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4WD malfunction on the beach (SERV 4WD)

52K views 239 replies 69 participants last post by  LouC 
#1 ·
First time on the beach and this happens, not a happy Jeep owner at the moment. I searched through the threads here and on Jeep Garage and found a few people that had the same problem I had this weekend, but they were all with 2011's. I have a 2012 so any of the software upgrades should have been applied. Anyone with a 2012 experience the SERV 4WD error while driving in sand?

It's going in to the dealer on Friday but I'm not expecting much out of them.
 

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#3 ·
This was at Fort Fisher State Rec area. Luckily the Rangers have the towing service on speed dial and for $135 (all the cash I had in my wallet) it seemed like a pretty good deal to get my Jeep and family off the beach. The tow operator says he pulls out a good number of late model Cherokees. Mostly user error but also a good number of mechanical failures. It's going in to the dealer on Friday, I'll let you know what they have to say.
 
#31 ·
Yes -- Please do post results... My Wife was just asking if I got our Delaware Beach Tag. 2011 V6 QT2 is only 6months old. lol -- I told her I didn't know if I was ready to git'er all sand-ied up yet.:) truth is my XJ and WJ and the old CJ7 had solid axle and would go anywhere.... not so sure with sensors and solenoids - so I will be very intrested to here what "spin" the dealer has...

Here's hopin your jeep fears turn out to be just the boggeyman!
 
#5 ·
I've been there numerous times. However, I havn't been since I got my wk2. What specs are your jeep? Can you give us a scenario or timeline of events? What 4wd system do you have and what settings were you driving with?
 
#8 ·
Laredo X with ORA I. Lowered air pressure to about 20lbs and cruised out long access road with the Selec-Terrain on Auto until I got to the beach. Once on the beach the sand get a bit softer so switched over to the sand setting. Continued down about a mile or so and was just telling my wife how well it was doing considering the touring tires on it. Was just in a set of tracks cruising about 15 mph when I could feel it start to bog down and noticed the SERV 4WD light come on. From then on it was dug in as you can see in the picture, front tires stopped pulling. Tried cycling the ignition, tried switching into other 4WD high modes and also low, but it wouldn't let me do anything. Just had to sit and wait for the "The Beast" to show up, a Ford F350 super duty that had no trouble dragging my dead Jeep. Once I got back to firm ground the service light went out and hasn't come on since. It's going to pretty hard to trust this vehicle in that situation again (which is why I bought it in the first place). I'm supposed to heading to Assateague Island next month to fish with my brother. I have a feeling we'll be driving his Nissan down the beach, not my Jeep.

I've been out to Fort Fisher many times before in my '98 Wrangler and even a 2002 Ford Escape with no trouble. It's not that bad if you know what you're doing. Hell, some dude in a Suzuki cruised passed while I was waiting for the tow.
 
#6 ·
My Service 4WD message on the XK was the front differential solenoid. I swapped it out myself for $23. Not a big issue for me.

Fort Fisher is tough driving. Easy to get stuck and / or break something. Had good luck myself, but it gets dicey at times. My coworker killed his transmission on his '09 JK Rubicon out there. I went on a rescue run with him in my WJ, but there was no saving it.
 
#9 ·
That is odd. Was this the first time you used any of the settings other than normal? I'm anxious to know what the outcome is. Also, have you tried any of the select terrain settings since the tow?

Fort Fisher is not your typical beach driving if I might say so myself, the sand gets very deep and loose in some parts, and the transition across the high water mark can get you stuck on the frame if you don't have enough momentum to get up before digging in.

Last year I saw a chevy 2500 get out to far in the surf (while the tide was coming in) and was sitting on his frame. Even my 4x4 Trailblazer and another fisherman's tahoe couldn't pull him out before the tow got there. Needless to say once the tow pulled him out, he spent the following 8 - 10 hours in a portable garage tent doing something to the drivetrain.
 
#10 ·
Yeah I tried using the Selec-Terrain setting a little bit yesterday just to see if it would let me and it did with no problems. I couldn't actually use them though because I didn't have anywhere to take it off-road. A search of the forum reveals other that have the same issue and some have been cleared up with software upgrades or replaced solenoids, others seem to have gone unresolved or haven't been tested again after the intial problem. But those all seem to be 2011's. I just have a feeling under normal driving conditions everything will be fine but when I really need the system to work it's going to fail. At least I'm cautious enough to always stay above the high tide line, seen too many people stuck in the muck. I'll update everyone after the dealer has a look on Friday, I'm really curious to see if it stored any codes and what they are.
 
