Community Forums

jadtif · 10-05-2010, 10:24 AM

My electric steps stopped working today. They were working when we drove out this morning but when we arrived at out destination they would not extend. I checked and I have power to the motor. It felt like the motor was warm. Not sure what my problem is at this point. Any suggestions as what to look for? The MH only has 8k on it. Is it possible that the motor has burn out already? Thanks, John

Spikester · 10-05-2010, 11:13 AM

What type of steps do you have. For SCS and Kwikee power to the motor is suspect. Control board turns the power on and off, reverses the power for in out, to the motor. If motor is powered and steps aren't moving, trying tapping the step/linkage with a hammer, maybe they are jammed. If not motor could be burned out.
If you have your step operators manual it should have some basic troubleshooting steps to help you figure out what the problem is.

Spike

wa8yxm · 10-05-2010, 02:07 PM

Take a hammer.. With the door closed crawl under the rig and TUNK the motor with the HANDLE of the hammer.. NOT THE HEAD.. You do not want to break it.

Keep well clear of where the steps go when they move and tunk the motor 4 or 5 times firmly BUT NOT SO HARD YOU BREAK IT.

now either crawl out and open the door or have your significant other do it for you.

Notice fi the light comes on (I suspect it will)

You may have to do this a few times.

IF that works.. Get back with me and I will explain

jadtif · 10-05-2010, 02:39 PM

Thanks for the good info. I tried tapping it with a hammer but no luck. I will give it a try again tomorrow because it's rain hard out there right now. Luckily they failed in the closed position. John

wa8yxm · 10-05-2010, 07:55 PM

That is the problem with the hammer cure.. IT does not always work.

But considering the cost.. It's the first thing to try.

By the way the motor should not be warm if it's a Kwikee as they sense excess motor current (if that is they are working properly) and shut down.

OF course if they are not working properly they can burn out the motor.

cdolan · 10-12-2010, 04:53 PM

my motor burnt out in the out position after a year and half and i graze a pole on the way ou tof a campground heading fro the highway thank god! so i disconected the linkage and tied it up and was able to just replace the motor

DevonJH · 02-17-2011, 11:44 PM

Its been a few months so hopefully you've found the issue already. What I found to be the problem with mine (after unwiring a bunch of stuff people added) was that the ground wire on the door switch had come loose.. reconnected it to a good ground and boom. worked again.

dill · 02-27-2011, 06:24 PM

Our Allegro Bay steps froze in the extended position, and Good Sam service guys took off the motor so we could strap the steps up and move. HOWEVER, when we got home and took the rig in for repair, we found out there's a fuse in the area where the inverter is located (on ours, it's in the bin by the right front wheel.) $100 labor.... 45 cents for fuse...lesson learned. The print info for the steps didn't mention the fuse.

dulobast25 · 04-12-2011, 08:40 PM

When I close the door, the step tire to retract, but quites. On top of thant one side pull in a little faster or at a different rate that the other. I was thinking about buyeing a new frame and transferring the motor but the motor is the cuplrit. Anyone out there have actual kwikee step schematics for the motor insides (not the crap that is on the site now). We had an 84 rockwood growing up and I remember looking at the motor schematic to trouble shoot the faulty control box.

Anyone here with tips for ht the problem or have the schematics?

paz · 04-13-2011, 06:21 AM

One side trying to pull in faster than the other would seem to be an indication that something is binding, either on the steps or in the gearbox.

Kwikee uses a motor from a power window for its steps, If you need a new motor, or if the internal gears are stripped, take the motor to an auto parts store and see if they can match it up with a new one. They also sell replacement gear kits for the power window motors.