Two questions about potting the axle locker sensors

[Pliny]

Loaded up the JTR for the trip up to our cabin for the 4th of July weekend, pulled out of the garage and the locker symbol in the dash started flashing as well the light on the rear locker button. I thought I was being prepared by having both the Z Automotive Z locker cable and the Mopar 68544629AA repair kit on hand for when this eventually happened. I didn't realize that:

1.) I should have potted the existing sensors to prevent this from happening.

2.) That to be prudent, need to pot the replacement sensor that gets installed so that it doesn't happen again.

Other than Amazon not being able to ship the epoxy potting compound to our post office box at the cabin since it is considered a hazardous material, shouldn't be that bad of a project.

The first question is for anyone who has done this, and is about physically removing / installing the sensor. The instructions have:

Where the yellow trim stick in this image:

Is pushing on the magnet plate. I don't understand how the moving parts all move during the operation of the locker, so no idea what the prying of the magnet plate is accomplishing. Read through the big thread on doing this over on the JL forum, and don't recall the trim stick being mentioned. Did anyone remove / install like this? Or just wiggle the old sensor out / new one back in?

Then the second question is for anyone who has done this after the sensor has failed. I'm not to the point where I've gotten the "Service Axle Locker" message in the dash, only the flashing lights. Lights have only been flashing for the 150 mile drive to the cabin in 2Hi, haven't been in 4Hi or 4Lo, or tried to engage the locker since this started happening. There are the five sensors in the repair kit, will try them in order, is it enough to install the new one and switch the ignition on and if there no flashing locker lights, then that one will work?

Thanks.

Sponsored

 

[40x40]

Loaded up the JTR for the trip up to our cabin for the 4th of July weekend, pulled out of the garage and the locker symbol in the dash started flashing as well the light on the rear locker button. I thought I was being prepared by having both the Z Automotive Z locker cable and the Mopar 68544629AA repair kit on hand for when this eventually happened. I didn't realize that:

1.) I should have potted the existing sensors to prevent this from happening.

2.) That to be prudent, need to pot the replacement sensor that gets installed so that it doesn't happen again.

Other than Amazon not being able to ship the epoxy potting compound to our post office box at the cabin since it is considered a hazardous material, shouldn't be that bad of a project.

The first question is for anyone who has done this, and is about physically removing / installing the sensor. The instructions have:

Where the yellow trim stick in this image:

Is pushing on the magnet plate. I don't understand how the moving parts all move during the operation of the locker, so no idea what the prying of the magnet plate is accomplishing. Read through the big thread on doing this over on the JL forum, and don't recall the trim stick being mentioned. Did anyone remove / install like this? Or just wiggle the old sensor out / new one back in?

Then the second question is for anyone who has done this after the sensor has failed. I'm not to the point where I've gotten the "Service Axle Locker" message in the dash, only the flashing lights. Lights have only been flashing for the 150 mile drive to the cabin in 2Hi, haven't been in 4Hi or 4Lo, or tried to engage the locker since this started happening. There are the five sensors in the repair kit, will try them in order, is it enough to install the new one and switch the ignition on and if there no flashing locker lights, then that one will work?

Thanks.

i am a bit confused. do you mean the " z locker oem" from z automotive? they are $179. once installed it prevents the dash light from illuminating and will allow your locker to work. i potted mine shortly after i regeared in 2021. 2 years later my light started to very intermittently appear. i bought the z product and problem solved. lockers work fine.

 

[Rcoe]

On my JL when the light started flashing intermittently I pulled both the front and rear sensors. Then I drilled both of them, blew out the inside with compressed air and then used electronic contact cleaner. Let them dry for a couple days while I waited for the potting epoxy to come. Potted both of them and never had an issue again.

They are very easy to remove and a good excuse to change the fluid

 

[Pliny]

do you mean the " z locker oem" from z automotive?

Yes. It was suggested to not solely rely on the "z locker oem" in that in case the locker doesn't disengage, (shafts under too much load?) then I wouldn't necessarily know that befor shifting into 4Hi, or even 2 Hi. Wish to avoid that possibility.

They are very easy to remove and a good excuse to change the fluid

I picked up a set of the Spicer nodular iron diff covers that I am going to install, so I was about to open up the diffs anyway and install the new covers.

 

[Jaxmax]

I thought the latest version of the factory sensor is now potted, last I checked they were on back order…..Jack

 

[Pliny]

Here is what I ordered and it appears to be in stock:

https://parts.allmoparparts.com/oem-parts/mopar-axle-sensor-kit-68544629aa

Searching for "68544629AB" didn't come back with any results, so I'd guess what I ordered hasn't been superceded. I haven't opened the box to actually look at the sensors in the kit to see if they come potted or not. Will be able to check tomorrow.

From the JL forum thread on this topic:

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/locker-position-sensor-potting-dana-44.59581/

Here is an image of the new design sensor that started to be used sometime in MY 23:

Which is not backward compatible with the design of what is in my 22 JTR.

Sponsored