Steering locked while driving

[cecaa850]

Check your battery terminal connections are tight on the main battery itself. I had something similar happen many years ago (non Jeep). If they're loose, you could lose all main power and that pretty much shuts down all the computers and everything they control.

My guess is the grounds. There are 2 big ass grounds on the frame behind the RF wheel. I'd remove and clean those. Make sure there's no heat shrink glue on the eyelet that would prevent it from making good contact with the frame.

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[ShadowsPapa]

They said they would try to duplicate it, but it took over 700 miles for it to happen, so who knows when or if it will happen again. I did look at the Wrangler forum and it appears to have happened a few times. I would think that there should be a quality system and a database or something to refer to for issues like this.

NHTSA site - you can complain there and then there's records of you having complained to the feds.

 

[Jt-wrx]

also, both times it happened to me the speed had to come down to very slow before power steering re-engaged...does that sound like a ground issue still? currently my steering box is suspect, it's starting to sound and feel like there's some gravel in it while turning at slow speeds (parking etc.)...related? something feels like it's gonna give with the steering soon where i'll take it in to have it looked at

 

[ShadowsPapa]

also, both times it happened to me the speed had to come down to very slow before power steering re-engaged...does that sound like a ground issue still? currently my steering box is suspect, it's starting to sound and feel like there's some gravel in it while turning at slow speeds (parking etc.)...related? something feels like it's gonna give with the steering soon where i'll take it in to have it looked at

Low pump output pressure can cause the steering to feel jerky, catchy and make bad sounds, but so can bearings gone bad in the gear, etc.

Speed shouldn't matter for ground issues. A ground fault should be there at any speed.
If the ground is "iffy" then the more current that flows through it, the worse the situation would be. "iffy" in this case means loose or has something like paint, oxidation, etc. preventing a good contact.

 

[scoobycarolanNC]

I had a very early build JL. The steering thing was a software update and it totally disappeared.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

I resolved my power steering failure. Mine had an air lock of 1/2 litre even though the fluid level was at the MAX line. I wanted to do a flush so I drained out the fluid, turned side to side and got all the oil out. 1 litre came out. I put 1 litre back in while I had help with the steering side to side. I put in 1 1/2 litres when it was done. There was an air lock while showing full which caused the pump to over heat and quit. After getting the air out , I’ve driven in temps up to 98F with no steering failures.

When filling, engine off, you’ll need to turn lock to lock at least 30-40 times.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I resolved my power steering failure. Mine had an air lock of 1/2 litre even though the fluid level was at the MAX line. I wanted to do a flush so I drained out the fluid, turned side to side and got all the oil out. 1 litre came out. I put 1 litre back in while I had help with the steering side to side. I put in 1 1/2 litres when it was done. There was an air lock while showing full which caused the pump to over heat and quit. After getting the air out , I’ve driven in temps up to 98F with no steering failures.

When filling, engine off, you’ll need to turn lock to lock at least 30-40 times.

You are the 2nd or maybe 3rd person to find that you could get more in with a little work.
It's not a "new" problem but maybe a worse issue today compared to decades ago. We also had to work the steering lock to lock a number of times and check, then recheck and so on.
When they changed out my steering gear, both times it was filled at the dealer - both times it was low after a day or two. The first time there was NOTHING in the reservoir. You could not even see fluid in it. Second time it was below min but you could still barely see fluid. I took it back for something else and point out it was low (didn't want to spend 25 bucks for fluid that was covered in the TSB/warranty) and the guy went and grabbed a bottle, filled the tank, handed me the bottle and said that it's an issue - they have to be worked a lot and refilled as they trap air in the system.
So - that combined with what I've seen here - that's at least one thing for people to check into.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

You are the 2nd or maybe 3rd person to find that you could get more in with a little work.
It's not a "new" problem but maybe a worse issue today compared to decades ago. We also had to work the steering lock to lock a number of times and check, then recheck and so on.
When they changed out my steering gear, both times it was filled at the dealer - both times it was low after a day or two. The first time there was NOTHING in the reservoir. You could not even see fluid in it. Second time it was below min but you could still barely see fluid. I took it back for something else and point out it was low (didn't want to spend 25 bucks for fluid that was covered in the TSB/warranty) and the guy went and grabbed a bottle, filled the tank, handed me the bottle and said that it's an issue - they have to be worked a lot and refilled as they trap air in the system.
So - that combined with what I've seen here - that's at least one thing for people to check into.

