Power Steps - Lippert - Grinding at Retract?

watched your video
That's sounds like a broken gear in the gear box that driving the arm,
Normal operation, When retracting the controller turns off the Motor when the motor current load goes up because the step is retracted and cannot move further,
But the broken gear in the output shaft is not engaging the gear on the motor shaft, , the motor keeps spinning,
The motor gear slapping against the broken teeth of the output gear

Thank you MrWiz... Everything is well lubed, no binding. Motor grinds with at the same spot with no load, with steps disconnected.

It's like it doesn't know it's at the limit and keeps pulling.

I guess yanking the motor and looking for some broken teeth is next.

pconroy328 wrote:
Thank you MrWiz... Everything is well lubed, no binding. Motor grinds with at the same spot with no load, with steps disconnected.

It's like it doesn't know it's at the limit and keeps pulling.

I guess yanking the motor and looking for some broken teeth is next.

Don't bother looking for broken teeth. Even if you have/find them, (for most people) the gears they attach to aren't individually readily available in the aftermarket. Most likely, you'll be needing a motor/gearbox/controller upgrade/update which is readily available. You can buy a new motor, a new gearbox, or, a new controller, or an upgrade kit containing all three. Google is your friend. You'll need the year, the step series, and possibly the chassis which these Kwikee step upgrades will be attached to get the right parts.

Chum lee

I think he means look to verify broken or not,
Motors are available
Gear boxes are available
Replacing old motor with a new replacement version can also mean modifying the wiring, the last motor i replaced did not have the same connections as the one i removed, replacing the controller usually requires replacing the door sensor switch, because the controller circuit has changed to sense a different switch connection,
One is a switch that closes AKA when the magnet is near, one is switch that opens when the magnet is near, I'm not sure which one is the old design and new design,
I think closed when magenta is near AKA normally open switch is the old style, but i can't swear to that,
Anyway the controller is not the OP's problem

The entire situation can be summed up in one word.

LIPPERT!


Good luck.

MrWizard wrote:
I think he means look to verify broken or not,
Motors are available
Gear boxes are available
Replacing old motor with a new replacement version can also mean modifying the wiring, the last motor i replaced did not have the same connections as the one i removed, replacing the controller usually requires replacing the door sensor switch, because the controller circuit has changed to sense a different switch connection,
One is a switch that closes AKA when the magnet is near, one is switch that opens when the magnet is near, I'm not sure which one is the old design and new design,
I think closed when magenta is near AKA normally open switch is the old style, but i can't swear to that,
Anyway the controller is not the OP's problem

Yessir - you are correct. Another person told me the controller uses Current Sensing to determine when the motor has reached it's limit/end stop. So broken or worn teeth might be the issue.

It's a nice day today so I'll ruin it by crawling underneath the beast and yanking stuff off. :)

I noticed that nice long screw you have for the step up/down connector pin,
In the past did the steps get impacted against the curb or some other object ?
When that happens the force is excerted on output gear as it trys to make the motor turn, and the gear teeth get damaged, after that it just a matter of time (use cycles) to when the damaged teeth break,
It has happen to me , it happens to many of us,
From the rock we didn't see or curb that was too high etc

Sorry - got busy. That bent screw was just something I grabbed to do the testing. The steel pin is a bit of work to get in and out, so I just grabbed something long, narrow...

It's made from Chinesium, so that's why it bent.

I crawled under, everything looked fine. No broken teeth. Someone else said the controller uses current sensing to know when to stop the retract. It sure sounds like it's not sensing the current increase.

CWilson wrote:
The entire situation can be summed up in one word.

LIPPERT!


Good luck.

LCI did not own Kwikee in 2008. Doug

https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Kwikee-Electric-Step-Repair-Kit-p/44-8127.htm

For a step 15 years old, I would purchase the upgrade kit, rather than spend money on individual parts. If you drop the motor, you will probably find the large internal gear inside the gear box has a busted tooth. THAT part they do not sell individually. Yes, the motor stops from the rise in amp draw the controller senses when the step stops moving. Doug