How To Fix Rubicon Air Lockers
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- In this video, we look at how to diagnose and fix jeep Tj and LJ Rubicon air locker issues. Many are confused with where to start looking when they develop an issue with their factory air lockers in the jeep wrangler. Well, we take a look at where to start and run over some diagnostic tactics. Thank you for watching! #lockerpump #lockernotworking #lockerissues
Link to 2004-2006 locker pump
-Amazon - amzn.to/2ujLcpg
DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows me to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for your support!
I bought on 05 with the front locker inop. This really helped me diagnose the problem which in my case was a damaged air line. Very helpful and a quick cheap fix! Thank you!
Glad you where able to fix it!! Happy to hear the video helped out, thank you a lot!
Thank you. I have an 04 Rubicon with the exact same issue. I'm very optimistic now.
Your very welcome! I hope you figure the issue out.
Very useful, just got an 03, neither one locks, both pumps run, this is very helpful to understand how it works.
Glad it helped!
This video was awesome. Had a Gremlin in locker system and now it's gone. At least for today.
Glad it was helpful! I hope those nasty little Gremlins stay away.
Very good. Clear and thorough.
Thank you!
Thank you for this video man! Just bought a Rubicon. Should be able to fix my lockers this weekend thanks so much
You are very welcome, Im glad this video was able to help you!
Dude! Your video helped me so much! Been fighting to get mine to work for the past 6 months, finally came across your video. So my rear compressor wasn't coming on. Unplugged it and was gonna try to switch it with the front since I knew it was working (plug styles slightly different on the 2006 so that didn't happen) replugged it in and it came on. Problem solved there, but my light was still flashing. Checked air at both end of the hoses and that was fine. Then I removed the fill plug to see if I could see the actuator moving when the switch and compressor were turned on, and it did! I read that if the fill plug is tightened too tight, then it can prevent the actuator from moving so I'm assuming that was the problem. Put the fill plug back in and everything works as it should now!
Awesome! Glad you where able to fix your issue. I am also happy to hear you found out what you needed to from this video! Thank you for the awesome comment!
I bought a rubicon jeep tj last year with out knowing a dam thing other that a month of CZcamsr.
After buying it, i thought...hmmm let me test the lockers. Both dont even flash up.
Thos video helped me at least get the anatomy of whats going on
Glad these videos are helpilng you learn!
very nicely done video. should help me get mine figured out as I have the same problem. Kudos!
Awesome! I’m glad it was able to help you out. Hopefully this fixes your issue!
Very professional and informative video. Thanks for taking the time to make this, hoping to track down my problem tomorrow. Just bought a 04 Rubicon, neither locker was working, noticed 4wd was blinking, replaced the transfer case switch, now i have the front lockers working, and rear blinking. Hoping its a rotted hose...
Thank you for the kind words, I am glad you enjoyed the video. Good deal, with the transfer case switch. Hopefully you luck out and its just a rotted hose. Thank you for you commenting and watching the video!
@@EmbarkWithMark Well, discovered my pump would kick on and off upon poking the pump connector. Cut off the male and female connectors and soldered the wires together, good to go now.
@@getrail3d994 Awesome! Simple fixes are always the nicest. Im happy you figured out your locker issue!
@@EmbarkWithMark Indeed! Thanks for the help.
Great video. Love the TJ’s.
Me too, thank you!
Thanks very much I bought an 03 Rubicon wasn't Shure how the lockers work every body else is about 2020s . I didn't even know if their electric or air I couldn't find that info until I ran across your site your alwrite appreciate you it's been snowing hear in Texas and it's been fun hog hunting. Bacon and pork chop time.ive had a40s army Jeep a 50s wagon a wagoneer just bought my Ruby I love it had a 70s blazer and bought a 83 blazer out of a corn field not running trying to fix it when I found my blue Ruby.
PS I'm a happy camper ramblinrandy1951@gmail.com
You are very welcome! The TJ factory lockers are a mystery to a lot of people 😂.
Awesome vehicle history! Stay safe in Texas!! And have fun with your new Jeep.
Great video man, nice job
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video I have a rear not locking and this helps
I’m glad you found the info helpful. Thank you for the comment!
Where you able to get the rear locker fixed or at least source the issue?
Great video..thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
perfect !! Thank you
Your welcome!
Nice 👍 job 🙏
Thank you!
That Jeep is clean! You dont see this in the rust belt.
You sure don’t!
Very good video thanks
Glad you liked it, thank you!
I just saw a text from somebody saying there is relocation kits and or extend the breather hose thank you to whoever that was somehow it's tough to text back and forth in this mode haha
You are welcome! I hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions.
Good video. I need a pump but probably wont find one unless it is used. Im north of toronto so everything on my 04 rubi is rusted to all hell. Let us know if you end up finding some sort of replacement
Yea, these pumps are getting really hard to find. I have some research that indicates a pump from a different vehicle may work. But it’s pricey and I need to get my hands on one to ensure that they work. I’ll see if I can get a hold one in the next few months.
