rear locker not working question

[Lunentucker]

Another way to address the issue
https://www.zautomotive.com/product/z_lkr_oem/

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[Outback_Joe]

Another way to address the issue
https://www.zautomotive.com/product/z_lkr_oem/

Not sure I am going to ask this question right but here goes:

Does this little gem fix the issue or just bypass it? If the sensor in the axle is bad does this send back a signal to make the locker think that the sensor is okay or does this bypass it all together? I am all in if this is a permanent fix and not a temporary one.

 

[Lunentucker]

Not sure I am going to ask this question right but here goes:

Does this little gem fix the issue or just bypass it? If the sensor in the axle is bad does this send back a signal to make the locker think that the sensor is okay or does this bypass it all together? I am all in if this is a permanent fix and not a temporary one.

Since the issue is the sensor, and not the actual locker itself, this is both the bypass and the fix.

 

[Outback_Joe]

Since the issue is the sensor, and not the actual locker itself, this is both the bypass and the fix.

Many Thanks!

 

[Chunky White]

Also…
Activate lockers while in 4L at 10mph or less. Lockers disengage automatically at speeds greater than 30mph.

I was literally either at a complete stop or crawling along when I was trying to activate the rear locker. I never had a chance or reason to lock the front and obviously didn't need the rear locked but i'd rather be prepared ahead of time than get stuck in the mud.

 

[spinme]

I had the rear locker flashing issue, so I bought zAutomotive OEM and fixed the issue. Worth the $180 quick fix. Dealerships in Houston wanted to hold on to the Jeep for a min a week or two to diagnose it. No loaner or rental. It amazes me they think we all have a second mode of transportation. Single father here and have to get my kids around, and not going to claim against insurance for a rental. Warranty pointless as dealerships in Houston. Same issue I had with Ford getting warranty work on Hybrid F150. If I didn't like my Jeep so much, I'd bail for something else like I did with the Ford.

 

[Chunky White]

I had the rear locker flashing issue, so I bought zAutomotive OEM and fixed the issue. Worth the $180 quick fix. Dealerships in Houston wanted to hold on to the Jeep for a min a week or two to diagnose it. No loaner or rental. It amazes me they think we all have a second mode of transportation. Single father here and have to get my kids around, and not going to claim against insurance for a rental. Warranty pointless as dealerships in Houston. Same issue I had with Ford getting warranty work on Hybrid F150. If I didn't like my Jeep so much, I'd bail for something else like I did with the Ford.

I seem to be bailing out on many vehicles at this point because I haven't bought a single vehicle other than a GMC Canyon that didn't have an electrical or mechanical issue since 2018. The Gladiator seems to be doing well other than the locker issue so far and its out of warranty so I hope thats the only issue thats going to pop up

I like trading them at the same dealership or a partner dealership of the one who won't fix the issue. Thats happened 4 times recently

 

[jeepers29]

Here’s a quick low down on “potting” sensors and why.

https://etcorp.ca/what-is-potting-and-why-is-it-used/

Those of us with lockers have experienced our lockers not working well or not at all have then taken off our diff covers and pulled out the locker sensor (just one Torx bit screw) we have seen that the sensor has diff oil in it. Easily seen when holding the sensor. The microscopic metal filings in the diff oil is what shorts out the circuit board in the sensor, then your locker won’t work and it’s either a warranty fix or, if not, the sensor is now a part that can be ordered. Before, back in 2020 and I think even 2021, you could buy the sensor ($500 cad) and the warranty fix was to replace the entire axel.

However, we all don’t have leaky sensors filled with oil. All of us WILL have the magnet the sensor fits over coated in metal fillings and it doesn’t take much coating for lockers to not work. If you have a magnetic drain plug and have done a diff fluid change yourself after 30+k kms or miles and seen a mound of filings on it, you’ll have the same amount on the sensor magnet too.

Before I found this information out, my lockers would take awhile to engage or disengage and now that I cleaned the magnet and “potted” my sensors, the lockers engage and disengage on the 3rd blink of the dash light.

(It takes some drilling of tiny holes in the sensor housing to fill it with the potting material and if the bit goes any further than the plastic housing, you’ll hit the circuit board and will be buying a new sensor. Just controlled care of the drill bit is all that’s needed to get the job done.)

There’s tons of photos and explanation of this process on the JL site. I’ll look up the one that peeked my interest and inspired me to do this and will post the link.

Thank you sir.

