Locker sensor failing

[wibornz]

The real question here is how many times is @JeepCares going to apologize because Jeep has not been able to address the failing sensor? There are people on this board that have had three and four axles swapped into their $50,000+ Jeeps and the problem is still not solved after three years.

A guy on the internet figured out how to stop the sensor from leaking diff fluid into it and ruining it. A company has figured out how to bypass this junk sensor, and yet with all the engineering marvel at Jeep and Dana, they can't figure this out. What a shame. What a shame. The sensor takes about 15 minutes to swap out and many people have their Jeep sitting at the dealership for weeks waiting for a whole to axle to be installed.

The amount of time I have in calling Jeep, Chrysler and Dana, I could have easily installed over 100 new sensors. This should be the simplest fix in the world. Your sensor fails, the Jeep dealership replaces it under warranty and keeps replacing it under warranty until Jeep and Dana figure out how to manufacture a sensor that does not leak diff fluid into it and then fail. Hell you can change out the sensor almost as fast as one can do an oil change.

I bought a whole new rear Dana 44 Axle to get the sensor. That sensor failed in approximately 2000 miles. Jeep thinks it okay that I just keep buying axles to get the sensor.

This is how easy it is to replace the sensor. Just remember that as you drive your Jeep for a month or two waiting on a new axle and then it is in the dealership for a week getting the axle replaced, that it really is a 15 minute job.

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[MtCamper]

Well, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one frustrated. It sounds like it's mostly a matter of time and all the sensors will fail. No problem under warranty. I'll give them a day and let them put in a new axle. But how about when warranty runs out like mine is about to. I'll be going with the plug and play for $170 but it seems this is a known problem to Jeep and should have been fixed after 3 years. This should be covered by an extended warranty. At least I don't have any steering problems. I feel like I've been a Beta tester for Jeep and am about to be kicked out of the nest. I don't expect a lifetime warranty but Jeep shouldn't be allowed to fix known problems with parts known to prematurely fail.

 

[Friday2322]

Is there a difference between the JK sensor and the JL sensor? Why did they change it? I had my JKUR for 10 years and never had an issue with the lockers nor did I notice the JK forums being blown up over it. Sure there was a failure here and there but not like the JL's. ?

 

[wibornz]

Is there a difference between the JK sensor and the JL sensor? Why did they change it? I had my JKUR for 10 years and never had an issue with the lockers nor did I notice the JK forums being blown up over it. Sure there was a failure here and there but not like the JL's. ?

The stupid thing is it stops the locker from working even though there is nothing...zero wrong with the locker.

 

[CaJLMetalHead]

Is there a difference between the JK sensor and the JL sensor? Why did they change it? I had my JKUR for 10 years and never had an issue with the lockers nor did I notice the JK forums being blown up over it. Sure there was a failure here and there but not like the JL's. ?

I am not familiar with the JK sensor but it seems it is a mechanical contact switch... the JL uses a contactless Hall Effect sensor.. here is the JK version:

 

[Friday2322]

I am not familiar with the JK sensor but it seems it is a mechanical contact switch... the JL uses a contactless Hall Effect sensor.. here is the JK version:

I wonder why they moved away from the JK system if it wasn't an issue..

 

[word302]

Well, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one frustrated. It sounds like it's mostly a matter of time and all the sensors will fail. No problem under warranty. I'll give them a day and let them put in a new axle. But how about when warranty runs out like mine is about to. I'll be going with the plug and play for $170 but it seems this is a known problem to Jeep and should have been fixed after 3 years. This should be covered by an extended warranty. At least I don't have any steering problems. I feel like I've been a Beta tester for Jeep and am about to be kicked out of the nest. I don't expect a lifetime warranty but Jeep shouldn't be allowed to fix known problems with parts known to prematurely fail.

When you get the new axle pull the sensors and pot them. Problem solved. I know it’s frustrating but if you’re nearing the end of your warranty why chance it?

 

[@minutemen]

What happens if I pot the sensor and it still fails in the future? Wouldn’t that be grounds for warranty refusal? I’m nearing 16k miles so I’m assuming there’s a good amount of oil in the sensor already.

