U2013 on 2012-2018 Land Rover Range Rover: Switch Pack Failure Causes and Fixes

What's Unique About the 2012-2018 Land Rover RANGE ROVER

On this generation of Range Rover (L405), code U2013 is exceptionally well-documented by the manufacturer. Multiple Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) link this specific code to a consistent set of symptoms like inoperative paddle shifters and infotainment glitches. The problem is so common that Land Rover's initial recommended fix, detailed in TSB LTB00584NAS3 and its successors, was often not replacement, but cleaning the electrical contacts and applying Nyogel 760G, a special electrical lubricant. This points to a known design or material issue with connection continuity in the steering column components rather than outright component failure in all cases.

Diagnostic Flowchart

Tap your situation to follow the diagnostic path that matches what you're seeing on this vehicle. 👇

Generation note: The 2012-2018 range covers the end of the L322 generation (2002-2012) and the majority of the L405 generation (2013-2021). The provided TSBs and most documented issues specifically reference the L405 models. However, the underlying causes—switch pack and clock spring failure—are common failure items on most modern vehicles, including the L322 and platform mates like the Range Rover Sport (L494) and Discovery.

Symptoms You May Notice

• Steering wheel buttons for audio, phone, or cruise control are inoperative or work intermittently.
• Transmission paddle shifters do not work.
🎬 Watch: Troubleshooting paddle shifters after a steering wheel pod upgrade.
• Infotainment system is slow, freezes, or reboots (shows a blank screen followed by the Land Rover logo).
• An airbag or SRS warning light is illuminated on the dashboard.
• The horn does not work or works intermittently.
• A 'Manual Shift Disabled' or 'Gearbox Paddles Disabled' message may appear in the instrument cluster.
• Pressing one button (e.g., volume up) causes a different function to occur (e.g., changing radio station).

Most Likely Causes

1. Faulty Clock Spring (Rotary Coupler) 🔴 High Probability → Shop Air Bag Clockspring The clock spring contains a flexible ribbon of wires that constantly winds and unwinds as the steering wheel turns. Over time, these wires can fatigue and break, causing an open circuit for all steering wheel-mounted components. This is a common wear-and-tear item on many JLR vehicles.
   How to confirm: A complete failure of all steering wheel functions (buttons, horn, and airbag light) strongly points to the clock spring. A diagnostic scan showing faults for multiple steering wheel components is also a key indicator. A technician can test for continuity through the clock spring's pins with a multimeter.
   Typical fix: Replacement of the clock spring assembly. This requires removing the steering wheel and airbag. 🎬 Watch: How to strip down and refit the steering wheel. A steering angle sensor calibration is often required after replacement.
   Est. part cost: $150-$400
2. Faulty Steering Wheel Switch Pack(s) 🔴 High Probability → Shop Steering Wheel Land Rover has issued multiple TSBs related to intermittent operation of these switches due to poor electrical connection continuity. The internal electronics of the switches can also fail, or the contacts can become tarnished.
   How to confirm: If only one side of the steering wheel controls is failing (e.g., audio but not cruise control), the corresponding switch pack is the likely culprit. A technician can use a diagnostic tool like JLR Pathfinder to monitor the live data from each button press to see if the input is registered.
   Typical fix: In some cases, cleaning the electrical connectors and applying Nyogel 760G electrical lubricant as per TSBs can resolve intermittent issues. If this fails, the affected switch pack must be replaced. Some owners have successfully disassembled and cleaned the internal contacts of the switches themselves. 🎬 See this walkthrough for installing and upgrading steering wheel controls.
   Est. part cost: $100-$300 per switch
3. Poor Electrical Connection 🟡 Medium Probability TSBs specifically cite 'poor electrical connection continuity' as a cause for the exact symptoms associated with U2013. The connectors behind the switches or at the clock spring can become loose or develop fretting corrosion from micro-vibrations, leading to intermittent signal loss.
   How to confirm: During disassembly for inspection, a technician can check for loose or corroded pins in the connectors for the switch packs and clock spring. The TSB repair itself is a diagnostic step.
   Typical fix: Disconnecting, cleaning the contacts, applying a quality dielectric grease (specifically Nyogel 760G, as specified by Land Rover), and reconnecting the connectors can restore function.
   Est. part cost: $10-$20 for lubricant

Rare But Worth Checking

• Failing Battery or Low Voltage: → Shop Vehicle Battery Low system voltage during startup can cause various electronic modules, including those related to steering wheel controls, to glitch and set communication faults. One owner reported that fully charging the battery and disconnecting it for 20 minutes to reset the ECUs temporarily resolved the issue. Another owner with a Discovery 4 had the same symptoms after the battery voltage dropped. A JLR Special Service Message (SSM 71278) also links low battery voltage to various steering-related DTCs.

