HWH leveling jack won't go up

Bumpyroad wrote:

Keily wrote:
I am having a problem with my HWH jacks as well as my slides. I have a 1999 Winnebago Chieftain, and at times when I set the park brake my indicator lite tells me my brake is not set and thus the jacks will not go down. I try several times putting the brake on and off and it will eventually hit the sweet spot and allow the jacks to go down.

My question is this, does anyone know where I can find the switch or sensor that the HWH system has to see is engaged before it will allow the system to work? I am assuming it is a loose connection somewhere on the brake pedal, sometimes all I have to do is just shake the pedal side to side and it will work, but it never seems to do it when we are in a hurry.

I thank you in advance for your help

on my 99 chieftain, you really had to mash down on the emergency brake to let the jacks operate. my right rear jack was slow coming up, chattered a bit, I put a 2x4 under it to pry it up to get it started. then one day just locked down. had to remove it and get a new cylinder to get it to work.
bumpy

The switch is just a switch. How HARD you push has no bearing on the switch engaging unless the switch is defective. Ford chassis's have this problem. Doug

Keily wrote:
I am having a problem with my HWH jacks as well as my slides. I have a 1999 Winnebago Chieftain, and at times when I set the park brake my indicator lite tells me my brake is not set and thus the jacks will not go down. I try several times putting the brake on and off and it will eventually hit the sweet spot and allow the jacks to go down.

My question is this, does anyone know where I can find the switch or sensor that the HWH system has to see is engaged before it will allow the system to work? I am assuming it is a loose connection somewhere on the brake pedal, sometimes all I have to do is just shake the pedal side to side and it will work, but it never seems to do it when we are in a hurry.

I thank you in advance for your help

IF your DASH park Brake indicator does NOT show the Park Brake is set---Then it is your chassis system at fault. If the chassis Park Brake indicator is not ON, then the HWH system(which uses that switch) will not receive the signal. FORD chassis are notorious for defective park brake switches. Fords are located on the foot pedal bracket.
Doug

Dave Spurgeon wrote:
Thanks for all the feedback. I've actually been operating this system full-time for 8 years, so I know how to operate it. My understanding is that there is only one solenoid for the front two jacks, so if one is releasing properly, the solenoid is working. This isn't a weak spring issue. The right front jack was not releasing. It is most likely bent, from being overextended, in the Florida Keys, under extremely windy conditions. I got it to release by putting a jack stand under the axle on the front left side, distributing the weight more evenly. I was hoping to here a valve was stuck on that side, but I am afraid it is bent. My fault. I'll never over half way again. By the way, the HWH website recommends WD40 to lubricate the shaft. Again, thanks for all the feedback.

You have a solenoid for EACH jack on a HWH system. POWERGEAR uses 1 solenoid for the front jacks on certain Powergear systems. IF the jack retracts a little, then the solenoid system is working to specs. If you have straight HWH jacks, then there are 2 things that will cause a jack to not fully retract. The springs are weak, but if so, you can push the jack up by hand. IF you cannot push by hand, the INNER cylinder seals are bad and sticking. It makes no difference if you think the jack is bent or the inner seals are bad--The jack has to be rebuilt or replaced. HWH jacks are extremely strong and I have never heard of any HWH jack having a problem from raising one side too much. Bent HWH jacks are extremely rare. In 30 years of working on HWH jacks maybe I have seen 2 or 3 bent HWH jacks. Doug

Keily wrote:
I am having a problem with my HWH jacks as well as my slides. I have a 1999 Winnebago Chieftain, and at times when I set the park brake my indicator lite tells me my brake is not set and thus the jacks will not go down. I try several times putting the brake on and off and it will eventually hit the sweet spot and allow the jacks to go down.

My question is this, does anyone know where I can find the switch or sensor that the HWH system has to see is engaged before it will allow the system to work? I am assuming it is a loose connection somewhere on the brake pedal, sometimes all I have to do is just shake the pedal side to side and it will work, but it never seems to do it when we are in a hurry.

I thank you in advance for your help

on my 99 chieftain, you really had to mash down on the emergency brake to let the jacks operate. my right rear jack was slow coming up, chattered a bit, I put a 2x4 under it to pry it up to get it started. then one day just locked down. had to remove it and get a new cylinder to get it to work.
bumpy

I am having a problem with my HWH jacks as well as my slides. I have a 1999 Winnebago Chieftain, and at times when I set the park brake my indicator lite tells me my brake is not set and thus the jacks will not go down. I try several times putting the brake on and off and it will eventually hit the sweet spot and allow the jacks to go down.

My question is this, does anyone know where I can find the switch or sensor that the HWH system has to see is engaged before it will allow the system to work? I am assuming it is a loose connection somewhere on the brake pedal, sometimes all I have to do is just shake the pedal side to side and it will work, but it never seems to do it when we are in a hurry.