#16 ·
The original post in this thread makes me feel like I'm back on one of the Land Rover forums I belong to!!! The more electronics they put in vehicles the more little things there are to go wrong. Hopefully this was just a small sensor/solenoid issue and you'll have it fixed soon. Keep us posted. Don't blame you for being pissed, the picture of the tow truck with the brand new Jeep behind it is pretty damn frustrating.
 
#17 ·
At the OP, I was in the office paying for my permit when I overheard the call of a disabled vehicle with the "serv 4wd" light on. I'm fairly certain I passed by you on my way out and was almost about to stop although I don't know how much help I could have been. I'm fairly confident that I could get someone unstuck but doubt I could tow for any amount of distance in that sand. Then there would have been two disabled Jeeps. I hope your able to get to the bottom of what went wrong.
 
#20 ·
That's too funny. It probably was me, my wife was the one calliing in because i was so pi$$ed I couldn't talk to anyone. I saw a black WK2 drive by as we were waiting, probably yours. That was a long ride back behind "The Beast" and he had to pull pretty hard, I don't think anything less would have been able to get it all the way back. Thanks for thinking of me though!
 
#19 ·
BMRisko said:
...and this is why our beaches get closed to motor vehicles.
Here in the great state of Texas we have the longest stretch of public beaches open to motor vehicles and protected from developers who want to close them. I share in the fun on my beaches as well as help to keep than clean and enjoyable for the next generation. A little fun now and then does not destroy the beach, I'm sorry to inform you.
 
#27 ·
Keep thinking what you want, but it only gives fuel to those who want to close access. Wonder why we have to pay such a ridiculous fee to drive on the OBX now? Yea, the plovers have something to do with it and people doing donuts and driving on the dunes doesn't help. That would have been a hefty fine in NC...
 
#23 ·
jgiuliani said:
To be honest I don't think a couple of donuts on the beach is harming anything either. The reason we get banned is because of the ignorant a-holes driving on the dunes, running over turtles, hitting wild horses, and disrupting the nesting birds.
Agreed. 100% Especially since we have endangered Kemps Ridley turtles nesting down here.
 
#24 ·
This is pretty disappointing to hear. I quite frankly wish they just had 4wd hi and low. I don't need the marketing gimmick of the select trac. I don't like having to put it back in 4wd each time I start the Jeep. I want it to stay in the damn setting I last left it in.

I believe this same warning actually flashed while wheeling last week but quickly went away and was fine.

Also, when you head out next time drop your rear tires to 15 psi and 17 for the fronts. It will make a world of difference for traction. And I think it's lame no one helped tow you out.
 
#25 ·
Interesting... we have identical Jeeps (Laredo X... mine w/ Hemi, 4x4). Got scared it was me for a second! I had mine out on Ocracoke beaches over New Years... and had no issues on the sand... but soon after getting off the sand back onto the road, the ESC warning light came on for a few minutes, but went off once it regained traction I guess.
 
#26 ·
UNCjeepWK2 said:
Interesting... we have identical Jeeps (Laredo X... mine w/ Hemi, 4x4). Got scared it was me for a second! I had mine out on Ocracoke beaches over New Years... and had no issues on the sand... but soon after getting off the sand back onto the road, the ESC warning light came on for a few minutes, but went off once it regained traction I guess.
I noticed the same thing. We had no issue going out and finding a parking spot. On the way back the esc light stayed on the entire time until I was able to reair the tires up. I didn't notice any loss of power or traction for what its worth.
 
#29 ·
actually, I never lowered tire pressure. Never have on sand. I've never really found the need to... and it would be so annoying to have to do that every time.

Also, to the OP, ours are identical even down to the Thule bars up top. Nice ride... sorry to hear about your troubles. Hope everything resolved nicely.
 