Diagnosis Steps

1. Perform a full vehicle scan with a diagnostic tool capable of reading Land Rover-specific codes, such as JLR SDD or Pathfinder. Confirm the presence of U2013-02 in the Instrument Cluster and check for related codes like B1D21-13.
2. Check for obvious symptoms: Do any steering wheel buttons work? Does the horn work? Is the airbag light on? A total failure points more strongly to the clock spring.
3. If some but not all buttons work, use the scan tool's live data function to monitor the status of the steering wheel switches. Press each button and observe if the system registers the input.
4. If live data shows no response, a physical inspection is necessary. Warning: Disconnect the battery and wait at least 10-15 minutes for the system to discharge before proceeding, as this involves removing the airbag.
5. Remove the driver's airbag module to access the internal connectors.
6. Inspect the electrical connectors for the switch packs and the clock spring. Look for loose connections, pushed-out pins, or corrosion.
7. As per Land Rover TSB LTB00584NAS5, try disconnecting and reconnecting the suspect connectors several times to clean the contacts. Apply a small amount of Nyogel 760G or similar high-quality dielectric grease before reconnecting.
8. If cleaning the contacts does not resolve the issue, the next logical step is to test for continuity through the clock spring pins with a multimeter. If continuity is good, replace the component identified as most likely faulty (a specific switch pack if only one side is failing, or the clock spring if all functions are dead).
9. After reassembly, clear all DTCs and perform a steering angle sensor calibration if the clock spring was replaced. This can be done with a capable scan tool.

Parts You'll Likely Need

• Clock Spring / Rotary Coupler (OEM #LR101296 (verify by VIN, multiple variants exist)) — This is the most common point of failure for a complete loss of all steering wheel functions, including the airbag, which is a critical safety component. Part numbers vary based on options like a heated steering wheel.
  Trusted brands: Land Rover (OEM)
  OEM price range: $250-$400
  Aftermarket price range: $150-$250
• Steering Wheel Switch Pack (Left or Right) (OEM #LR037419 (Left, verify by VIN), LR087451, LR087450) — These switches are a known failure point, as documented in multiple TSBs. Failure of a single switch pack will typically only affect the controls on that side of the steering wheel. Part numbers vary based on vehicle options (e.g., with/without adaptive cruise).
  Trusted brands: Land Rover (OEM)
  OEM price range: $150-$300
  Aftermarket price range: $100-$200
• Nyogel 760G Electrical Lubricant (OEM #LR054614 (Land Rover branded), also sold as Ford XG-12) — Specifically recommended by Land Rover in TSBs to resolve poor electrical continuity in the switch connectors, which is a primary cause of this code. It is a silica-thickened synthetic grease designed to prevent fretting corrosion on electrical contacts.
  Trusted brands: Nye Lubricants, Motorcraft
  OEM price range: $15-$30
  Aftermarket price range: $15-$30

Related Codes That Often Appear With This One

• B1D21-13 — This code, for 'Remote Control Switch Circuit Open', is explicitly mentioned alongside U2013-02 in Land Rover's Technical Service Bulletins as being caused by the same electrical continuity issue in the steering wheel switches.

Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) & Recalls

• LTB00584NAS5: The most recent version of the TSB, issued in 2017, covering intermittent operation of steering wheel switches, infotainment slowness, and paddle shifter failure. It lists codes U2013-02 and B1D21-13 and recommends cleaning contacts and applying Nyogel 760G.
• LTB00584NAS3: An earlier version from 2015 that provides a detailed description of the situation, including symptoms like volume buttons causing the station to change, and explicitly states the cause is 'poor electrical connection continuity'.

