There has been so much written about inoperative Kwikee steps that it would take days to find it all and probably months to read it all. The odds are the problem is either poor maintenance and lubrication of the steps or the motor is bad. If it is not either one of those two things then try the simple and easily performed trouble shooting procedure in the manual. Which manual? What year are your steps and which series do you have? Basically they are the same if they are after the switch over from the Delco motor to the window step motor.
So for us to really help, we need to know what year your rig is, what series steps you have and do you have one of the color coded controllers or one of the black controllers.
Do not pay any attention to any post regarding a replacement motor that does not give you the date of purchase, store where purchased, manufacturer, and part number.
There are two basic motors, those with cast aluminum gear housings and those with phenolic gear housings. The aluminum ones are most likely for a FoMoCo product. One of the posts in this thread lists several, I think some of those are out of date. The phenolic(plastic) motors are from the shop in Oregon and are generaly cheaper than the metal Ford type but I would love to know where you can buy a new or rebuilt lift motor for $26.00.
There used to be a rebuild kit for the Ford type and you may find the kit listed in some old catalogs or on line but don't count on them being in stock or carried by anyone. Replacing the little plastic bumpers may help, but don't count on the motor lasting very long after replacement.
There is a wiring diagram for your steps, download it from Powergear if you don't have the original. Make sure you get the one for your steps. There is a schematic as well as a troubleshooting diagram. The schematic shows the proper way to wire the steps. There is only one power source in my opinion. Some say the steps should be wired to the chassis battery some say the house battery. If you have the black controller and a magnetic door switch, then you have to hook up power to the ignition. This may be what some are calling a second power source but it does not power the motor it signals the controller to provide power to the motor.
Some steps have been wired to chassis battery and ignition some use the house battery and the chassis ignition.
If you have to replace the motor, I think you will find it is easier to remone the entire extend/retract mechinism than to just remove the motor. There are just four 7/16" nuts holding the step gearcase and motor assembly to the steps to remove and the clevis pin to remove. If the steps are retracted, this method is usually easier than just removing the lift motor. It is also easier to disassemble the step gear case on the bench than laying on your back under your rig and there are not any little parts to put up into the assembly.
When my steps died way back in 1999, I was a little afraid to fix them myself and I hadn't joined this Forum yet. I took it to a service center who put the clevis pin in from the wrong side and when I tried to remove the pin it was a pain. The cotter key was also a pain and I replaced the pin with a 'Hitch Pin Clip' or as they are commonly called, a 'Hairpin Clip'. Much easier to install and remove.
This has been very long and I hope it has been helpful. If the steps are properly cleaned and lubricated once or twice a year most failures will be prevented. The lift motor will fail eventually and finding the correct replacement will be the hardest problem. Putting your rig on ramps, removing and replacing the lift motor should only take about 30 minutes. It is a very simple project, cleaning and lubing will take longer. Well thats it for now, I think in the future I'll just link this thread to the next post on repairing Kwikee steps.
"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to go". R. L. Stevenson
David Bishop
2002 Winnebago Adventurer 32V
2009 GMC Canyon
Roadmaster 5000
BrakeBuddy Classic II
