Suggestions for 'Sway Bar Disconnect Unavailable' message?

[Fantastipotamus]

My 2024 PW started throwing the 'Sway Bar Disconnect Unavailable' message a week or two ago, and it would come and go randomly. I did some googling, and it sounds the likely culprit to be moisture in the connector, as according to the Jeep forums (which shares the unit with us), it's pretty dang beefy and unlikely to be mechanical failure.

Anyway, I climbed under there tonight and disconnected the actuator wire harness (quick aside - two things, 1) this is my first truck that is so tall I can slide under it without needing to raise it, which is great, and 2) love those connectors where you disconnect it via a little lever, so much better than trying to hold a tiny switch and pull it at the same time) and sure enough, a bunch of moisture dripped out.

So, what I did was use some compressed air to try to get the moisture out of both sides, a light duty paper toweling to try to absorb what I could, and then a generous dabbing of dielectric grease and re-seated it.

Are there other suggestions beyond what I did (or.. should I try to undo what I did??) to try to keep moisture out of there? Thanks in advance!

BTW, certainly still under warranty, just trying to avoid the hassle if there is a simple fix, etc etc

 

[el_barto]

dielectric grease seems like the right direction. Any idea how the connector got so wet? I haven’t heard of the 2019+ trucks having any issues with the swaybar or lockers (2018 and earlier it did seem to be a common issue)

 

[Fantastipotamus]

There isn't much protection to the whole unit, it's just sort of out there, so it's going to get drenched. In my case, when I popped the plug out, the gasket almost fell out. So if the gasket isn't aligned well, it seems pretty easy. The connector also tilts upward a bit, so if moisture gets in it can't drain out.

There are some pics of the unit here where a gent disassembled it, which I found pretty interesting: https://www.jeepforum.com/threads/oem-e-disco-smartbar-study.1135688/ and here's the pic of the unit-side connector from that site.. the watermark says 2010, and from my recollection, both the unit and the connector don't seem to have changed much.

 

[Fantastipotamus]

Sadly, my "fix" did nothing so now it's going into the dealer. Will see what they say..

 

[SolidAxleorBust]

Sounds like nothing changed since 2018 as I expected. There is a reason a massive aftermarket industry exists. They are not water proof which is absolute insanity. Dielectric and loose plugs are just the start, they rust up solid due to not being water proof. On my 2018 it never really worked even one time. But it was my fault it was not water proof. They REALLY need to address this after so many years!

 

[jsalbre]

This is just anecdotal, but when I had my 2016 Rubicon I did a lot of water crossings with it and had no issues with the sway bar disconnect.

That of course doesn’t help you, but at least some of them seem to be trouble free.

I can’t find the link, but if you’re feeeling DIY there was a guy on one of the Jeep forums a few years back that took his apart and potted it, making it completely waterproof.

 

[Fantastipotamus]

Yea, I didn't find a ton of resources when I was initially googling the error (there was a thread on here or two maybe? And a bunch of Jeep stuff, which is how i found that link above), so it does seem like it's moderately resilient and a relatively low-fail item compared with some of the other electronic gubbins on our trucks.

That being said, I don't know that I even plan to ever use it? But sadly, I do want it functional at least until it's out of warranty. Once that point hits, maybe I'll just AlfaODB it out of my truck. It also shuts off my 'axle disconnect' light too, which is sort of odd. Doesn't drive any differently, so I don't think it's doing anything besides maybe limiting my axle lockers.. not sure why though.

I didn't see one on Thuren, but are there solid sway bar options out there to replace it? Amusingly, I watched a guy on YT who checked articulation with it on and off via a single-wheel lift, and it only gained an inch if memory serves. Seems like a lot of trouble for that level of gain, but there may be other benefits for more vanilla off-roading too.

 

[jsalbre]

I run no sway bar at all, so there's always that option. I don't know if articulink arms with no sway bar would be "floppier" though. Since you're still under warranty though I'd make the dealer fix it. You could even pull it off and code it out once its fixed to see how you like that, and still have a perfectly functional bar sitting around waiting for you if you want to put it back.

 

[Fantastipotamus]

Yea, that's probably what i'd do if it fails post-warranty. Appreciate the insight/suggestions!

I'll also update the thread with the dealer prognosis.

 

[bgenlvtex]

Somebody, I don't remember who makes a manual control for the oem disconnect.
I know lots of people have had problems with them, I've had 4 and luckily none have failed.

 

[Fantastipotamus]

The guy in my link to the jeep forums rigged up a little thingamajig for his, but I'm good w/ that I think.. though it does automatically reconnect at like 18mph or whatever.

Dealer basically said the unit was pretty corroded. Ordered me a new actuator motor and pigtail harness for it, covered under warranty, but will be another week or two of errors on the dash.

 

[el_barto]

Somebody, I don't remember who makes a manual control for the oem disconnect.
I know lots of people have had problems with them, I've had 4 and luckily none have failed.

NO LIMITS MANUAL RUBICON SWAYBAR DISCONNECT JK/JL/JT

The Factory Rubicon Swaybar Disconnect is a great feature but is prone to breaking, shorting out and all around being annoying. The EVO No Limits Manual Disconnect now allows you to defeat the overly troublesome computer system that operates this very cool feature that Rubicon Model JK’s come...

evomfg.com

This the one you’re referring to?
Not sure if it’s compatible with the PW bar, but probably?