the blinking locker like every once in a while on longer trips. Will the potting method still work or is already too late?

 

[chevymitchell]

Need some help. Im getting the blinking locker like every once in a while on longer trips. Will the potting method still work or is already too late?

It's likely too late, but it's possible the caps aren't shorted yet.

Once you drill the holes, clean it out really good with contact cleaner.

You might be alright.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Need some help. Im getting the blinking locker like every once in a while on longer trips. Will the potting method still work or is already too late?

After having completely removed the white cover on both of my sensors, I think it helps with the cleaning/flushing. I used a little 4 oz hammer and a little stubby flat blade screwdriver to tap all around the edge of the cover. When you see the edge of the cover move a little, move on to another area and tap gently until you see that area lift, then keep going. A broken/cracked cover isn't the end of the world either. The epoxy potting will hold it together. With the potting, the cover is really optional. Filled to completely cover the circuitboard will provide all the protection necessary.

 

[kscott]

It's likely too late, but it's possible the caps aren't shorted yet.

Once you drill the holes, clean it out really good with contact cleaner.

You might be alright.

When the light is off (not blinking) and the lockers work just fine. Jeep only has 5200 miles on it.

 

[chevymitchell]

When the light is off (not blinking) and the lockers work just fine. Jeep only has 5200 miles on it.

Mileage doesn’t matter.

If the light is blinking, then the caps are being shorted. They just haven’t failed yet. Once they fail, then there’s no recovering it. The sensor is telling you to pot it now.

 

[kscott]

Mileage doesn’t matter.

If the light is blinking, then the caps are being shorted. They just haven’t failed yet. Once they fail, then there’s no recovering it. The sensor is telling you to pot it now.

Thank you for your help! Removed, drilled and potted. Rear one had a small amount of oil in it. I put them in our jerky dehydrator to speed up the curing process.

 

[MatthewAMEL]

Great write up and fix!

Is anyone selling a replacement sensor that is either already potted or not vulnerable to the same failure?

While the fix is certainly doable, I simply don't have the time.

TIA.

 

[jlewissystem]

Add another satisfied member - thanks! My rear did have oil in it and worked without issue. I did clean it out and do the potting described. All seems to be good and does seem to engage/dis-engage faster than previously.

 

[chevymitchell]

Add another satisfied member - thanks! My rear did have oil in it and worked without issue. I did clean it out and do the potting described. All seems to be good and does seem to engage/dis-engage faster than previously.

Fantastic! Thanks.

 

[wibornz]

If anyone needs a sensor, I have five of them. I ordered the kit, thinking it contained all the electronic sensors in the rear end, nope, it contains five of the sensors that this thread is about. $60 each. I ended up putting an ARB air locker in and will not need these.

 

[Mojave Dust]

I'll add my thank you to @chevymitchell for doing the write-up. My axle locker light came on after a few particularly hard bounces on the trail. Went out the next day, probably after most of the oil drained out of the sensor. Jeep is still under warranty, but a call to the service department didn't give me any confidence that they were going to do much more than hold onto my Jeep for a week or more.
Both sensors had a good bit of oil in them, so now they are cleaned up, potted, and everything is working great so far. Just wanted to say I appreciate your detailed instructions and I feel pretty sure this is one less problem I need to worry about while out wheeling.

 

[swampflyer]

If anyone needs a sensor, I have five of them. I ordered the kit, thinking it contained all the electronic sensors in the rear end, nope, it contains five of the sensors that this thread is about. $60 each. I ended up putting an ARB air locker in and will not need these.

Just curious, did you film the ARB install? That would be informative. Thanks.

 

[wibornz]

Just curious, did you film the ARB install? That would be informative. Thanks.

I did not. A friend of mine that builds high horse power diesel trucks is doing if for me. He is trussing the axle and doing the ARB install.

It is always fun to stop and see what he is working on. People will buy brand new trucks and drop them off at his house with less than 500 miles on the truck and give him 20k to 50k and just say make the truck cool.

 

[Dyolfknip74]

If anyone needs a sensor, I have five of them. I ordered the kit, thinking it contained all the electronic sensors in the rear end, nope, it contains five of the sensors that this thread is about. $60 each. I ended up putting an ARB air locker in and will not need these.

Hey man, be careful selling them. They're not the same and some sensors may not work with some lockers. I had the kit of 5 as well and 2 of them were no bueno on my lockers.

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