Platform-Specific Known Issues

• Owner Experience with TSB Fix: A user on a popular Range Rover forum with a 2015 L405 reported that their steering wheel controls and paddle shifters were working intermittently. The dealer performed the fix outlined in TSB LTB00584, which involved cleaning the connectors and applying the specified lubricant. This resolved the issue without needing to replace any parts, and the fix was still holding after more than a year.

Mechanic-Grade Diagnostic Values

• LIN Bus Signal Voltage — expected: A square wave switching between battery voltage (approx. 12V) and a lower voltage (approx. 1-2V).. Failure: A flat line at 12V (short to power), a flat line at 0V (short to ground), or a distorted waveform indicates a communication problem on the bus.
• Clock Spring Pin-to-Pin Continuity — expected: Low resistance, typically under 5 ohms, between corresponding pins on each side of the clock spring connector.. Failure: Infinite resistance or 'O.L.' (Open Loop) on a multimeter indicates a broken wire inside the clock spring ribbon.

Hidden / Shadow Codes Worth Checking

• U2013-02: Switch pack, general signal failure. This is the most common subtype logged in the Instrument Cluster and is explicitly mentioned in Land Rover TSBs. (see via A Land Rover-specific diagnostic tool like SDD or Pathfinder is required to read the 7-digit DTC. Generic OBD-II scanners may only show 'U2013'.)
• U2013-08: Switch pack, bus signal/message failure. TSB LTB01089NAS1 notes that if this code is present, the standard repair of cleaning contacts should not be performed and a technical assistance request should be submitted, indicating a more complex issue. (see via A Land Rover-specific diagnostic tool like SDD or Pathfinder.)

Scan Tool Commands That Help

• JLR SDD / Pathfinder: Steering Angle Sensor Calibration — This calibration is mandatory after replacing the clock spring or steering column to ensure the vehicle's stability control and ABS systems function correctly.
• JLR SDD / Pathfinder: Read Live Data - Steering Wheel Switches — To diagnose a faulty switch pack. The technician can press each button on the steering wheel and watch the live data stream to see if the command is being received by the control module. This helps isolate a single bad switch from a clock spring or wiring issue.
• JLR SDD / Pathfinder: Configure New Module — If a control module related to the steering column or instrument cluster is replaced, it may need to be configured to the vehicle's specific options using the dealer tool.

Wiring & Ground Locations

• Steering Wheel Controls LIN Bus — The steering wheel switches communicate with the Steering Column Control Module (and subsequently the Instrument Cluster) via a Local Interconnect Network (LIN) bus. This is a single-wire data bus.. A fault on the LIN bus wire (short to ground or power) can take all the switches offline and set code U2013. Diagnosis may require an oscilloscope to view the data signal.
• G1D129AR / G1D131BR — These are ground points for the Power Steering Control Module shown in L405 wiring diagrams.. While not directly for the switch packs, a poor ground for a major module on the CAN bus can cause widespread communication errors, potentially including U-codes.
• A-Pillar Ground Headers — Located behind the kick panels in the driver and passenger footwells at the base of the A-pillars.. These headers are common ground points for many interior electronics, including the instrument panel. A loose or corroded connection here can cause intermittent electronic issues.

Real Owner Repair Stories

• LandyZone forum user 'boramo' (Range Rover (model year not specified, but context implies L322 or L405)) — Started the car and a 'Gearbox paddles disabled' message appeared. All steering wheel buttons were non-functional except for the heated steering wheel button.
  ❌ Tried (didn't work) Charging the battery from 60% to 100%. The fault returned the next morning.
  ✅ What actually fixed it Performing a hard reset by disconnecting the vehicle battery for 20 minutes and then reconnecting it. This restored all functions. The root cause was suspected to be low battery voltage causing the ECUs to become confused.

OEM Part Supersession History

• LR071304 → LR087451 — Part update or revision by the manufacturer.
  Heads up: This is a direct replacement for the cruise control switch pack (without adaptive cruise).

Model Year Variations Within This Range

• 2013-2017 (Pre-facelift L405): When upgrading pre-facelift models to the 2018+ facelift-style (touch sensitive) steering wheel controls, the paddle shifters may stop working. This is due to a difference in the internal circuitry of the new switch packs. A workaround requires adding a jumper wire to one of the switch connectors to restore paddle shift functionality.