 

[word302]

What happens if I pot the sensor and it still fails in the future? Wouldn’t that be grounds for warranty refusal? I’m nearing 16k miles so I’m assuming there’s a good amount of oil in the sensor already.

Jeep dealers aren’t even pulling the cover off. Even if they did I highly doubt they’d ever know you potted them. Failure after potting is pretty unlikely.

 

[CaJLMetalHead]

I wonder why they moved away from the JK system if it wasn't an issue..

The Hall effect sensor is a better, long lasting sensor by its nature of being "contactless" ... we were just unfortunate to have axles with a problematic batch of sensors.. that is all..

 

[OMTBiker]

What happens if I pot the sensor and it still fails in the future? Wouldn’t that be grounds for warranty refusal? I’m nearing 16k miles so I’m assuming there’s a good amount of oil in the sensor already.

I have 16K on mine and they had zero oil contamination, potted them when I re-geared.

 

[Fatboy97]

I think the real reason Jeep does nothing about this is because most people will not be using their lockers and when they finally fail their vehicle will then be out of warranty. Think about how profitable that will be for Jeep. Maybe there is a clause in the Dana contract with Jeep preventing them from selling the switch. So, just go ahead and pot those sensors (which is what I did) and if they still fail buy the bypass wiring harness. My choice will probably be the arb air lockers, although I have not looked into them yet and thought I read somewhere they were not available for the jl. I’ll worry about that when the time comes.
To every jl owner out there, I potted my locker switches at 2k miles and the differential fluid was real nasty and dirty. Something to expect when a vehicle has 50k miles. I highly recommend everyone to change at least the rear differential fluid within 5k miles.

 

[MtCamper]

I'll probably end up potting mine after a couple of thousand miles to break in the gears. I thought my diff fluid was nasty when I changed it at about 12K. Won't wait that long this time.

 

[sourdough]

The real question here is how many times is @JeepCares going to apologize because Jeep has not been able to address the failing sensor? There are people on this board that have had three and four axles swapped into their $50,000+ Jeeps and the problem is still not solved after three years.

A guy on the internet figured out how to stop the sensor from leaking diff fluid into it and ruining it. A company has figured out how to bypass this junk sensor, and yet with all the engineering marvel at Jeep and Dana, they can't figure this out. What a shame. What a shame. The sensor takes about 15 minutes to swap out and many people have their Jeep sitting at the dealership for weeks waiting for a whole to axle to be installed.

The amount of time I have in calling Jeep, Chrysler and Dana, I could have easily installed over 100 new sensors. This should be the simplest fix in the world. Your sensor fails, the Jeep dealership replaces it under warranty and keeps replacing it under warranty until Jeep and Dana figure out how to manufacture a sensor that does not leak diff fluid into it and then fail. Hell you can change out the sensor almost as fast as one can do an oil change.

I bought a whole new rear Dana 44 Axle to get the sensor. That sensor failed in approximately 2000 miles. Jeep thinks it okay that I just keep buying axles to get the sensor.

This is how easy it is to replace the sensor. Just remember that as you drive your Jeep for a month or two waiting on a new axle and then it is in the dealership for a week getting the axle replaced, that it really is a 15 minute job.

Well said. I very much appreciate your posting advice from your hard knocks experience. IMO, the fix is the Z harness you recommended. Anyone can plug it in if needed. Potting is an alternative but not for everybody and same goes for the Mopar harness and just an on/off switch.

 

[CaJLMetalHead]

Well said. I very much appreciate your posting advice from your hard knocks experience. IMO, the fix is the Z harness you recommended. Anyone can plug it in if needed. Potting is an alternative but not for everybody and same goes for the Mopar harness and just an on/off switch.

Although more expensive.. I find the Z Automotive harness a better alternative since it retains the ability for the computer to disengage the lockers anytime you drive above 20 MPH .... I think is a cool Nanny feature (although debatable right?.. if you are off-roading and forget to disengage the lockers then your mind is not in the right place for off-roading at that moment... LOL)

I will probably build a microcontroller system that manages the lockers so it beeps every couple of seconds (or perhaps a nice blinking LED on the panel ) to warn you that your lockers are engaged ... after all ... is not like you engage your lockers for miles and miles ( unless you want to drift in snow, mud or sand.. WOHOO!!!)

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