The easy fix for that annoying ESC warning.

So you saved up your pennies, bought a lift kit for your brand new JL, installed it yourself over the weekend with a couple friends and then hopped in to take it out for a spin. As you are out driving through the neighborhood, looking like a rock star, you notice two things. The first is that the steering wheel is off a bit from center and the second is your digital dash is lit up like a Christmas tree with the Service Electronic Stability Control warning. Yes, they are related and yes, it is easy to fix.

What does ESC do?

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) monitors the rotational speed of the wheels and other parameters including the steering angle. If the steering wheel is off-center and the vehicle is going in a straight direction, the computer is reading that the vehicle is turning while all four tires are spinning at the same speed (traveling in a straight line). The computer reads this as an error, thinking that the vehicle has lost traction and can reduce the engine power and/or engage the brakes to help try to regain control of the vehicle.

What does this have to do with a suspension lift?

As you lift the suspension, the draglink becomes effectively shorter, pulling the steering arm towards the passenger side. This in turn causing the steering wheel to turn away from center to keep the tires straight. Those pesky ESC sensors in the steering column senses that the steering wheel is no longer centered and throws the error. So the fix is simple, adjust the steering wheel back to center, the sensors will now read a normal position, will reset and turn the warning light off. This can take a couple days and a few miles of driving to reset. You could also disconnect the battery for a couple hours, reconnect and the ESC warning should be gone.

Tools Needed:

Adjustable Pliers (AKA Channel-Locks)

15mm deep socket

Ratchet

Extras:

Penetrating oil if things are rusty.

The HOW-TO:

First off, get to know your adjusters:

The lower tie-rod adjuster is for adjusting the toe in/out of your tires, do not adjust that one. The upper draglink adjuster is the one you want to adjust.

Take your 15mm deep well socket and loosen the locking clamp.

Grab the knurled (or splined) adjuster with your adjustable pliers and give it a 1/4 turn down. Check your steering wheel to confirm that you are turning it the proper direction. If so, keep turning and checking until the steering wheel is centered. A second person to watch your steering wheel for alignment makes this real easy.

Once you have the steering wheel centered, tighten the bolt on the locking clamp and take it out for a test drive. Don’t be surprised if after driving it, your steering wheel still isn’t perfectly centered. If that’s the case, just go back through the steps to adjust the draglink a little more.

Is that it? Are we done?

That’s it, you’re done. Now get out and put some miles on your JL and the ESC warning light should turn off. Just a reminder from above, it may take a couple days and some miles for the computer to realize that everything is back to normal and turn off; ours was reset and off by the next day.