Kwikee steps, Series 42, motor/controller replacement

[cwdavis]

Hello All,

The Series 42 Kwikee steps on our 1995 Intrigue, which slide in and out like a set of drawers, stopped working recently and we're having a flaky problem with the repair. I decided to upgrade the motor and controller and ordered the relevant parts from PPL, following their recommendations.

The replacement motor is an AM369506, the controller a Kwikee 1800709 OF, and there is a problem we'd appreciate some help with:

After replacing the motor & controller and with the door closed and the override switch in the off position, I plugged in the 4 pin connector that provides power to the unit. The motor energized and moved slightly into the fully closed position (the steps were not hooked up; I was just monitoring the movement of the arm). When the door was opened the arm moved into the open position, as it is supposed to (as I understand it, with the new controller the steps are supposed to follow the door with the switch in the off position). I then put the switch into the on position, and on closing the door the arm moved into the closed position. Now, however, closing and opening the door failed to operate the motor, regardless of the position of the switch; the arm remained in the fully closed position.

Now, here is the next 'funny part': we left the coach for a while to run a 'domestic' errand, leaving the system as it was with the door closed and the switch in the on position. When we returned after a few hours and opened the door the arm 'magically' moved into the open position, and it then operated as it is supposed to, closing and opening with the door -- but, only with the switch in the off position. In the on position, it remained in the closed position after the door was closed the 1st time.

The next 'funny part' happened this morning, the 2nd day. When I opened the door the 1st time, the arm moved into the open position, and the system then ceased to work, similar to its behavior yesterday. Deactivating the system by unplugging it & plugging it back in does nothing more that de-energize & energize the motor.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

[cwdavis]

Just an update on this thread: installed a new door sensor/switch and everything is working just fine.

But, it's still very confusing. The old door sensor was a normally closed switch. I bought both normally open and a normally closed new ones. The steps worked correctly only with the normally closed switch; with the normally open, they worked backwards. So, it's not clear why the new switch worked, since the old one seemed to be perfectly functional, according to my ohm meter.

But, they're working, everything's cool. Thanks for your input!

[enblethen]

Last sentence of your referenced manual changes operation.
I had to change my step to newer control style and it acted funny until I changed magnetic switch.

[cwdavis]

cwdavis wrote:
No, we still have the NO switch, but do you think that would cause the system to be so flaky? I'd expect it to work consistently backwards ...

Still, it's worth a try -- thanks for the suggestion,

---------------------------
I had a look at the schematic for the new motor/controller installation and it actually specifies a NO switch, which matches the original. This is per a 10/05 Kwikee Manual #842A that came with the kit. Is there reason to doubt it?

Bill

[cwdavis]

No, we still have the NO switch, but do you think that would cause the system to be so flaky? I'd expect it to work consistently backwards ...

Still, it's worth a try -- thanks for the suggestion,

[enblethen]

Did you change the magnetic switch? They changed from normally open to normally closed a while back.