Have you looked if the motor is available? If not you may have to get it from a junkyard. I can't find a WK2 in my entire state (MD) in a junkyard.

As well, you may need to look yourself by pulling trim parts to see, the steering column may be built in a way that pulling the motor is totally impractical and thus the entire column must be replaced. If the motor is sold separately, that would disprove that, if the motor is not sold and only the column, that does not necessarily make it true that the motor can't be replaced, but makes it more likely. The manufacturers often don't sell every small part and instead sell only the next higher assembly, even if the smaller part is easily replaceable.

 

I have been looking on Car-Part.com for used columns and contacted a couple of yards but still waiting replies. Pretty sure that's about my only avenue to pursue. Yes, from good clear pics I have seen on an ebay link, it looks like it would be a total bear to replace the motor if not impossible. There are two motors on the column, one for in/out the other up/down. I have disconnected and reconnected both with no luck.

Evidently this isn't a big problem with these columns as I cannot find much info on a common culprit. Which makes getting a used one not as much of a crapshoot if it will work or not. I worked on cars for a living as a heavy collision body tech, but I retired 6 years ago and my body isn't used to diving under dashes any more. My back is hating life right now. If I do find a good column, I will probably just pay someone to replace it which I hate doing. Oh well, such is life.

 

I have been looking on Car-Part.com for used columns and contacted a couple of yards but still waiting replies. Pretty sure that's about my only avenue to pursue. Yes, from good clear pics I have seen on an ebay link, it looks like it would be a total bear to replace the motor if not impossible. There are two motors on the column, one for in/out the other up/down. I have disconnected and reconnected both with no luck.

Evidently this isn't a big problem with these columns as I cannot find much info on a common culprit. Which makes getting a used one not as much of a crapshoot if it will work or not. I worked on cars for a living as a heavy collision body tech, but I retired 6 years ago and my body isn't used to diving under dashes any more. My back is hating life right now. If I do find a good column, I will probably just pay someone to replace it which I hate doing. Oh well, such is life.

Have you tried disconnecting the main battery (and aux if you have one) and leaving them off for several hours? You might get lucky.

 

I'm actually thankful for my back, I have far less problems than most, especially for my age and what I have put my back through over the years.

But, yea working under the dash and changing the WK2 battery has left me with a very sore back the next day. If you have to change your WK2 battery, have someone do it, being under the passenger seat, it results in you have to bend at the waist and your back bearing all the weight to lift and lower it in, and its a requires a tilting and sliding motion and quite a bit of time spent bent at the waist. It will aggravate a bad back quickly.

The common problem, I don't have to tell you, is using an electric motor for some neat g-whiz feature, like automatically retracting and raising the steering wheel for something that should be manual only. Boy, it wows the customer when it comes to sales on the salesfloor, but they did it with too small of a motor crammed into a spot that makes it impossible to replace and then you end up with the steering column stuck in a position when the motor fails and you have spend big bucks.

My Dad, when I was kid in the 70's and 80's, refused to buy a car with electric windows, he was convinced the electric windows would fail and cost him a ton of money to fix during the car ownership.

 

My Dad, when I was kid in the 70's and 80's, refused to buy a car with electric windows, he was convinced the electric windows would fail and cost him a ton of money to fix during the car ownership.

My Dad was the same way. When he finally got a car with power windows (66 Mercury Colony Park Station Wagon), he wouldn't let us kids roll them down, because "they may not come back up". This was also the first car we'd ever had with AC, which he wouldn't run because "it put too much strain on the engine, and would cause it to overheat".

Kids today have it so good......

Keith

 

Looks like it comes as a whole unit. $1100 new. 55057355AE

 

Here is one from a trackhawk for $300 2014-2019 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE SRT TRACKHAWK STEERING COLUMN POWER MODULE | eBay

 

A few weeks ago the "easy exit" raised steering wheel feature in my 65k mile '14 Summit quit working, but the seat still goes back. In fact, the wheel is stuck in the completely raised position and cannot be moved down even with the switch. Makes it funky to drive. The forward and back portion of the switch works fine, but no up or down.

I have done a net search and found very little answers to this problem. Some say the dealer wants to put a new steering column in it, big $$$ because the power motor is part of the column. Others have said just remove the plug to the tilt motor and plug it back in. I tried that several times to no avail. Anyway, just curious if anyone on this forum can give me any other options. Thanks in advance.

I had something similar with mine 2-3 years ago, turned out to just be a bad connection in the giant wiring harness under the driver’s seat. You could try and make sure all wires and harness is seated properly.
I hadn’t done anything under there to knock anything loose, but somehow there was a bad connection. Haven’t had it return since.
Good luck

 

I had something similar with mine 2-3 years ago, turned out to just be a bad connection in the giant wiring harness under the driver’s seat. You could try and make sure all wires and harness is seated properly.
I hadn’t done anything under there to knock anything loose, but somehow there was a bad connection. Haven’t had it return since.
Good luck

In the few links I did find concerning this issue, some did say it was that simple. I did disconnect the plugs going to each motor, which did nothing. I will get back under there and look for a larger harness. Will probably shoot the plugs with some contact cleaner also.

 

A few weeks ago the "easy exit" raised steering wheel feature in my 65k mile '14 Summit quit working, but the seat still goes back. In fact, the wheel is stuck in the completely raised position and cannot be moved down even with the switch. Makes it funky to drive. The forward and back portion of the switch works fine, but no up or down.

I have done a net search and found very little answers to this problem. Some say the dealer wants to put a new steering column in it, big $$$ because the power motor is part of the column. Others have said just remove the plug to the tilt motor and plug it back in. I tried that several times to no avail. Anyway, just curious if anyone on this forum can give me any other options. Thanks in advance.

Sounds like it may just be jammed. Have you given it a sharp rap with a hammer?

 

If you can't fix it with a hammer, it must be an electrical problem.

 

The one I ordered off ebay is the same year (2014) and model (Summit) as mine with 6k more miles on it. Couldn't pass it up for the price. Supposed to be here next Wednesday.

14 Jeep Grand Cherokee Steering Column 2413027 | eBay

Column Switch (1379). GRAND CHEROKEE 14-16 Floor Shift; (LHD), power adjustable, non-heated wheel. Steering Column (1469). Steering Gear/Rack (744). Washed to remove excess dirt and grease. Carefully removed from the vehicle by our professional dismantlers.

www.ebay.com