Power Gear Front leveling jacks don't work

[ZT1950]

I have a 1999 National Tropical 6350. We have trouble with our Front jacks. The rear will work. They stopped working all together. We replaced all the fuses in our Touch pad 500210 (obsolete now). We bought a new solenoid and valve, still does not work.

We changed one rear valve with the front valve along with the wiring and the front jacks will go down and retract using the rear button (still on rear wires) along with the one rear jack. We pushed the front jacks button and the rear that we changed with the front did not work (rear was on the front jack wiring. Checked all fuses and checked again.

We have no way to tell what everything is on our fuse panel (no paper work) There are 3 relays under the main box under the hood, can anyone tell me if they go to our jacks.

Also, anything else you could tell me what to do. We thought running another wire from the touch panel to the solenoid....or replace the touch panel and that would be the last thing I would want to do. Costs a lot of money. We are on disability and can't afford a grave expense right now. Thank you so very much and God Bless

[Old Bounder]

Originally Posted by ZT1950

I have a 1999 National Tropical 6350. We have trouble with our Front jacks. The rear will work. They stopped working all together. We replaced all the fuses in our Touch pad 500210 (obsolete now). We bought a new solenoid and valve, still does not work.

We changed one rear valve with the front valve along with the wiring and the front jacks will go down and retract using the rear button (still on rear wires) along with the one rear jack. We pushed the front jacks button and the rear that we changed with the front did not work (rear was on the front jack wiring. Checked all fuses and checked again.

We have no way to tell what everything is on our fuse panel (no paper work) There are 3 relays under the main box under the hood, can anyone tell me if they go to our jacks.

Also, anything else you could tell me what to do. We thought running another wire from the touch panel to the solenoid....or replace the touch panel and that would be the last thing I would want to do. Costs a lot of money. We are on disability and can't afford a grave expense right now. Thank you so very much and God Bless

There are no relays in the BCC box in the front of your unit that pertain to your jacks. The three large solenoid/relays that you see under the circuit board are for you battery charging and disconnects.

[Old Bounder]

Originally Posted by ZT1950

I have a 1999 National Tropical 6350. We have trouble with our Front jacks. The rear will work. They stopped working all together. We replaced all the fuses in our Touch pad 500210 (obsolete now). We bought a new solenoid and valve, still does not work.

We changed one rear valve with the front valve along with the wiring and the front jacks will go down and retract using the rear button (still on rear wires) along with the one rear jack. We pushed the front jacks button and the rear that we changed with the front did not work (rear was on the front jack wiring. Checked all fuses and checked again.

We have no way to tell what everything is on our fuse panel (no paper work) There are 3 relays under the main box under the hood, can anyone tell me if they go to our jacks.

Also, anything else you could tell me what to do. We thought running another wire from the touch panel to the solenoid....or replace the touch panel and that would be the last thing I would want to do. Costs a lot of money. We are on disability and can't afford a grave expense right now. Thank you so very much and God Bless

The symptoms don't indicate that the problem is anywhere but right there in the area you have been working in, so I wouldn't go looking for any remote fuses to check.
Have you measured to see if the 12V is making good contact with the new solenoid/valve. Can you measure continuity on the wire from the touch pad to the solenoid that doesn't work. Check to make sure that pressing the front jacks button is applying ground to the solenoid wire before discarding it. As you said, those units are very expensive.

Here is a simplified diagram of the wiring.
You may already have this service manual.

[ZT1950]

Originally Posted by ZT1950

I have a 1999 National Tropical 6350. We have trouble with our Front jacks. The rear will work. They stopped working all together. We replaced all the fuses in our Touch pad 500210 (obsolete now). We bought a new solenoid and valve, still does not work.

We changed one rear valve with the front valve along with the wiring and the front jacks will go down and retract using the rear button (still on rear wires) along with the one rear jack. We pushed the front jacks button and the rear that we changed with the front did not work (rear was on the front jack wiring. Checked all fuses and checked again.

We have no way to tell what everything is on our fuse panel (no paper work) There are 3 relays under the main box under the hood, can anyone tell me if they go to our jacks.

