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Jim's avatar
Jim
Explorer
Jan 09, 2018

HWH Leveling system problem...

Working on a '04 Winnebago Journey with the HWH leveling system. This hydraulic Jack and Room Slide system is mounted under the stair well and most of the equipment is accessed there. The main control box faces forward and has a clear plastic cover that you use to observe numerous LEDs that light up during various conditions and operations.

Lately the system has decided to behave badly. First it started to take repeated Off/On cycles to get it to recognize that the brake was set, and then eventually, the symptom became that the 'Not in Park/Brake' light will not go out. Called HWH service help and also checked the tech guide for that symptom and both sources had me remove a connector on the rear of the box, short a certain pin directly to ground.

That test did not help. According to the tech, and the book, that means the control circuit board is bad. There is no other help offered after that, like a certain relay is bad, or there are cold solder joints. When I removed that box and inspected the circuitry, everything looked good (though I didn't remover the PCB to inspect the reverse).

Any tech's here that might have an idea of what could be wrong with the PCB that I might check before sending it in for repair? Reason is that the RV is down here in Mexico and shipping stuff to/from here can be dicey. And I like to fix things, just helps to have a clue about this issue.

Here's what the box looks like:



And the control:



Thanks for any ideas...
Class A
  • Jim's avatar
    Jim
    Explorer
    Jan 10, 2018
    To the other posters with suggestions about broken traces or bad relays, I appreciate the advice, but the board looks good. Nothing I can see that would indicate a component failed, or anything overheated which might lead to a ruined relay or burnt open trace. And it's all put together well. Plus they used conformal coating on the board which is not fun to test around or remove.

    It's not my system but a friends and there's a time issue...so I haven't tried to pull the board out of the case to examine the backside.

    But if AZPete has any definitive advice about a certain component or a bad trace I'll certainly attempt a repair here in Mexico rather than letting it be shipped back and forth.
  • Jim's avatar
    Jim
    Explorer
    Jan 09, 2018
    Yeah, Doug, I did all that testing. And verified I had a good ground to use during the testing.

    First I cut the wire, stripped both ends, added a 16ga 3rd wire, wire nutted them all together, than shorted the 3rd wire to a known good ground. No change in operation, LED 35 did not come on.

    Than removed the connector from the control box, and shorted pin 7 to ground on the back of the control box directly using that 16 ga wire again. And LED 35 did not come. So when grounding via wire 9000 or directly to pin 7, no light. And I'm sure I know which LED was suppose to be coming on. Also those other LEDs are on.

    I will check with iRV2's AZPete too to see if he might have any other ideas.

    Thanks for the suggestions so far...
  • dougrainer's avatar
    dougrainer
    Nomad
    Jan 09, 2018
    1. I have NEVER had the control board be the cause of NO park error light. It has always been the chassis Park switch system.(not an HWH part)
    2. So, if you are positive that you did GROUND that pin at the box, and both the HWH tech and the manual states that means the PC board is bad. I usually GROUND that wire at the rear harness connector. I do NOT remove the quick connect pin harness for that wire. Did you do the below procedure especially the LED lights? AND the 9000 wire test. Doug

    If LED 35 is on, that indicates there is a signal from the park brake switch.
    b. If LED 35 is off, check for a ground on the 9000 wire on pin 7 of the 12 pin black
    connector on the back of the control box. If there is a ground on wire 9000, unplug

    LIGHT IS NOT COMING ON WHEN THE LEVEL (I or HYD) BUTTON IS PUSHED.
    THE PANEL WILL NOT TURN ON. THE IGNITION IS ON. THE "NOT IN PARK/BRAKE"
    Check LEDs 36, 37 and 39. They Should be on if the ignition is on. LED 39 will pulsate
    dimly. SEE: MP85.185J
    the 12 pin black conector and ground pin 7 in the box recepticle. If LED 35 does not
    come on, replace the control box. If LED 35 does come on the problem is wire 9000
    or the 12 pin black connection. If there is no ground on wire 9000, the problem is
    wire 9000 or the park brake switch.
  • FIRE_UP's avatar
    FIRE_UP
    Explorer
    Jan 09, 2018
    Jim@HiTek wrote:
    Working on a '04 Winnebago Journey with the HWH leveling system. This hydraulic Jack and Room Slide system is mounted under the stair well and most of the equipment is accessed there. The main control box faces forward and has a clear plastic cover that you use to observe numerous LEDs that light up during various conditions and operations.

    Lately the system has decided to behave badly. First it started to take repeated Off/On cycles to get it to recognize that the brake was set, and then eventually, the symptom became that the 'Not in Park/Brake' light will not go out. Called HWH service help and also checked the tech guide for that symptom and both sources had me remove a connector on the rear of the box, short a certain pin directly to ground.

    That test did not help. According to the tech, and the book, that means the control circuit board is bad. There is no other help offered after that, like a certain relay is bad, or there are cold solder joints. When I removed that box and inspected the circuitry, everything looked good (though I didn't remover the PCB to inspect the reverse).

    Any tech's here that might have an idea of what could be wrong with the PCB that I might check before sending it in for repair? Reason is that the RV is down here in Mexico and shipping stuff to/from here can be dicey. And I like to fix things, just helps to have a clue about this issue.

    Here's what the box looks like:



    And the control:



    Thanks for any ideas...


    Jim,
    I don't think I've ever seen him on here but, over in IRV2, there's a gent known by the user name of "AZ PETE". His name is Paul. He's a tech for HWH and knows every inch of every HWH system. He's not a salesperson. He's just done tons of work for them and he's about as nice a fellow and has helpful as they come. He'll get you on the right track.

    The HWH system, as you know, utilizes a ground provided by the parking brake switch. If that switch and that part of the system does not provide a good ground, you're in for a search as to what's wrong, kind-a like what you're experiencing. Good luck.
    Scott

    P.S. Oh, by the way, be careful with that control box in the picture. ON the right side of the picture of that box, is the "auto level" adjustment. It's a double axis movable component. It's what's used to adjust your automatic leveling sensor. I know you're not "bouncing" around that box but, just be careful.
    Scott
  • siggyd777's avatar
    siggyd777
    Explorer
    Jan 09, 2018
    That "certain pin" you connected to Ground, does that pin trace go to a relay ?
    That relay may be bad ? just a thought , may be worth checking.
    Are you sure the parking brake ON signal is a Ground, check that out!
    Siggy
  • 1995brave's avatar
    1995brave
    Nomad
    Jan 09, 2018
    Jim I have worked electronics for over 50 years and what I have found is that cold or cracked solder joints show up everywhere. If it was me, I would pull the boards and check and re-solder all the switch and connectors(first to crack and break) and try it again. If that doesn't work you may have to re-solder all the connections on the boards.

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