Suggestions for Wrangler flat tow wiring harness

[Gigli]

Originally Posted by lawdogg149

Im over 2500 miles now trouble free towing my JL. Heading out Saturday for cross country 2.5 months country tour. Not had the first issue yet.

Question for you. I have a 2018 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon with a Blue OX towing package installed, baseplate, wiring harness, tow bar etc. Will I be able to flat tow the Jeep without issue? Is your set up similar for your JL?
Thanks

[lawdogg149]

Originally Posted by Gigli

That is certainly good news regarding the ability to flat tow the new JL without a death wobble issue. Are you or any others successfully flat towing the JL using a standard wiring harness or the new Mopar wiring harness being advertised by Jeep for flat towing the JL?

Im using just the basic diode kit from roadmaster. I have a aftermarket bumper with tow hooks and using a nighthawk tow bar from roadmaster.

[CoolTech]

Originally Posted by Gigli

That is certainly good news regarding the ability to flat tow the new JL without a death wobble issue. Are you or any others successfully flat towing the JL using a standard wiring harness or the new Mopar wiring harness being advertised by Jeep for flat towing the JL?

I think there are 3 options for wiring to control the lights on the JL.

1) You can use a traditional diode approach.
2) Cool Tech LLC is offering a solution specific to the JL
3) Mopar will allegedly have a kit on the market soon

My own opinions on the 3.

1) Requires cutting and crimping of OEM wiring behind each of the tail lights and then running some wiring from back to front of Jeep. If an aux brake device is used within the Jeep, the Jeep's activation of its own brake lights will cause turn signal to stop blinking.

2) Attachment to OEM wiring is within interior of the Jeep and sheathed cable to front of Jeep to 6-pin socket. Full compatibility with aux braking devices - and no scenarios where turn signal blinking is lost.

3) Rumored to be plug & play but install degree of difficulty not yet known. Allegedly would be compatible with aux braking devices. Downside may be expense.

My $.02

[lass]

Originally Posted by nota4re

I think there are 3 options for wiring to control the lights on the JL.



1) You can use a traditional diode approach.

2) Cool Tech LLC is offering a solution specific to the JL

3) Mopar will allegedly have a kit on the market soon



My own opinions on the 3.


3) Rumored to be plug & play but install degree of difficulty not yet known. Allegedly would be compatible with aux braking devices. Downside may be expense.



My $.02

To add a bit of detail, yesterday, I call Jeep technical and they confirmed that the new harness #82215382 will maintain power to the EPS system. Since FCA has problems with the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee wobble, it’s nice to see them being proactive for the JL.

I’ll wait for the release before making other decisions on aux lights.

[CWSWine]

Originally Posted by lass

To add a bit of detail, yesterday, I call Jeep technical and they confirmed that the new harness #82215382 will maintain power to the EPS system. Since FCA has problems with the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee wobble, it’s nice to see them being proactive for the JL.

I’ll wait for the release before making other decisions on aux lights.

So Jeep admitting that the new JL will have the wobble like the GC.

[CoolTech]

Originally Posted by CWSWine

So Jeep admitting that the new JL will have the wobble like the GC.

On one side, the published list price of their wiring solution seems to suggest that there's something more to it.

On the other side, Jeep was really flat-footed in 2016 when the Cherokee "problem" was first discovered by consumers and then they responded with kind of a "hack" fix. (Switch buried at the bottom of the center console, etc.) A full 2-years later we have the new JL - arguably the most frequently towed vehicle and it already has a pretty hefty steering stabilizer and absolutely no mention of any required extra harness in the owners manual. On top of that - and not that it is yet statistically significant, but we have several owners towing and not a single reported death wobble incident yet?

Hmmmm.... hoping we get to the bottom of this soon.

[lass]

The lack of a harness requirement in the owners manual is really not relevant to the discussion because it took Jeep 4 years before they added it to the Cherokee owners manual.



The Grand Cherokee has had the wobble since 2016 and the manual still dose not have the caution note. I know because I traded a 6 month old Summit for the JL Rubicon.

As I said in post #60, Jeep tech confirmed that the harness will maintain power to the EPS and this is a good thing.

[CoolTech]

lass,

I don't want to make this argumentative but it seems that seem leaps are being made. PLEASE correct anything I state as fact.

Fact 1: There has been no single reported case of a wobble problem on the new JL Wranglers. People are just starting to tow with it so, again, maybe this is not yet statistically significant.

Fact 2: For sure, there is a wobble issue with the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) used in Cherokees and GC's.

Fact 3: The JL wobble concern has arisen from the fact that there was a problem with these Cherokees and GC's.