I brought my truck in yesterday for another mater and spoke with the shop Forman who was expecting the truck in for the loss of steering problem and I told him I had fixed it with an oil change but not just any change. When steering lock to lock, when you know you’ve done enough turns is when your helper starts whining that their arms hurt from all the steering. At this point you tell them they’re at the half way point and to keep going! Do another 30 sets of lock to lock and you should have it. Can you believe that even after I had done all that. A couple weeks later I thought I’d jack the front tires up again and do some more full steering sets and there was more air that let out and the level still read FULL regardless. I don’t get that engineered design.
I’m sure the techs and the average Do It Your Selfer don’t know they need to do that much labour to bleed the air out. This is definitely a different system than I’m used too.

 

[Jt-wrx]

well it's been awhile since it happened and now it finally happened again in extreme cold, -20c temp here and when this happens I get a routine cut out on my music with a sudden shift (maybe once or twice a trip) and then a quick higher rpm shift lost my power steering again and it cuts back in when you get down to around 30 km/h (20 mph)....cold shrinks everything so this is an electrical connection based issue imo, I drive the snot out of this thing in warmer weather and have to snap pretty hard to get the radio cut out briefly but don't lose the power steering very often, only those couple times I mentioned and come to think of it...it may have been colder winter weather when it happened then also

anyone figure this out yet?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I have a TSB in the house - I THINK - that talks about losing the PS electrical system. Damn, sorry, out in my shop plating and I didn't set the rectifier on automatic/timed program so have to stick with it.
I know I've seen mention of this sort of thing in a Jeep/MOPAR communication. It mentioned power steering and "electric".
If you don't get anything before this evening, I'll try to look that one up in my files.

(going crazy trying to figure out medicare stuff too so my mind is more crazy than normal)

 

[Maximus Gladius]

well it's been awhile since it happened and now it finally happened again in extreme cold, -20c temp here and when this happens I get a routine cut out on my music with a sudden shift (maybe once or twice a trip) and then a quick higher rpm shift lost my power steering again and it cuts back in when you get down to around 30 km/h (20 mph)....cold shrinks everything so this is an electrical connection based issue imo, I drive the snot out of this thing in warmer weather and have to snap pretty hard to get the radio cut out briefly but don't lose the power steering very often, only those couple times I mentioned and come to think of it...it may have been colder winter weather when it happened then also

anyone figure this out yet?

Mine would always quit when it was hot out like 25c +, so for me, it was heat related and sitting in traffic, steering pump would quit. If I got out at these times, the pump would be extremely hot, would burn you.

When I got it replaced, I just drove to the dealership, parked outside and left it running. Went inside to the shop Forman and said the truck is running outside and the pump may quit in 10 min, it may take an hour but I’m not leaving till it does and you can have your tech look at it.

It quit after an hour and the tech said he’d never seen this issue with JT’s but have on JL’s. He hooked up his scan tool and said there’s no codes and it’s not responding to any promp’s so he said the pump is shot and will get replaced.

So, back up a little bit during the time the first pump was quitting, I did an oil change on it and found it took an extra 1/2 litre MORE of oil than what came out. The reservoir always showed oil at the FULL line. So, it had an air lock, 1/2 litre in volume. I thought I solved the problem.

It did work much better after that but then it started acting up later summer and was quitting again in hot climates.

Pump was replaced and forward now a few months to a week ago, truck developed a whine I could hear in the cab so one of the many things I checked was to see if the whine was coming from the steering pump. I put up the front end and with engine off, I steered back and forth, lock to lock about 15 times and wouldn’t you know it, a big air fart came out and the oil level dropped. Again, the reservoir was at the FULL line. These fricken steering systems in the JT have air lock!! You wouldn’t know by looking at the reservoir.

So, either do a complete drain and put new Mopar electric pump oil in or just do the steering back and forth about 30-40 times with the front end up, engine off…or better yet, just grab your front wheel and manipulate it full left and right to keep your eye on that bottle. Loosen off the cap and stuff the base around with rags to catch the oil if a big fart blows out.

Air lock may be your pump problem.

