Community Forums

jdowdle · 12-27-2021, 04:51 PM

Hi,
We replaced the motor on the step. We were told door sensors were showing to be good.

We have to use auxiliary battery to extend the steps. Any suggestions?
Would it be the fuse or relay panel for the steps?

Thank You

RVThere · 12-27-2021, 06:56 PM

If you crawl under there, you will see at least two ground wires that are very important to its proper operation.

Clean those grounds before throwing any more money at it. The next item to replace is the control board.

Here's a FB post of my recent repair:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/5213...76444069215159

ChrisDParise · 12-27-2021, 07:49 PM

New control boards are water resistant sealed and should last a long time.

If yours are the original or just old it's probably shot, but I would check the connections as noted in the post above.

Motors on these steps don't seem to last longer than 5 or 6 years for me.

HarryStone · 12-27-2021, 10:37 PM

What do you mean you have to use aux battery to run the step? Normally, the step is run off the chassis battery. There is only 1 power wire for the step, for it to operate normally, and depending on your rig, could come off the BCC, from a 15 amp fuse. If it works by combining the batteries together, it indicates a faulty power source, not a bad fuse or ground.

jdowdle · 12-29-2021, 10:26 AM

Step worked fine, quit without warning. We bought and installed a new motor and control unit. The step does not work off unit but when he follows the trouble shoot suggestion to extend with aux battery, it extends. He uses the the aux battery to extend step. Unit will retract step, like it is suppose too. We are not combining batteries, he's using the pigtail as it states in the trouble shoot.

Unhooking and using pigtail direct to step, when he plugs back into unit it retracts on its on. But when opening and shutting door it doesn't retract or extend. Which is the original problem before switching out motor. The only thing we haven't changed is the door sensors, those were tested and shows they were good. the ignition override is not working either.

RKins · 12-29-2021, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdowdle

Step worked fine, quit without warning. We bought and installed a new motor and control unit. The step does not work off unit but when he follows the trouble shoot suggestion to extend with aux battery, it extends. He uses the the aux battery to extend step. Unit will retract step, like it is suppose too. We are not combining batteries, he's using the pigtail as it states in the trouble shoot.

Unhooking and using pigtail direct to step, when he plugs back into unit it retracts on its on. But when opening and shutting door it doesn't retract or extend. Which is the original problem before switching out motor. The only thing we haven't changed is the door sensors, those were tested and shows they were good. the ignition override is not working either.

I think a mistake was made when changing the control unit. You "had" an old unit that looked for a normally-open door magnetic switch. This switch is used to tell the controller where the door is (open or closed). The newer control unit looks for the opposite type of door switch (Normally Closed).
I agree that your original problem is a ground. Find it and grind/buff it clean, reattach and then cover it with di-electric grease. Re-install the old control unit too.

HarryStone · 12-29-2021, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdowdle

Step worked fine, quit without warning. We bought and installed a new motor and control unit. Kwikee provides excellent troubleshooting procedures for their steps, I suggest you start there next time. The step does not work off unit but when he follows the trouble shoot suggestion to extend with aux battery, it extends. So, when you say "Aux battery", you actually mean a separate battery from the coach. He uses the the aux battery to extend step. Unit will retract step, like it is suppose too. We are not combining batteries, he's using the pigtail as it states in the trouble shoot.

Unhooking and using pigtail direct to step, when he plugs back into unit it retracts on its on. But when opening and shutting door it doesn't retract or extend. So, when you are done troubleshooting, and everything works, you plug the step connector back into the wiring from the coach, and the step retracts. And then doesn't move again. Which is the original problem before switching out motor. The only thing we haven't changed is the door sensors, those were tested and shows they were good. the ignition override is not working either. The ignition override is 12 VDC from the ignition switch, when it is on, but if the step is permanently retracted, the ign override won't do anything anyway.

That tells me you have 12 VDC on the red power wire to the step, and the grounds are good enough to retract the step, and test the step. You could have one of two things going on. You could have a bad step switch, the one that allows you to turn off the step, and that could allow the step to retract, but not move again. Or, you have a defective door switch. Do you have a multimeter? Check for 12 VDC at the white wire on the chassis side of the step. You can disconnect the step connector for these tests. If you don't see 12 VDC, then switch the switch to the opposite position. In one of the positions, it will have voltage. If no voltage, then you have a blown fuse or a bad wire. If that's ok, then test the brown wire to ground on ohm setting with the door open, also on the chassis side of the connector. Then close the door and see if the ohm reading changes. It should go from open to ground, or from ground to open. With the door open, that is the normal position of the magnetic switch, and the switch will either be open or closed.