Fact 4: (And the killer fact) The JL uses a completely different steering system than the Cherokees and the GC's. It DOES NOT use electric motors or servos to aid with assisted steering like the EPS in the Cherokee does. No, the JL uses a hydraulically powered steering system that is similar to the JK and TJ. The DIFFERENCE is that the JL drives the pump using a (large) electric motor and is controlled by the ECU. As such, making the leap that since Cherokees have a wobble, so will the JL seems a bit of a stretch.

Fact 5: The Jeep Cherokee "solution" was to leave the EPS powered-on while being towed. To try to do something similar with the JL would be a COMPLETELY different game. The JL's hydraulic pump motor draws a crap-load of power. The wires going to it are at least 4-gauge. If you had to power that pump while underway, it is really hard to imagine that any conventional Toad charging solution could keep-up.

I don't doubt that someone from Jeep told you what they did but I don't know why there's be ANY similarities to a completely different steering system as used by the Cherokees.

Here's a cut/paste blurb on the JL's power steering;

**********************************************

Electro-Hydraulic Power Steering

The goal of an electro-hydraulic power steering system (EHPS) is to combine the advantages of both hydraulic power steering and electric power steering -- natural steering feel and improved fuel efficiency.

The difference between EHPS and hydraulic steering lies in how the hydraulic pressure is generated. Where traditional hydraulic systems generate pressure with a belt-driven pump, EHPS use electric motors.

With EHPS, improved fuel efficiency can be achieved by activating the steering motor only when the driver is steering. Also, the system draws power from an electric motor and not the engine directly.

Another added advantage to EHPS over hydraulic system is that the electric motor is operated and controlled by the ECU unit which controls the motor very precisely by accurately monitoring the steering force, vehicle speed and steering angle. This advantage could potentially have a side benefit to JL/JLU Wrangler owners who upsize their tires. On past Wranglers, the larger the tire size upgrade, the more difficult and less responsive the steering became. With an adaptive ECU controlling the steering motor's level of power assist however, it's possible that the system may help mitigate against the negative steering characteristics from upsizing tires.

How does EHPS compare to a fully electric power steering (EPS) system? Unlike EHPS, EPS doesn’t use any form of hydraulic pressure to provide steering assistance. With EPS, the technology is fully electronic, so it uses an electric motor to provide direct assistance. Since there is no power lost generating and transmitting hydraulic power, these systems are typically more efficient than either hydraulic or electro-hydraulic steering.

[lass]

nota4re. In many of my previous post I had also addressed the hydraulic function of the steering system but since some owners are concerned with a potential for the wobble I felt the need to respond to the owners manual comment. We can’t depend on the current printed version alone.

Since Jeep is incorporating the EPS into the new harness, I would think that they know more than I do. Perhaps it’s precautionary but still a good thing.

[CoolTech]

lass... thanks, and I hear you.

But I also think terminology is important. The JL does not have EPS - aka "electronic power steering". It has Electro-Hydraulic Power Steering (EHPS). The two systems should NOT be confused. They are fundamentally VERY different approaches.

Jeep's "fix" to keep power to the EPS of the Cherokee literally has no translation to the completely different system in the JL.

I guess we'll all have to wait and see.

[lass]

Originally Posted by nota4re

lass... thanks, and I hear.



Jeep's "fix" to keep power to the EPS of the Cherokee literally has no translation to the completely different system in the JL.



I guess we'll all have to wait and see.

I have agreed with 90% of your posts and don’t understand why this continues. My reference in the last post had nothing to do with the Cherokee and just emphasized that Jeep will power the steering with the new JL harness.

[FLSteve]

Originally Posted by nota4re

I think there are 3 options for wiring to control the lights on the JL.

1) You can use a traditional diode approach.
2) Cool Tech LLC is offering a solution specific to the JL
3) Mopar will allegedly have a kit on the market soon

Well I decided to roll the dice and go with Option 2, the CoolTech harness. Was very easy to install and came with great instructions and pictures.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/new-j...ml#post4211136

Also just re-read this entire thread and it appears there is still not a definitive and official answer as to the new JL Wrangler and the wobble. Unless I missed it, I have not actually read any account's of a JL having the wobble??

I plan to start towing my JL soon so guess I will find out.

FLSteve

[AFfiredawg]

Bought and just installed the Cooltech harness today...super simple!

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by AFfiredawg

Bought and just installed the Cooltech harness today...super simple!

I'm assuming the Cooltech harness is the same harness as the Hopkins and the Mopar one that is STRICTLY for lights and has nothing to do with the electronics involved in the power steering system, correct?
Scott