I'm going to share with fellow iRV2 members how I replaced the motor in my Automotion electric sunvisor shade.
If your Automotion sunvisor shade has stoped working, Google (Auto Motion Windshield Shade Motor Replacement) select the PDF authored by Alan Hepburn on how he replaced the motor on his Automotion visor. He also gives detailed instruction on removing the visor and tearing it apart, which I'm not going to repeat. The only thing I wish to add is: before I was able to pull my motor out of the roller tub, I had to remove a small flathead, square notch screw the held the motor in place. I did not have the proper tool, so I used a small flathead jewelry type screw driver.
According to Alan's PDF, Automotion does not sell replacement motors. But Alan located an online vendor who sells a simular motor, but will require some modification to work.
RollerTrol.com sell two motors that will work. Part # TMDC-12-25-07-34-NR is capable of lifting 6lb, and sells for just under $100 after shipping is included. (this is the one I used) They also sell Part # TMDC-12-12-15-28-NR that has a 12lb lift capability that sell for $10 more. The choice is yours.
Once you have the visor removed from the MH, and the roller from the outer casing and the motor removed for the roller tube, your ready to start installing the new motor.
First, remove the small "c" clip from the end of the drive shaft. (save the clip) Remove the black rubber wheel and slide off the black rubber sleeve from the motor. This rubber sleeve can be discarded, it's not used.
In this picture you can see both the small rubber wheel and the larger rubber sleeve to discard.
Using a sharp razor blade, cut out the steel washer from within the rubber wheel. Discard the rubber piece.
This steel washer, which I'll refere to as the sprocket, does not fit within the roller tube.
It will need to be grinded down on the outer edge to fit within the roller tube. I used a mounted grinding wheel. (In hind sight, I whish I had grinded a little less, for a tighter fit, so take off just what is necessary)
It almost appears as though this sprocket was made for the roller tube.
Replace the sprocket onto the dirve shaft, using some small metal washers to fill in the gap on the drive shaft between the motor housing and the sprocket, and secure it with the "c" clip.
Now you can slide the motor into the roller tube, but you'll notice that the oposite end from the sprocket is too large to fit inside the roller tube.
I took a curved file, and slightly filed the outer, inside ridges of the roller tube. Take it slow, as these's ridges are aluminum, and file down very easly. You want the motor to fit snugwithin the roller tube.
At this point, I reinstall the flat washer that had a protruding knub on each side, that was originally held onto the motor with two screws. I did not replace the screws on the new motor.
Now your ready to reinstall the roller back into the outer casing. Take notice that on the portion of the new motor that sticks outside of the roller tub, there is a little hole on the side. Inside this hole, is a switch that will need to face towards the front, away from the windshield. A hole will have to be drilled in the outer casing, inorder to access the switch a little later in the process. For now, install the roller tube, with the shade 1/2 way unrolled, switch facing away from the windshield, and attach the side plate.
You'll need to drill a hole across from that switch in the outer housing. This switch is use to set the upper/lower limits of the shade.
You only need to drill one hole, if you get it right the first time.
The only thing left is, reconnect the eletrical wires. Should you connect them in reverse order, the motor will run the oppisite direction, so no big deal, just reverse the connection. I set my upper/lower limits prior to install the visor by hanging the visor from the cabinets with bailing wire.
There's detailed instruction on setting the upper/lower limits on Roller Trol's web site.
But basically what you do is, with the roller 1/2 unrolled:
1. Using a stiff piece of wire, push the dash switch in the up direction, as it rolls up, using a piece a stiff wire, push the limit switch in for a few seconds, untill you hear a few beebs.
2. Let go of everything, now run the shade up close to where you want it to stop. After this, each time you push on the dash switch, the visor will bumb up just a tad, utill its right where you want it to stop.
3. Run the switch down and should hear more beebs.
4. Repeat the process for going down, and there set.
Remount the visor, and hopfully everything works out fine.
Between Alans PDF and how I did this project, hope this will help and save you from spending $800 on a new Automotion visor.
Best of Luck!
Linear Mode