 

[Volt0]

I am trying to engage the rear locker in 4lo. All I get is the blinking locker light. I wish it would lock in 4hi but its not a real concern. I have owned a few F150's that would engage the rear E-locker in 2wd just by pulling the 4wd knob and do not see why the locker on the Jeep should be any different

If you’re talking about a factory locker on a JL, then there may be some nanny features in the way. Sounds like you may be further down a troubleshooting path than I’m familiar with ( so hats off to you sir ). With these newer JT/JL editions, unmodified from the factory, there is no diff lock in 2hi. Similarly, there is no diff lock in 4hi w/out disabling ESS. As someone else mentioned, even in 4low there may be speed restrictions. So the rest of us can learn from your experience, what did you see on the dash ( if anything ), and what led you to these sensors as the root cause/issue?

Edit: I meant ESC, not ESS

 

[Chunky White]

If you’re talking about a factory locker on a JL, then there may be some nanny features in the way. Sounds like you may be further down a troubleshooting path than I’m familiar with ( so hats off to you sir ). With these newer JT/JL editions, unmodified from the factory, there is no diff lock in 2hi. Similarly, there is no diff lock in 4hi w/out disabling ESS. As someone else mentioned, even in 4low there may be speed restrictions. So the rest of us can learn from your experience, what did you see on the dash ( if anything ), and what led you to these sensors as the root cause/issue?

I am talking about the factory locker on a JT Rubicon which cannot be locked from the factory unless its in 4lo. Ford sales trucks with the Eaton E-locker which I assume is whats in the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon that can be locked while in 2wd, Auto 4wd, 4hi and 4lo under 50 mph. I wish the gladiator was capable of doing the same and wonder why the Jeeps have issues that the Fords do not with the rear locker.

My opinion of the locker not working because of the sensor is based on what I have found searching this forum. I only know what I have read elsewhere.

 

[Chunky White]

I removed the cover and looked at the sensor earlier and couldn't tell whether the sensor is the problem or not looking at it. I could not get the connector to come loose so the picture I took is with it hanging by the cable. After putting everything back together I tried it again and it still doesn't work. I was hoping the problem would go away once I wiped everything off and replaced the gear oil.

 

[Volt0]

You may have already done this; do you have a way to verify that the elocker is getting current?

I hope you get this figured out and solved. I thought there was a way to have the steelership flash your Jeep, so that the early gladiator models could engage their rear locker in 4hi ( like the Mojaves can for sand-mode ). I could swear that I’ve seen that in the posts, when trying to figure out how to engage mine in 4hi. I would assume that the rear diff is the same in a Rubi & Mojave.

 

[Volt0]

You do seem to have a little more cruft on your drain plug than I’ve seen on the rear of my Mojave. There’s no clutches in there ( I think ) so that amount seems kind of high. I changed the diff fluid in mine early and often to start off, as well as my wife’s HA ( lsd rear end ). Even in her rear diff, there wasn’t that much dark/magnetic matter. We have approximately 40k each on ours, and I’ve changed her rear diff fluid twice now. Mine seemed really clean ( just nasty diff oil ), with little to no debris.

think, at any point, that rear diff might have gotten hot? Your original post said that you’re unsure if the service history, how many miles are on it?

 

[Chunky White]

You do seem to have a little more cruft on your drain plug than I’ve seen on the rear of my Mojave. There’s no clutches in there ( I think ) so that amount seems kind of high. I changed the diff fluid in mine early and often to start off, as well as my wife’s HA ( lsd rear end ). Even in her rear diff, there wasn’t that much dark/magnetic matter. We have approximately 40k each on ours, and I’ve changed her rear diff fluid twice now. Mine seemed really clean ( just nasty diff oil ), with little to no debris.

think, at any point, that rear diff might have gotten hot? Your original post said that you’re unsure if the service history, how many miles are on it?

69k miles and I am not sure if the fluids were ever changed before last night. I will change the front soon and take a look at it.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

I removed the cover and looked at the sensor earlier and couldn't tell whether the sensor is the problem or not looking at it. I could not get the connector to come loose so the picture I took is with it hanging by the cable. After putting everything back together I tried it again and it still doesn't work. I was hoping the problem would go away once I wiped everything off and replaced the gear oil.

Dude, that sensor is looking packed in with nasty magnetic gunk. When you pulled off the sensor, did you notice the magnet there under the sensor and cleaned it off?

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