Great Video
Glad you enjoyed it!
Having a similar issue installed new inner axle seals on front diff test drove vehicle front diff is stuck on and can’t disengage any info greatly appreciated 03 rubi
To make sure I understand correctly. The front locker is stuck on?
J Morales maybe you didn’t get the plunger back into position correctly. Currie Enterprises has a “how-to” tutorial and diagram. The trick is to cut a spacer from a toothpick that fits in the plunger when it’s fully pulled out. Tie a piece of thin wire or string around the toothpick spacer so that you may pull it out once you’ve reinstalled the center section. I hope this helps.
Hey mark! Nice video. I just purchased a 2006 LJ Rubicon. My read locker pump works and the light stays on. Only problem is when i engaged the front locker the light would stay on just for a little, then it would start blinking. What would you say the problem is? Thank you so much!
Hey, thank you! The front and rear lockers operate the same. It's a very simple system. I would turn your front locker on and list for the pump to run. If it turns on than you know you have power to the pump. Keep listening and see if the pump turns off, if it does not turn off than you have an air leak somewhere. Either the pump itself is bad, there is a leak in the air line, or a leak in the bladder of the locker (much more rare). If the pump turns off and on than you have an air leak. These pumps run on about 5spi and once they hit that target pressure they turn off. Also note that these lockers use a cog to lock the carrier together. Sometimes you need to drive slowly for 10-20 feet to get them to engage. Especially if the locker has not been exercised in a while. I would be willing to bet that your pump is pressuring up to lock the locker in and then loosing pressure as you drive. I'd check the air lines for any leaks or rotting. It's pretty common on these Rubicons at the age they are. Let me know if any of this helps you solve the issue. I would be very interested to know what fixes your issue. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Thank you so much! This information helps me out alot! Now i can try and fix it this weekend!
I have an 04 rubicon My pump turns on and stops, if I disconnect the hose it runs continuously. When I actuate the front locker the light just flashes. I lifted the front axle off the ground and unlocked the tires rotate opposite of each other. When I engage the locker the front two tires lock together but the light still flashes. I’m assuming that the sensor is bad? I will have to see what that sensor is called and how to test it?
Having you tried driving it down a dirt road, slowly, for about 20-30 feet? Sometimes it takes a good few feet for these lockers to fully engage.
@@EmbarkWithMark I did, frontwards backwards etc, to no avail!
Disassemble it and saw what was wrong I go underwater sometimes I was wondering if it was clogged with dirt and or debris
Yes, they have a habit of sucking in crud. One option is to extend the input lines for these into a higher spot ( under the hood). Another option is to relocate the pumps entirely. There are kits to relocate them.
Thanks Mark
Great video I just came across it but i have a nother issue maybe you can help.
I have a 2003 tj rubicon and the lockers won't lock also the lights don't even work on the dash. From what I understand it has a new line from the diff and a new switch on the dash. I am wounding if ther is a sensor that tells everything to work.
Can you hear the pumps turn on when you accurate the switch?
Note: you have to be in 4 low in order to turn the lockers on.
@@EmbarkWithMark no nothing. I was going to replace the transfer case switch but it's been replaced but doing research it may have been the Dorman switch and I hear that the ball isn't big enough
That’s where I would start. The ECM wont allow to lockers to be turned on if it doesn’t think it’s in 4 low.
I would start by unplugging the transfer case sensor, and use some alligator clips to trick the ecm to thinking its in 4 low. Basically your bypassing the switch to see if you can get a 4x4 dash light to come on.
If you do, then see if the lockers will engage.
This will at least give you a starting point at very little cost. Compared to throwing parts at it.
Also, for me I have never had good luck with aftermarket sensors on TJs. They just don’t seem to be built to the correct spec or TJs are very sensitivity.
Nothing. Could it possibly be the pcm. The fuses are good. ?
The fuses are good. Are you getting the 4WD light coming on when you shift into 4WD?
I am starting to develop a fear that one day when I will buy a wrangler, it's previous owner didn't know how to select low range and they forced it or something
Yea, that could be an issue. Tons of people buy Jeeps thinking they are tanks.
Thanks for the video! Where did you find the pump? I can't find one.
Thank you, glad you liked it! Yea that is a problem, these pumps are very hard to find. I purchased an extra for when they would go out. I bought mine from Morris4x4, but it looks like they are out of stock. I was reading there is a Honda pump or something that is a direct replacement. I haven't tested this, and I don't remember the model. If you give me sometime, ill look up the article and send it to you. Word of warning though, I remember these pumps being pretty expensive. If I could get my hands on one, I would test it to see if it really is a direct replacement on the TJ/LJ Rubicons.
