Slide Only moving 1" at a press

[volvik]

I've been going over the countless threads on slide issues all morning but I thought in the event someone has an 'ah haaa!' moment and knows the answer right now.

Just started the '07 Southwind 32V for the first time since November. I was in the process of checking all the systems and have discovered this slide issue.

MH level, bedroom slide functions fine. When I try to extend the front dinette slide I can faintly hear that suction noise like the slide is trying to move. It actually does start to go but only about .5 to 1" each time I press the switch. I did it about 3 times so it now sits about 1-2" out. When I try to retract it nothing happens.

The slide won't move out any further.

UPDATE:

Each time I press the switch I do hear a click noise and have traced that noise to the actual power gear electric slide motor underneath the slide. I can hear and feel a click on the end of the motor with every press of the slide switch.

I've pulled the 'waterproof' connector apart and the terminals look fine. The rubber boot is secure and still has the plastic zip tie around it.




Any thoughts? Power is obviously there....

Thanks in advance...Ron

[Mike and Cha]

On mine there are power controllers(don't know what they are officially called). After a 1000 mile trip mine started doing the same thing. I got the slide in after several start/stops and took it in for service. All it was, was the power controller had vibrated a little and needed to be adjusted, it took all of 5 minutes. Both of mine are in a outside storage compartment next to each other. It is a really easy adjustment with a small screwdriver. In the event one has burned out, the mechanic showed me how to just switch the wires from the bedroom controller to the main slide in an emergency, they both work the same and are the same size controller. So if you can find where they are at you can try a slight adjustment first and then go from there.

[wa8yxm]

First,,,OPEN A WINDOW..(You mentioned a suction noise)

Power gear uses a current sensor...IF the motor overloads,,Due to obstruction,,,,Lack of proper lubrication/rust/debris in gear track,,,,OR LOW BATTERIES

It shuts off.

[volvik]

Thanks...still playing with it.

1. The door is open when I'm trying stuff so a vacuum isn't a problem.

2. My Jack,slide stuff and battery control box etc is in the front passenger side compartment. I've swapped the two relays for the bedroom and drivers side without any effect.

3. There are also two other identical terminal points (for that lack of a better description). About 6 wires go into each one with an older style cylindrical glass fuse on the side covered with a clear plastic hood. I swapped those two fuses over also with no effect.

4. The slide controller comment is interesting so now I just have to find out where that is and what to do with it..hahaha.

Oh....and I crawled underneath, unplugged the power to the power gear motor and put a meter on the wires. When my wife hit the switch I recorded a value of about 13.94 volts....BUT.....it had a negative value, as if I had the positive and negative probes on the opposite wires.

Keep the suggestions coming....

[Mizzly]

1- There could be limit (stop) switch problems.
2- there might be control switch problems.

I would take a 12 volt batt. and some jumper wires direct to the motor. If it works while hot wired you probably have main switch problems. If it still doesn't work I would suspect some limit switch problems.
I find it perplexing that it won't go back in after going out 1"" or 2.
Good luck.

[GaryKD]

Mizzly has posted an excellent diagnostic step. Putting a battery directly on the slide motor is what I do to get fellow coach owners on the road if they can not retract a slide.

Warning: All slide stops are not working when you do this. The slide will operate until you remove the battery leads. Be very careful.

[volvik]

That's a great idea to further isolate the location of the problem.....however,

after thinking more and more, in particular the fact that it manage to budge 3 times albeit just a .5" I wondered if it just wasn't getting enough juice. I had just de-winterized it a few days ago and even though it had been plugged in and the battery meter in the coach said the chassis and coach batteries were fine I still had some reservations.

Now the smaller bedroom slide opened fine but then the dinette/couch slide is much bigger and had storage bins coming out as well.

So I started the generator as well as having the engine running....no change. I then plugged into shore power and low and behold it started to move.

It ended up going all the way out.

So it appears that all the components in the side out chain work however I still have to figure out why it wouldn't go out with the engine running. Just stiff from being stored for 4 months with the slide in? Damp climate with some swelling?

[koda59]

Some rvs slides will not go out if the engine is running. Since you just DE winterized, it just might be that your batteries are low. Will they extend if you have the generator running.

[Mike and Cha]

My slides will not go out with the engine running as a safety feature. When I put the slides in/out I am either on the generator power or plugged into the shore power of the CG. It sounds like maybe you battery was just a little weak for the big slide. Glad you got it worked out.

[wa8yxm]

Originally Posted by Mizzly

1- There could be limit (stop) switch problems.
2- there might be control switch problems.

I do agree with control switch issues as possible

There are no limit/stop switches,,Do not exist and thus can not be the problem.

Re: Negative voltage on motor leads...100% normal, The leads will have voltage applied one way for EXTEND and the reverse for RETRACT.

[nmmarkb]

On our '03 32v Southwind, the dinette/living room slide was very finicky about how much weight could be in the outside compartments and inside, under the dinette. Acted just like you explained. Had a service person out first time it did it on the road in Colorado Springs. He had us take every thing out of the compartments and spray lube on all the slide gears, worked fine. He told us that there is circuitry that checks for overload (amps) and if it try's to draw too much current, it shuts down the circuit. He said he could replace the motor and relays or i could continue to keep very little weight in the slide to finish out our trip. We went with the minimal weight and lube for another 4 years before trading it.

[volvik]

Ok so this morning I went out and tried it and no go, very disappointing after getting it to work yesterday.

Back to the drawing board....


1. Checked the fluid level in the coach batteries and it was fine.

2. Did a load test on the coach batteries and they're fine (18 months old)

3. Connected a 12v battery directly to the slide motor and it extended and retracted just fine.

....okay, so the rocker switch inside the coach works fine, the bedroom slide works fine, the dinette slide motor works fine. I swapped the relays with no change.

Pulled the connectors off the 6 wire terminal board for both the bedroom and dinette slide and swapped them. The slide worked....

Put the connectors back onto their respective terminals after spraying contact cleaner on both male and female terminals. Slide continues to work as it should.

Hrmmmm....

There is also one of the cylinder glass fuses on each of the slide controllers but instead of glass the middle area appears to white on the bedroom slide and greyish on the dinette slide.

As a safeguard, I will replace both of those fuses as well 'As soon as I can see what Amperage they are'!

I understand that a questionable fuse there or even one of those six wires could cause intermittent grief.

I'll continue to check the slide operation tomorrow before and after changing the fuses.....once I found out the correct amperage.



Thanks for the continued input.....also, the storage bins in that slide do not have much weight in them at the moment.

[wa8yxm]

As I said when voltage goes down, Current goes up

And the "Limit Switch" which does not exist on Power Gear (And Accu-Slide I might add, And Kwikee steps) is replaced by a current sensor that,when the current goes up,,Thinks the limit has been reached.


I do not know what other companies have that feature.

[volvik]

So looking back at your earlier post, you think it might be the control switch? Where might that be?

I can only see the rocker switch for in/out inside the coach, then the slide relays, then the slide controllers (six wires and a fuse) and then off to the motor.



Thanks again...