 

[Jt-wrx]

Mine would always quit when it was hot out like 25c +, so for me, it was heat related and sitting in traffic, steering pump would quit. If I got out at these times, the pump would be extremely hot, would burn you.

When I got it replaced, I just drove to the dealership, parked outside and left it running. Went inside to the shop Forman and said the truck is running outside and the pump may quit in 10 min, it may take an hour but I’m not leaving till it does and you can have your tech look at it.

It quit after an hour and the tech said he’d never seen this issue with JT’s but have on JL’s. He hooked up his scan tool and said there’s no codes and it’s not responding to any promp’s so he said the pump is shot and will get replaced.

So, back up a little bit during the time the first pump was quitting, I did an oil change on it and found it took an extra 1/2 litre MORE of oil than what came out. The reservoir always showed oil at the FULL line. So, it had an air lock, 1/2 litre in volume. I thought I solved the problem.

It did work much better after that but then it started acting up later summer and was quitting again in hot climates.

Pump was replaced and forward now a few months to a week ago, truck developed a whine I could hear in the cab so one of the many things I checked was to see if the whine was coming from the steering pump. I put up the front end and with engine off, I steered back and forth, lock to lock about 15 times and wouldn’t you know it, a big air fart came out and the oil level dropped. Again, the reservoir was at the FULL line. These fricken steering systems in the JT have air lock!! You wouldn’t know by looking at the reservoir.

So, either do a complete drain and put new Mopar electric pump oil in or just do the steering back and forth about 30-40 times with the front end up, engine off…or better yet, just grab your front wheel and manipulate it full left and right to keep your eye on that bottle. Loosen off the cap and stuff the base around with rags to catch the oil if a big fart blows out.

Air lock may be your pump problem.

will keep in mind but it only cuts out with a tap, meaning a lightning quick shift 'tap' or shock, it breaks an electric circuit or ground, or rattles a gizmo's brain....as soon as we roll down to a certain speed it's back like normal, I think an air lock would be more routine and not 'shock' related, combined with mine the stereo always pops off when it's cold also, doing said shifts, the stereo actually requires far less of a shock, I'll get the stereo pop off at least once a trip, the last time my steering popped off here, was going straight, just accelerating hard and really quick shift at high rpm

 

[ShadowsPapa]

will keep in mind but it only cuts out with a tap, meaning a lightning quick shift 'tap' or shock, it breaks an electric circuit or ground, or rattles a gizmo's brain....as soon as we roll down to a certain speed it's back like normal, I think an air lock would be more routine and not 'shock' related, combined with mine the stereo always pops off when it's cold also, doing said shifts, the stereo actually requires far less of a shock, I'll get the stereo pop off at least once a trip, the last time my steering popped off here, was going straight, just accelerating hard and really quick shift at high rpm

Air can't stay in the system forever. Heating, cooling, circulating fluid through the gear and pump...... it's going to burp.
Air would be more likely to cause an issue at random times, any speed. Air expands when heated and I'd expect if it was a small amount it would be mixed into the fluid and foam.
Mine "burped" the air out after a day and didn't drop but about 1/2 of a bottle (they filled the reservoir and gave me the rest of the bottle)

 

[Jt-wrx]

agree Shadow that this isn't air, I break a ground or some harness isn't snapped all the way in or something like that is my thoughts, I'm at 2 years and 65,000 kms now, it's only happened like 3 times now on the steering side of things, air I'm sure isn't the issue at this point

 

[ShadowsPapa]

agree Shadow that this isn't air, I break a ground or some harness isn't snapped all the way in or something like that is my thoughts, I'm at 2 years and 65,000 kms now, it's only happened like 3 times now on the steering side of things, air I'm sure isn't the issue at this point

Not after 2 years. Like mine - over 2 years and about 23,000 miles (whatever that is in kilometers?)

This is all I can find that's even related and I can almost say "duh" to their suggestions of things to check ->


STAR ONLINE PUBLICATION
Case Number: S2019000005 Rev A
Release Date: 02/05/2021
Symptom/Vehicle Issue: U0131 Lost Communication With Power Steering
Control Module A DTC Active. EPS Light On.
Discussion: DTC U0131 Lost Communication With Power Steering Control Module
"A"- DTC set active AND is the only DTC. Returned parts show no failures when
analyzed and tested. Follow standard diagnostics provided in Service Library, inspect
and test all power and ground circuits.

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