2006 Jeep LJ Rubicon Lockers not working

[redrockrover]

Hello,

I just bought a 2006 LJ Rubicon and I have the dreaded Christmas tree lights on the dashboard when I try to engage my lockers. What I mean by that is the locker lights will only flash and not stay solid or engage. Can anyone offer any assistance is what I should look at first and any tricks that I can try. I really doubt that the lockers are broken. I know they have not been engage in a long time and I believe they are frozen or stuck.

I poked my head under there and I see that they are electric. I see the wires going into the pumpkin on the driver-side. I have not had a chance to check them with a volt meter yet to see if they are getting power. So I can't answer if they have power or not.

Thanks in advance.

Russ

 

[DAA]

The TJ Rubi lockers are actually air operated, not electric. The wires are for the sensors that tell the dash lights whether the locker has engaged or not.

So... First thing to check is the pumps. They are little low pressure pumps, more like aquarium pumps than compressors. One for each locker. They are on the transfer case skid plate, if a previous owner hasn't moved them.

Hit the button once to engage the rear and check to see if the pump is running. If it's running and STAYS running, you have a leak somewhere. Find the leak and repair. Repeat exercise for the front by hitting the button twice. If the pumps run for just a couple of seconds and stop, they are working and you don't have a leak. But either the lockers aren't engaging, or the sensors are bad or the wiring for them is messed up.

If the pumps don't come on at all, either they are both bad - unlikely, or the wiring to the pumps is messed up somewhere.

Most likely, if the pumps run for a few seconds and stop, but the lights don't go solid indicating engagement, you just need to rock it back and forth. Drive forward and back a little bit. Or even just go for a drive. When they haven't been engaged for a long time, it's pretty normal for them to take a bit of this to get them engaged.

- DAA

 

[redrockrover]

DAA,

Thanks, that is very useful. I will go out tomorrow when it is light and check the pumps out. Thanks again, I'll let you know what I find out. Are the pumps loud enough to hear with the engine running? Does the engine need to be running for the pumps to kick on? I know that you need to have the Jeep in Low for them to engage.

Thanks again,

Russ

 

[DAA]

My hearing isn't very good, but I can barely hear them without the engine running. Mine got wired backwards at the dealer and I had some funky dash lights I had to troubleshoot. So I had to hit the button (engine off), then get underneath to check if and which one was running. If there isn't a leak, they might run for only a couple seconds. They have built in pressure switches and only go to about 5 psi. One way to get around that, is pull the hose off the outlet, the pump should run continuously with the button pushed then as it won't ever pressurize.

- DAA

 

[moab_cj5]

When I had my 05, the rear developed a leak inside the diff. It was non serviceable, meaning, your can't get seals to rebuild it. To test it, we disconnected the air and hit it with a little more air from a compressor. It would engage, but you could hear the air leaking.

Definitely try what DAA mentioned as we went through all kinds of troubleshooting to realize where I had a leak.

Don't use a ton of pressure to test so you don't blow the seals out and cause a leak. I started low and dialed it up until I could hear the locker move. We took the diff covers off to test and find the leak.

 

[redrockrover]

Thanks guys. I now know what I will be doing this weekend. This is great info and really helpful. I will let you know what I find out.

Thanks,

Russ

 

[redrockrover]

So here is what I found out. I did just as DAA said to to. I believe I have a leak in the rear locker line. When I hit the locker button once to turn on the rear locker it will pump up and stop and then it will pulse. It will run for one second and then it will stop for about two seconds, and then run for a second again repeatably. I pulled the air line off of the diff and covered it with my thumb and it would slow the pulsing down to running one second and then stopping for about three to four seconds.

That leads me to believe there is a leak in the line to the rear locker. I also did the same for the front locker and it ran for a few seconds then it stopped. So I believe the front locker is leak free. The front locker still will not engage. Is that because the rear locker is not engaged and the front needs the rear to engage first before it will engage?

Is there anything special about the tubing for the air lockers? Can I just go to the local parts store and purchase the same size vacuum tubing to replace the rear line?

Thanks a ton DAA and Moab_cj5, you advice helped a ton!!

Russ

 

[DAA]

I used parts store vaccum line and unions to splice in a repair. Been working fine. Glad you got it narrowed down!

- DAA

 

[moab_cj5]

The front should engage without the rear. It may take a while if it hasnt been engaged in some time. I remember having to drive slowly and rock the steering while a little to get the front to engage.

Good luck with the rear! Hope its as easy as replacing the line.

 

[BCGPER]

The front should engage without the rear. It may take a while if it hasnt been engaged in some time. I remember having to drive slowly and rock the steering while a little to get the front to engage.

Good luck with the rear! Hope its as easy as replacing the line.

The computer on the Rubicon won't allow the front to lock until the rear is fully engaged.

 

[moab_cj5]

The computer on the Rubicon won't allow the front to lock until the rear is fully engaged.

Ok. I had wired mine separately so I could engage the front without the rear.

 

[pkrfctr]

The front will lock independent of the rear. Doesnt matter if the indicator light stops blinking for rear, its just an indicator. If the front isnt leaking there are 2 options. The most common is the stupid plunger sensor that turns the indicator off. If the carrier has ever been out chances are they broke the sensor. In my opinion its not worth fixing, the sensor is $80. So lock it up and hit an obsticle to see if both front tires turn. If not then the locker is shot. They are getting hard to find and expensive.

 

[pkrfctr]

The computer on the Rubicon won't allow the front to lock until the rear is fully engaged.

This is incorrect. The front will lock regardless if the rear has engaged or not. The indicator light is only for the driver, the computer doesnt know if it engaged or not. Yes you do have to go through the motion of locking the rear, but the front will lock with the second push of the switch even with the rear indicator light blinking. Ive driven out numerous times with a broken rear and the front engaged. It will work.