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BruceMc's avatar
BruceMc
Explorer III
Jan 06, 2014

Kwikee step logic

Having just purchased a new Kwikee Sires 28 step for our class C, I dug it out of the box and read the directions. Gee, easy! Right.

Wire colors:
Red - power
Green - ground
Brown - to magnetic door switch, then to ground
White - to switch, then to power
Yellow - to ignition

I tied red, green to my battery, positive and negative.
Step opened,

I expected I could touch yellow or (edit) white to power and have it close. Nope.

So... I thought it was broken, out of the box. I then set up all wires with switches to power/ground per the directions.

Here's the setup:

Power - Red
Ground - Green
Brown - switch - ground
Yellow - switch - power
White - switch - power

Here's how it works:
Connect Red to power, Green to ground, with all switches off - Steps Open. (Door open, Ign off, Override off)
Close the door - Brown grounds - steps close.
Open the door - Brown opens - steps open.
Close the door - Brown grounds - steps close.

Flip override switch on - White to power, Step stay closed. (yep, closed)
Open the door - Brown grounds - steps open.
Close the door - Brown opens - step stay open because White is tied to power.
Open/Close door, step stays extended because override is on, White is tied to power.

Door closed - Brown grounded, Override on, White to power, steps extended.
Turn Ign on - Yellow to Power - Steps close.
Turn Ign off - Yellow open, Steps remain closed.
Open door, steps open.
Close door, steps stay open because override is on.

The basic logic - No matter the other switches, anytime the door is opened, the steps open, if not already open.
If the door is closed, steps stay open if override on, if ign turned on, steps close.

Interesting logic, but it all works. I can see how it's supposed to work now...
  • Ok. Suppose you park on an inter island ferry and there is a nice new Corvette real close to your door. Open it and that Corvette paint job is toast. I'd like to be able to absolutely keep those steps from coming out. I think with this thread I'll finally get on the problem and solve it.
  • Great post by BruceMc:

    My dad has the kwickee step on his Minni Winni and was not working. Stayed retracted and not going out when opening the coach door. The coach batteries were fine which are in a compartment right above the step. The problem was the Ford engine battery was failed. (7.5 volts). Replaced battery in the engine compartment and the kwickee step works fine as well as the engine starting again. I did not realize that the step was powered by the engine battery instead of the coach batteries.
  • I cant imagine it working any other way. Why would you open the door and not have the step at your disposal. If the door is open you are either going in or out. If the ignition is on and the door is open the steps should stay extended so you don't fall out the door. Close the door and the steps retract. How often do you drive with the door open?

    I installed my own steps didn't see any problem with the setup.
  • If your steps were changed from the old to the new style and
    the reed switch in the door was not replaced this could be your problem.
    After changing mine I had to replace this switch. It made the park switch
    on the wall work backwards. Get the number off your controller and call kwikee and they can send you the proper reed switch. I don't remember if the new switch is normally open or normally closed. It will make a difference of how you
    steps operate.
    Hope this helps
  • More To See wrote:
    Great post. I think maybe it will help me with a problem given enough time to study your analysis.

    Here's our problem. We had to have new steps installed on the road a couple years ago. Ever since then those new steps come out any time the door is opened. Switch position does not matter.

    Quite often we don't want the steps coming out due to a sidewalk curb being right there to jamb them. So our only solution is to use the driver's door getting in and out.

    Any thoughts?

    If your steps hit anything while extending, they'll just stop the same as they do when fully extended. The rise in current when the motor stalls signals the controller to turn off the motor.
  • That's what I found - if the door is opened, the steps extend.
    A workaround - add another switch to disable the door switch.
  • Great post. I think maybe it will help me with a problem given enough time to study your analysis.

    Here's our problem. We had to have new steps installed on the road a couple years ago. Ever since then those new steps come out any time the door is opened. Switch position does not matter.

    Quite often we don't want the steps coming out due to a sidewalk curb being right there to jamb them. So our only solution is to use the driver's door getting in and out.

    Any thoughts?

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