Also, anything else you could tell me what to do. We thought running another wire from the touch panel to the solenoid....or replace the touch panel and that would be the last thing I would want to do. Costs a lot of money. We are on disability and can't afford a grave expense right now. Thank you so very much and God Bless

Originally Posted by loulong

The symptoms don't indicate that the problem is anywhere but right there in the area you have been working in, so I wouldn't go looking for any remote fuses to check.
Have you measured to see if the 12V is making good contact with the new solenoid/valve. Can you measure continuity on the wire from the touch pad to the solenoid that doesn't work. Check to make sure that pressing the front jacks button is applying ground to the solenoid wire before discarding it. As you said, those units are very expensive.

Here is a simplified diagram of the wiring.
You may already have this service manual.

Thank you for the info. Boy these jacks are driving us crazy. Slide quit, had it repaired at the cost of 400 dollars , duo therm comfort control quit, Honey took it apart cleaned it with electrical cleaner and blew it out and put it back together and got it fixed, steps quit working, after many hours checking everything, got the door switch and got it fixed, generator quit, a piece of the carb was broke, got a new one, goodness now the front a/c fan quit, got a new hard starter for the fan, didn't work, got a new fan motor kit for it. Have to put it on as of yet. The jacks are the only thing left thank goodness. We try to do things ourselves because things are so costly to repair.

I am sorry, how do you check that on the ground to the front jacks? I forgot to mention that when we press the front we do hear a motor but the jacks don't go anywhere. There is a different sound when we let the rear jacks down. Is the purple wire on the front jack that goes to pin#7 on my touch panel the ground? I hope I don't sound so stupid. Thank you for the reply, from everyone. God Bless

[Cat320]

Send PG an email.

[CLIFFTALL]

Originally Posted by Cat320

Send PG an email.

X2. info@powergearus.com
They respond quickly.

[bobmac]

I had a slide issue where it wouldn't retract. I found they had a tremendous amount of information available in the support section of their web site including step by step troubleshooting info. I was able to track it to a defective controller. You might want to try that if you haven't heard from them. It is great to see a manufacturer that provides these resources.
Bob

[ZT1950]

Originally Posted by Cat320

Send PG an email.

Thanks, I have done that and they have no schematics etc for that. God Bless

[JFNM]

Originally Posted by ZT1950

We bought a new solenoid and valve, still does not work.

I just finished troubleshooting my PowerGear leveling system. My problem turned out to be a faulty connection in the inline fuse holder at the pump where the line branches and runs +12V to each of the solenoid valves. In my case, none of the valves were working - intermittently. Given my little experience, I'd suggest confirming that you have +12V at each valve (with the system turned on). Then wiggle the wires and make sure the power remains.

[Old Bounder]

Originally Posted by ZT1950

I am sorry, how do you check that on the ground to the front jacks? I forgot to mention that when we press the front we do hear a motor but the jacks don't go anywhere. There is a different sound when we let the rear jacks down. Is the purple wire on the front jack that goes to pin#7 on my touch panel the ground? I hope I don't sound so stupid. Thank you for the reply, from everyone. God Bless

Yes the purple wire is the one that applies ground to the front jack solenoid. I think the problem is confined to that wire from the controller to the solenoid. The manual that I linked you to shows the schematic for your jacks in more detail than the colored diagram.

[ga traveler]

I had the same problem with the right rear jack on mine. I decided it was the panel. Called Power Gear and they confirmed my diagnosis. The new board was over six hundred dollars. That is highway robbery. I sat down and worked out the system. I drilled a small hole in the bottom of my dash, just under the panel. I installed a spring loaded single pole single throw mini toggle switch in the hole. I ran the wire to a 12 volt 5 amp fuse. Another wire to the right rear solenoid at the pump. When i need to raise the right rear I push the right rear pad switch and at the same time I push the toggle switch. when it reaches the right height, I release both switches. To let it down, I just activate the toggle switch.

[Old Bounder]

I usually don't like to jury rig repairs, but at the prices they want for new, or used, key pads and controllers, it make a lot of sense. It's very confusing too, because there is nothing exotic about the function or electronics involved.

I designed a controller using switches and diodes, but never had to construct it to test it, because I got lucky and found a chewed up ground wire.