[Final GTS]

Hey guys,

I am just trying to see who else has had problems with these god forsaken auto leveling headlights on these trucks?

Granted, I drive mine in the winter as well, but I have had to replace the damn sensors EVER SINGLE YEAR since I bought my 08. Like clockwork, middle of every winter, they start to get sketchy, and then go out entirely pointing at the ground all the time. I am on my 5th apparent sensor replacement right now, and this is bullshit to say the least.

What doesn't make sense is that the sensors do not actually "fail", they still continue to send a signal, albeit a reduced signal. It is VERY weird. I have taken old sensors apart, and I cannot even find a failure mode... which brings me to...

Has anyone had the leveling module fail? I am wondering if perhaps somehow the control module itself is actually causing my sensor failures. If so, what symptoms?

Also post up if your sensors failed... curious to see how big of an issue this really is.

 

[kokanee13]

I have never heard this happening to anyone. Very strange. I would get Jeep on that ASAP. I'm sure you have already.

 

[Final GTS]

I have never heard this happening to anyone. Very strange. I would get Jeep on that ASAP. I'm sure you have already.

Truck is long out of warranty, and they don't have any capabilities that I don't have. I am mainly trying to figure out if this is as common of an issue as I am seeing, or if I am just this damn lucky, lol.

 

[Rufjatt]

I think ur just that damn lucky bro LOL.

 

[TrueStreetJim]

The sensors on the front upper arm (R/S) usually bends/breaks the stem.
The rear sensor usually has a low voltage fault and also ends up requiring replacement. They are in spots subjected to projectiles off the tire and are usually damaged. 50% of all the 08's+ I have seen are broke/shorted.
There is also a flash update for the'non-broken' ones for a jittering headlamp. However, its not as common.

-Jim
Hemi Shop Director
516.204.5133

 

[boostdacr]

Not sure what issues you have when they fail but mine have been acting strange recently.

Every once in a while when they come on they stay pointed down, then after a little bit of driving they come up to the normal height.

I had a guy come over this past weekend to flash my PCM (trying to fix a cat code) and he said there were codes for the height light leveling sensors but wasn't sure what it meant. He clear them but haven't driven it at night since to see if it's still happening.


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

 

[SCAM]

I havent had any issues with mine??

My auto leveling headlights level every time I start the Jeep up. I have driven through 2 winters in the Jeep and never had to replace anything on my headlights.

I dont think its that common of a problem... I hope you get it fixed man, I hate fixing something just to know its gonna break again soon.

 

[FinalLapSRT8]

Headlight self adjust problems

I am having the same problem... Mine are just pointing down now.. Can anybody tell me what i need to change and if it's a bog job to do..???

Thanks
2008 gc srt8

 

[WESLEY KAY]

Yeah, mine crapped out as well. It seemed as if they never worked correctly honestly. They will level off at startup, and then either point to the ground or actual go to a normal level. It seems as if they trade off every other week....good, then bad, then good, then bad...etc etc etc. I manually forced them up, so now when they are not pointing at the ground, they are "high beams" and people usually flash me with theirs pi$$ed off. Oh well.....I'd rather see than die at night.

I figured I would bring them in and get them fixed, but I don't know if the design is an unflawed design or not. Would I be wasting my time? That and I hate going to the dealer.

 

[millers_srt]

Same issue since last winter on my 2010. And it seems the system only malfunctions in cold weather. I've taken it to two different dealers (just returned from the second this morning). The first dealer looked at them this last summer. I mentioned it in passing while we were dealing with the Jeep not running at all. They replaced the forward wiring harness and reprogrammed something and said they should be fine.

The second dealer blamed my HID fog lights and re-calibrated the Smart Beam/auto-leveling system. I asked the service writer why it was my fog lights and she said, "The system is showing something was disconnected, but the tech has them working just fine now. If you have the problem again, the HIDs have to go."

The lights have worked fine, except for in the winter, and I've had HID fogs installed since two days after I bought the Jeep. I even put a new HID kit on this Fall after the wiring harness debacle. So, I really do not know how the HIDs could be to blame.

If they act up again, I would prefer to just disable the system all together. Does anyone know if there is a fuse or connector that could be unplugged to shut the auto-level system down without killing something else?

 

[Brooksie]

I hate to be the one but this is in the wrong forum section should be WK1

 

[Philly369]

My 2008 WK1 had serious problems with the lights(HID) taking me to the dealer serveral times only having the leveling system replaced , leave the dealer and the same "boucing" continued. The front and rear modules have to be replaced then I was all good

 

[Final GTS]

I hate to be the one but this is in the wrong forum section should be WK1

Good point... How the hell did I pull that one off. That explains why I couldn't find it in the forum when I went back to look! lol


Still might be a valid question for the WK2's as well...

 

[ltleo]

Have you checked the level arm under front wheel well, they often get stuck in one position, you can flip,them up,or down. Have them checked

 

[ASLEEPER]

I know this is an old thread but I totally missed it. Mine did the same thing, locked in the down position. Couldn't see very far in front of me. Very unnerving. Anyways, the motor was the main culprit on the drivers side but they found that both sensors weren't sending the signal they should to the system so the dealer replaced both along with the driver side headlamp assembly. Luckily I still had warranty at that point.

 

[Knuckles]

The sensors on the front upper arm (R/S) usually bends/breaks the stem.
The rear sensor usually has a low voltage fault and also ends up requiring replacement. They are in spots subjected to projectiles off the tire and are usually damaged. 50% of all the 08's+ I have seen are broke/shorted.
There is also a flash update for the'non-broken' ones for a jittering headlamp. However, its not as common.

-Jim
Hemi Shop Director
516.204.5133

Hey Jim,

Could you explain what a jittering headlamp would be?

Thanks!!

 

[Final GTS]

Just an update, but this always turns out to be the sensors in my case. I get about 1.5-2 years per set... kind of a joke. They start to get "dead spots" in the output range, or voltage range reduces drastically.

 

[Peacemaker]

Damn!!! I don't have any problems wirt autoleveling, and now after reading this thread i went outside to drive... and gues what? It doesn't work anymore!!!

What a karma...

I will not enter to any "problems" thread LoL

 

[LVSpeedemon]

I just installed a new set of headlamps. Connected the HDLM. Now nothing. They dont move like they used to.

 

[TEDilores]

I just got my 2008 GC fixed for this problem. Turned out to be the rear sensor and the "module" powering it. They also replaced the connector and wiring to it saying that the connector wasn't making a good connection. After bitching that this was all something that should have been covered under the expensive "bumper-to-bumper" warranty, they reduced the price from $1400 down to $850, but said that it was not covered.
Read the fine print on the warranty - if it's not listed, it's not covered!
Knowing what I know now, if it happens again, I'm taking the headlights apart and "pinning" them in one position!