I thank you in advance for your help

Thanks for all the feedback. I've actually been operating this system full-time for 8 years, so I know how to operate it. My understanding is that there is only one solenoid for the front two jacks, so if one is releasing properly, the solenoid is working. This isn't a weak spring issue. The right front jack was not releasing. It is most likely bent, from being overextended, in the Florida Keys, under extremely windy conditions. I got it to release by putting a jack stand under the axle on the front left side, distributing the weight more evenly. I was hoping to here a valve was stuck on that side, but I am afraid it is bent. My fault. I'll never over half way again. By the way, the HWH website recommends WD40 to lubricate the shaft. Again, thanks for all the feedback.

dougrainer wrote:

Fishinghat wrote:
When problems occur with the HWH system and it has to do with the right front jack, it isn't the jack itself. For some reason, that's the jack that is the last to get fluid or have the air bled off.

I'd check the solenoid like Brett suggested. He knows this stuff frontwards and backwards. Check to see if the handle is partially turned in. It has to be all the way out.

Due to the age of your coach, I'd change the fluid. It uses MD3, or the old style GM transmission fluid. It takes about a gallon. Syphon out the old fluid, pour the new stuff in and recycle the jacks several times.

Finally, lubricate the shinny part of the jack with the same MD3, using a rag or paper towel. I spray my jacks with silicone spray and have been doing that for over 10 years. They retract and store in about 5 seconds, and work great. I understand you should not use WD40 for some reason.

My springs are all still original and the jacks are all still original. I haven't replaced anything except the fluid. The coach is 20 years old.

When I had a problem with my right front jack, HWH said to send it to them for rebuilding. I didn't. They didn't have any other suggestions. Others on this forum suggested lubricating the jack and that's what I did. I changed fluid as a preventive measure and since it so easy and cheap.

Do you have kick down jacks? The reason I ask is simple. There is NO WAY 4 jacks can retract in 5 seconds. There is NO way 1 jack can retract in 5 seconds. But, if you have kick down jacks, yes the jack can kick up in 5 seconds but then it still has to fully retract the cylinder. Changing fluid will not change any aspect of the jacks. Doug

Yes, I have kick down jacks. And, yes, they store in something like 5 seconds. I can hear them when they "park" up after retracting and my lights go out. I confirm they are up by physically checking. I don't know why my jacks should be so much faster than other owner's jacks, but I can only assume it has to do with the amount (quite a bit) of silicone spray I've used over the years. I don't think the return lines are larger or the springs are stronger. I don't have any other logical explanation.

Dave,

Please confirm that you are using the correct (by the book) method for stowing the jacks.

On our Foretravel with HWH kickdown jacks, the correct procedure was to start the engine. Turn on jacks and hit stow. DO NOTHING ELSE-- let it turn itself off-- takes several minutes during which fluid continues to bleed back to the reservoir.

If, for example, you turned off the jacks after the buzzer quit, you would still have quite a lot of fluid in the jacks and lines.

If you're going to change the fluid, make sure the jacks are UP and the slides are IN before you do. That'll get as much of the fluid into the reservoir as possible.

Plus, it's not a good idea to open the hydraulics up while the system is under pressure.

Learned all of this the hard way. Had to buy a LOT of kitty litter. :)

al

Fishinghat wrote:
When problems occur with the HWH system and it has to do with the right front jack, it isn't the jack itself. For some reason, that's the jack that is the last to get fluid or have the air bled off.

I'd check the solenoid like Brett suggested. He knows this stuff frontwards and backwards. Check to see if the handle is partially turned in. It has to be all the way out.

Due to the age of your coach, I'd change the fluid. It uses MD3, or the old style GM transmission fluid. It takes about a gallon. Syphon out the old fluid, pour the new stuff in and recycle the jacks several times.

Finally, lubricate the shinny part of the jack with the same MD3, using a rag or paper towel. I spray my jacks with silicone spray and have been doing that for over 10 years. They retract and store in about 5 seconds, and work great. I understand you should not use WD40 for some reason.

My springs are all still original and the jacks are all still original. I haven't replaced anything except the fluid. The coach is 20 years old.

When I had a problem with my right front jack, HWH said to send it to them for rebuilding. I didn't. They didn't have any other suggestions. Others on this forum suggested lubricating the jack and that's what I did. I changed fluid as a preventive measure and since it so easy and cheap.

Do you have kick down jacks? The reason I ask is simple. There is NO WAY 4 jacks can retract in 5 seconds. There is NO way 1 jack can retract in 5 seconds. But, if you have kick down jacks, yes the jack can kick up in 5 seconds but then it still has to fully retract the cylinder. Changing fluid will not change any aspect of the jacks. Doug