Hey Mark, awesome video! We are needing to replace our front locker pump on our 2003 rubicon. However the pump is virtually impossibly to find, and mopar no longer makes the pump for the 03 models. Did you say in your video that the 04 pump will work if you switch out the cables? Can you explain this, if there is a way to do so?
Hi, Bailey thank you! Great question! The Rubicon locker pumps are all the same for the front and rear lockers. So you can grab a locker pump from a 2004 jeep. The only issue that comes up is with the 2003 rubicon. This is because jeep used a different connector for the front locker pump than the rear locker pump. To fix your issue what you'll want to do is purchase a locker pump from any of the TJ Rubicon years. Then take out your front locker pump. Label the wires on the connector for the front locker pump. Cut off the connector on the old front locker pump. Now take your new locker pump cut off the connector that comes with it and splice in the connector you cut off the old locker pump you removed. Install the new locker pump and your good to go! I hope this helps, let me know if you need any clarification!
@@EmbarkWithMark Will the wires on the new connector be the same color wires that are on the old one?
Do both connectors have the same number of wires? I count five wires on the connector you installed in this video.
@@gorillasnacks3393 The wires should be the same color, however if they are not it would be easy to identify them if you compare the pumps side by side. Yes they have the same number of wires. The only difference between a front locker and rear locker pump in a 2003 is the connector it self. The rear pump has an extra ear on it. Is a common issue with 2003s. Here is a short forum showing the difference in connectors. It also explains another option of filling down the extra ear on the rear locker pump. wranglertjforum.com/threads/rubicon-rear-locker-air-pump-question.7236/
@@EmbarkWithMark Awesome, thank you!
You are welcome!
taking into account the location of the lockers (Under the car), these are waterproofs?
I just bought a 2006 LJ, and the previous owner moved both lockers underneath the driver seat. Very cool.
What needs to be checked,when u have fire to switch,but switch it not lighting up,nor working anything?
I would check fuses first. Do you have power coming out of the switch?
I was hoping to see a necropsy of the pump to see why it failed, and see if it was fixable on the trail
The bladder inside the pumps tend to fail. I’m not sure how one would preform a trail fix on these pumps. But you have given me something to think about and try. Thank you!
These pumps are gone now. All i can find is used ones on ebay now
I know :(. Supposedly there is a pump used for a honda(if I remember correctly) that’s the same pump, plug and all. I’ll do more research and report back.
@@EmbarkWithMark Lucky mine was a tubing issue and that my pumps still worked, thanks for this great trouble shooting video. I heard the Mitisubishi pajero might use these pumps too but who knows. I guess every older vehicle has its unattainable parts when i owned a Jeep Commanche the hard to find parts where fuel pumps and tail lights. 👍🏼.
I found a good used one on EBay but next one to go bad I’ll add the ARB pumps to match my lockers.
Hey Mark on my 06 LJR my rear locker pump wont turn on at all the light flashes... How would you recommend figuring out if its an electrical issue or just a bad pump. I have never used the lockers before discovering the issue.
You crawled under neither and verified the pump isn’t running at all?
@@EmbarkWithMark I hear a click somewhere underneath whenever I hit the switch but no compressor noises like the front.
@@EmbarkWithMark I’ve also made sure the locker is not functioning by jacking it up and spinning the wheels. With it flashing
My front locker light is flashing but I can’t find out why it won’t shut off, any help?
Does it just keep flashing when you press the locker button?
@@EmbarkWithMark so I disengage them then go to drive normal in 2 wheel drive and then the front locker light flashes .
@@xxThEbEaStRaInxx you need to drive slowly forward or in reverse a good 20 feet sometimes to get the lockers to unlock. Also making an S pattern helps.
By chance did you disassemble yours
The locker pump it self?
Yes the pump
To see if it was full of debris
I just saw your other message.
I did tear into mine. The balder was torn. Which is one of the more common issues.
I'm having g problems locating the pump on my 2004 TJ also my lights do not come on at all along with the light for 4L.
Have any ideas?
On Rubicons the pumps are mounted to the transfer case skid plate. Sometimes its a little hard to get under there if your Jeep is stock height. If your 4L light does not come on and none of the locker lights come on, the only thing I can think of is that you have a fuse or an electrical issue that needs to be looked into down. Start with the fuse box and check all your fuses to make sure.
No problem getting under with my lift but have issues locating.
I did check fuses now watching videos on changing 4x4 switch. Thx
@@michellehoffman9620 The pumps are two pumps mounted on the skid plate. It will looks like a chuck of metal and wires on the drivers side at the rear of the transfer case. Look at your rear driveshaft, than look towards the driver side. Thats where they are located. There are only two other explanations. Either someone relocated the pumps from the factor location. Or you never had the pumps to begin with. Let me know if this helps.
What’s with the sunglasses 🥴
It's bright here.