#30 ·
jgiuliani said:
The plovers have everything to do with it. As do the dead horses and turtles that have been hit on the beach, and the fragile ecology of the dunes which you are forbidden to even walk on much less drive on. Hey I didn't say I agree with it and I wouldn't do it myself because I dont think its a very cool thing to do but you will have to explain to me how circular tire tracks on a beach do more damage than linear tire tracks on a beach. I am more concerned with the litter in the picture, that is more likely to draw the attention of a Ranger and conservationists. And by the way you should be thrilled we only have to pay $120/year for the privelege of driving on a prtected National Seashore. I would happily pay more to cover my share of conservation efforts for such a beautiful National treasure. Oh, and thank you for letting think what I want, i really appreciate you letting me have my own opinion.
I completely agree with your reasons. Some of our beaches have the worst buildup of trash in the nation, and it all comes from the gulf. All the plastic jugs, bottles, buckets, etc etc etc that floats around in the gulf of Mexico, end up on our beaches in south central Texas. I have spent the first two weekends in March for the past 12 years helping clean the national seashore one mile stretch at a time. It is very frustrating to see it stack up over and over again. It only gets worse when a tropical storm or hurricane blows in somewhere. The we have houses, and pieces of piers and decks the size of 18-wheelers. Every year I purchase a beach parking permit for both the public beach, and the national seashore. I know where my dollars go for those, and I wish I could do more financially to help.
 
#32 ·
OK, here's the update:

Let must just preface this and say although I'm not pleased with the outcome or the explanation of the problem I did walk away satisfied with technician I spoke with and the service manager. Here is the official statement from the tech:

FOUND STORED CODES C006A-62 AND U0415-00 FOR DYANMICS SENSOR AND ABS MODULE. TEST DROVE VEHICLE AND MONITORED DYNAMICS SENSOR FOR FAULTY SIGNAL. NO PROBLEM FOUND AT THIS TIME. CODES MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY OFF-ROAD USE. DRIVE TRAIN CONTROL MODULE MAY DISABLE 4WD OPERATION TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO SYSTEM OR PREVENT ROLL-OVER.

Bottom line is that the system operated "as intended" by shutting down the 4WD sysetm before it damaged itself. The tech basically said there was too much wheel slippage and it shut down before something burned up. Maybe a more agressive tire (have the stock Latitudes) would help prevent slippage and system would stay engaged. Maybe not. Should have bought the Wrangler Unlimited if I wanted to play in the sand is what I was pretty much told. Good news is nothing broke, bad news is the vehicle is not capable of driving in deep sand. Now on to the service manager. He backs me up 100% and is opening a case with Chrysler for me. He agrees there is no way a JGC with an off-road package should not be able to handle a bit of sand, or at least stay engaged long enough for the operator to get himself out of whatever mess he gets into. He has seen a couple of people in with the same problem driving in sand and that Chrysler should know about and be working on a solution. His recommendation if it happens again is to disengage the transfer case by holding down the neutral button behind the selec-terrain nob. He says that will allow me to get back into 4WD. Also recommends starting out in 4WD Low from the start. The tech also recommended disconnecting the battery to clear the codes and then start over.

I dunno, we'll see. I'll probaby venture down again in a couple weeks when the water and fishing warms up a bit. If I'm going to get stuck on a beach I at least want to be able to put a line in the water and let the kids go for a swim. Oh, also met a fellow forum member in the waiting room trying to get his problems fixed so not a bad experience in all.
 
#36 ·
Thats ridiculous... so i have to worry that my 4wd is gonna go out when i need it most?????????????????????????????? i dont really plan on beach driving..but what about in the winter if i have slippage?? im gonna lose 4x4 cause of slippage? makes no sense to me..
 
#37 ·
I would have switched to 4-lo if I felt the 4-high couldn't handle it, but it was doing great until it decided to quit. it's not like I was flinging sand or struggling to move, was just cruising along about 12-15 mph in a set of tracks when it crapped out for no real reason, then it was too late to get to 4-lo. Next time I will start and keep it in 4-lo the entire time, but not until after I hear your experience :) Let me know how you do. I have the number of a good tow operator in case you need one. he's got lots of great stories about all the vehicles he's pulled off the beach over the years.
 
#38 ·
I'll tell you this, if it happens to me I'm probably going to dump the vehicle. I think it's pretty lame all the grandma technology they build into these vehicles and don't allow you to turn it off. Once it's engaged it shouldn't disengage. And you shouldn't need/have to be in 4low your rpms will be screaming. I go to Pismo Beach out here in CA about 2-3 times a year with a large group of family and friends so if this thing doesn't perform I'll be looking to get back into an F150.
 
#41 ·
The dealers explanation is bull****, and the technician is just guessing. In no way should the 4WD system shut down because the tires are slipping. The tires slip variably in all 4WD conditions. Snow/ice: tires slip. Sand: tires slip. Mud: tires slip.

Furthermore, there are plenty of members here who drive in sand with no problems. Siltsurfer spends an entire day at a time ragging his jeep in the dunes.

I think they don't have an explanation for the error, so the technician is just taking a guess.
 
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