New HWH BOX- still down...

[Wingding]

Well this is one of those bad experiences.....

{2005 FDQS 75236 Alpine}


I'll cut to the narrow....

I replaced diodes that fried on the HWH circuit board/ran wire between the 2 points of the burnt trace on the circuit board and plugged it in to find the travel light and power console up and working again... !~!! Oh boy Oh Joy !!! .....?????

BUT, The slides were still not gliding out... and the jacks will go down but not with any force{to level the vehicle}...?

The slides on the driver's side actually move BUT 4 minutes timed to extend fully-slower than Molasses ...
The passenger side will not move... I can hear it -pumping{Im guessing thats the sound of the pump..?}

SO..I figured there was more wrong than the diodes I replaced in the Hwh electronic brain box...

Needed to leave in a hurry I decided to take a chance and fork over the $ for a new HWH brain box for the QUICK fix.... and get on the move...

AH...... WRONG!

New box operates just like the old one I fixed!! DUHHHHHHHHH!
{Obviously that diode trick really worked} "ooouch"!


Feeling the horse kick to the head.... I staggered around trying to make sense of things....'
A TOTAL SEARCH OF THE ALPINE SECTION.....OK.... Fuming but still standing...
OK .... finally... a breakthrough.....
Checking the hidden hydraulic tank .....IT'S EMPTY... We're talking DRY..!?
OH MY........
OK, I must have broken lines/fittings/hose somewhere on that passenger side....Right??
Fill the system with good ole dexron 3 ATF ..{GO ahead and blow your red dye..Make MY DAY !!!

OK.... next problem .... The filled tank makes no difference... there is no leakage to be found anywhere...
ah...... IM RUNNING OUT OF IDEA'S.... Im running out of alpine material that might help me here....
This certainly has me by the short hairs...

I dont think I'll be heading anywhere anytime soon...

The thrill has been DRILLED....

Anybody with a last ditch clue to why I cant get the system to ooze red dyed ATF out of a must be leak source?

Im shutting it down for the day.... mentally exhausted ...

Might and well GO DOWN WITH THE *PHILLIES* tonight......It's been a long long day.....

[RedneckExpress]

What state are your batteries in? Thing about hydraulics is once they get air in them, you'll need to bleed them like car brakes before they'll function properly again.

[Wingding]

Those batteries are brand new AGM Lifeline and I got more than before..

It's not the batteries..... But Im really interested in how you "Bleed" these slides when they are obviously{Probably} full of air...?

I did not see anything on the search under priming... didnt do a search for bleeding hwh system but i'll give it a go!

[Norm4015]

HWH told my brother in law to bleed the system run the slides in and out a few times and to fully extend and raise the jacks a couple of times. He had work done at HWH and they had to replace the fluid when through. That is the way they bled them.

One question??? When you checked the fluid level were the slides all the way in and the jacks all the way up?

Many of the HWH pumps have a shuttle valve that is a one way valve. When the pump runs it prevents the fluid from running back into the pump. I had a defective shuttle valve and the jacks would go down slowly, but would not raise the motorhome.

Good luck, sit and relax and sip a cold one.

[Wingding]

Norm,
I read on a thread where you need to have all jacks up and sides in.
I did. It was pretty much empty.

I filled it it.. But it will not deposit any red fluid so I can easily spot the break.

Actually it does not seem to be moving through the lines or speeding the driver side up or doing anything more then putting the jacks down but without pressure.

[Norm4015]

A defective shuttle valve will cause the fluid to not move through the lines. Your system may be different than the picture below, but look at yours and see if you have a shuttle valve.

[Wingding]

I dont believe so but here's a photo......hopefully it's not on the opposite side...?

[takepride]

Wingding:

To bleed the lines you need to hold the Extend and Retract buttons for more than 30 seconds in each direction. It may take several attempts. I had to do this once after a hose repair. Then I ran the slide in and out several more times. Once the maximum pressure is achieved, the valves are designed to send the air through the return line. There is a thread about this (somewhere).

You may have to add more fluid afterward. Measure it with everything retracted.

You should hear the pump whine a bit louder when there isn't enough fluid to push/pull the slide. It sounds fine, then gets louder, then quits moving (if low enough). That's my queue to add a quart.

[Wingding]

Ok, Thank you... I will try it again on the passenger side... But should it take 4 minutes to go from fully retracted to fully open in 4 minutes.... I mean that is barely moving ... again, I cant even get the passenger side slides to move at all.. either one.. So how will I get that side to move... ?

As far as the driver side, take the 4 minutes to move it all the way and then hang on to it for another 30 to 60 seconds ? Is that the game plan?
I do remember a little note about that somewhere. I did run it out and in a few times but it was no difference in time ..about 4 minutes.. I seem to remember that being about 20 seconds or more when it worked well.

I'll try it again in the morning !

I will dig further for that information you mentioned.

[Old Rv'er]

Wing - think about bleeding brakes, you got to pump it a while then hold it (switch in/out) and then pump it a while. Do one at a time. Try the closest jack to the pump and reservoir first, then work your way further out, and I would get the jacks working first. After you get one working, check the fluid level in the reservoir again, othewise you might run it dry again, and have to start over. Remember, all jacks up, slides in to properly check the fluid level. Check each jack for leaks after you get that one working. Then the slides closest to the pump/reservoir and work your way around again. This is the reverse of doing brakes on a vehicle, but in this case I think its the best way. In my coach it's easy to see the PS front jack in my HWH compartment, and the DS front jack through the propane door. You may need another set of eyes. It's late tonight, so I would get good nights sleep and try some more tomorrow, have a cup of coffee, eat breakfast, and then tackle it again. Let us know about what you find. And no, I am not trying to patronize you, these things make me want to tear out my hair, and I don’t have much of that left. Just when I thought I was ready to head out, (replaced the alternator on Tuesday this week) I read the post on the fuel line bracket recall, cxxxp what next!!!!! Dont know if the picture will help, but that is what I have to put up with if I have hydraulic issues.

[Wingding]

Well Thank you !

It's early in the morning !

The *Phillies* did not go quitely into the Good night,

and Im ready to put another 18 hours into this Fine Alpine Coach.

Just want to DRIVE IT!!!

Everyone.... You got to understand.....

There's nothing like driving an ALPINE....

Ah.. NOTHING... and I have driven just about all of them...

Newell's to Alpha's to Foretravel's to everything you can mention.

SO. Just chomping at the bit here and Im so close to "Lift Off" !!!

Good night sleep can do a LOT ... !

Off to the hydraulic's!!!!

[movin-on]

Is your engine running when you deploy the jacks and slides....This gives you full battery voltage to the motor without discharging the batteries......Might help...

[Wingding]

Well there was some progress in the morning shift...

By moving the {Driver side} slides in and out and holding the toggle switch down for a good 30 seconds plus each way, I have gone from 4 minutes to just under a minute for one sweep either out or in... both front and rear !

So that is progress!!!

Now the passenger side.....AH...... Nothing.... It starts to move but just an inch and that is it... It's not binding because with a slight bit of help, it will open or close... so it's not binding.....

It does not seem to be taking in fluid....and will not leak what so ever... no matter how long i hold I hold that toggle switch down...

Ok, a little snack and Im back out there..... Got to RIDE THE ALPINE !

{Any help to crack this mystery ...WELL APPRECIATED !!!

{I'll start that engine and try it , Movin- On}

[RedneckExpress]

Have you rechecked your fluid level in the tank since you ran the driver's side in and out?