Electronic Stability Control

[jeepaboss]

Hi I am new to the group, and not long ago I acquired a 2021 Gladiator 3.6L
The thing is that a few days ago, I probably hit a curve, and the ESC control light went on; not only that but my steering wheel is upside down (but the tires are straight) and the turns are off, it doesn’t make the turns as it supposed to do. The off road setting says that my steering wheel is about 12° to the left, even though the steering wheel looks like is at 0°.
Do u guys know if it’s something that I can repair by myself, or I have to take it to the shop?

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[Janster]

Wow…. Poltergeist? I’m here cuz I’m curious!!
If I had to guess…probably a sensor somewhere. For what its worth……Crawl underneath …and start looking around for some loose wiring….

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Likely the drag link shifted - jumped the threads. Maybe the clamp wasn't tight enough.
You need to get that fixed. You either bent something badly, or that link is way off.
You could end up messing up other parts like the clockspring in the steering column among other things.
And - if that thing came loose enough to jump threads and change the length of the drag link, you are risking a disaster.
Don't keep driving it that way.

 

[rharr]

If you can't identify the problem yourself with a drastic change like 180 degrees out of phase steering wheel, then I suggest you talk to a professional mechanic.

 

[Hootbro]

Yeah, what the others said, take that to a shop. It probably is going to get expensive if any of the steering linkage is bent and/or cannot be readjusted back to spec. I would not be surprised if you have a bent wheel.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Wow…. Poltergeist? I’m here cuz I’m curious!!
If I had to guess…probably a sensor somewhere. For what its worth……Crawl underneath …and start looking around for some loose wiring….

Steering wheel over 180 degrees off while going straight is a damaged part - hit something hard enough to cause something to bend or jump threads (such as the adjustable drag link) Sensors are correct - it's messed up! LOL

this adjustment area on this bar - drag link - is where I'd start looking. COULD be tie rod - the one that goes from left wheel to right wheel, but I'd bet more on the drag link from the pitman arm of the steering sector over to the right steering knuckle.

 

[Lost1wing]

How did this happen and you not know about it? Parking lot damage? If something is loose that caused it, it is still loose. I would worry about test drives until You looked at it.

Steering wheel sensor is giving you the errors. You find the cause of the alignment issue and your messages should clear.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

How did this happen and you not know about it? Parking lot damage? If something is loose that caused it, it is still loose. I would worry about test drives until You looked at it.

Steering wheel sensor is giving you the errors. You find the cause of the alignment issue and your messages should clear.

Yes, these actually track the number of degrees of steering wheel rotation. It comes in handy when adjusting things after a lift - recentering the steering wheel and so on as you can use JSCAN to display the steering wheel position on your phone while you are under the Jeep adjusting.

I'd be afraid of taking it on the road that way.

 

[pcrawfordpt]

Guessing you bent something in the steering, or jumped some threads on the sector shaft/pitman arm. You can usually see a bent tie rod or drag link. I would start there. Replace and re-align if so. If it’s the sector shaft/pitman arm, it’s going to be a lot harder to replace.
FYI…when the steering is off like this, so is your back up camera…not going where you think you are…

 

[rharr]

Yes, these actually track the number of degrees of steering wheel rotation. It comes in handy when adjusting things after a lift - recentering the steering wheel and so on as you can use JSCAN to display the steering wheel position on your phone while you are under the Jeep adjusting.

I'd be afraid of taking it on the road that way.

Good tip, about Jscan my wife will appreciate not having to be involved in steering wheel center games in the future.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Guessing you bent something in the steering, or jumped some threads on the sector shaft/pitman arm. You can usually see a bent tie rod or drag link. I would start there. Replace and re-align if so. If it’s the sector shaft/pitman arm, it’s going to be a lot harder to replace.
FYI…when the steering is off like this, so is your back up camera…not going where you think you are…

There's no threads to "jump" on the pitman arm or pitman shaft. That's a tapers, splined joint. The only way that's coming loose is if someone somewhere along the line left that nut loose, re-used an original nut or failed to put loctite on the original nut (new ones come with thread locker in them)
Properly set, those tapers, splined joints take an act of congress and some military action to get them loose. Much much much stronger chance of the drag link being bent or that clamp not holding and the threads got shoved in. (as my photo points to)
As the drag link as some less than straight shape to it from the factory, it might not be easy for a novice to see a bend that doesn't belong, or a bend that has been increased by force.

 

[pcrawfordpt]

There's no threads to "jump" on the pitman arm or pitman shaft. That's a tapers, splined joint. The only way that's coming loose is if someone somewhere along the line left that nut loose, re-used an original nut or failed to put loctite on the original nut (new ones come with thread locker in them)
Properly set, those tapers, splined joints take an act of congress and some military action to get them loose. Much much much stronger chance of the drag link being bent or that clamp not holding and the threads got shoved in. (as my photo points to)
As the drag link as some less than straight shape to it from the factory, it might not be easy for a novice to see a bend that doesn't belong, or a bend that has been increased by force.

Yes…I meant splines…

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Yes…I meant splines…

There's been at least two cases I can think of here where a member found their steering to get a bit "loosey" feeling. They found the tech had not done the right thing, the nut was loose and of course, that allows the pitman to come loose (meaning it was never torqued properly to begin with)
That's a crazy dangerous situation!

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