Electric steps help?

[ChrisSupple]

Link to Pics
I have a 2011 Newmar Bay Star Class A coach with Ford V-10. I’m having issues with my Lippert electric steps. I have talked to Lippert tech support so many times & after each call, I feel like I was talking to the McDonald’s drive thru dude! Here’s my issue: I have tested the 4-pin coach harness & RED is 12V+, Brown grounds with door position, Yellow has 12V+ when IGN is on, & White is 12V+ when step switch is ON. I have replaced my motor controller, LCI-164889, 3 times in the past year, & step motor, LCI-163669, twice. My steps still don’t work properly. I just noticed when I turn the step switch ON, I’m getting a clicking noise from my engine compartment. I’m positive that the clicking noise is coming from the Battery Disconnect Relay. My coach has 2 x 12V house batteries & 1 x 12V chassis battery. I have chased the wiring to the steps harness & I believe that the harness RED wire gets 12V from the hot side of this relay. Why would this relay be making a clicking sound every 5 seconds when the steps switch is in the ON position, & why aren’t my steps working? I have HOT wired the new step motor in both polarities, & it works! My chassis battery is brand new & my house batteries are 3yrs old. I’m working on it while plugged into 30A service. Here are a few pics. Anyone have a solution? I’m trying to figure out how to add a few pics to this post.

Mod Edit: Changed pic link to URL link directed at pics.

[ChrisSupple]

After hours of online research & speaking with Intellitec’s tech support, I determined that the “Chassis Battery Disconnect Relay # 01-00055-000” was not working properly! I ordered a new one from Amazon. I disconnected my 30A shore power for a few days & gently slammed the engine compartment hood.

3 days later, I received the new relay. I didn’t have time to remove & replace it, but I needed to move my coach. After I moved it, I plugged it in to shore power. Then I turned the fridge on & the heat pump to auto on 78 degrees. The next day, I went inside to pull the engine compartment release & noticed the dash radio clock was on. So, I decided to try the ignition switch. Surprise me, the darn thing started up without the boost button. I tried it several times, with shore power unplugged, generator running & not running, everything 12V turned on, etc. The engine started every single time!

I’m hoping that when I slammed the engine compartment hood, it rattled a loose connection, fuse, or released the relay! I have spent hours checking every fuse, connection & ground wire in the engine compartment. At this point, I’m jokingly saying that the fix to my problem is just order a new relay on Amazon! You don’t even have to install it….

I hate 12V electrical gremlins! I will update this thread if I ever figure it out, but I’m going with it for now!

[dougrainer]

Thanks for getting the pics. The solenoid he is stating is clicking is the Intellitec Battery disconnect relay. I have a hard time believing that relay can "Click" from a load. NEVER in 40 years have I had a Intellitec relay "Click", other that doing its job. Since the 12 volt Circuit breakers are within a few inches of the Intellitec, I think it is that breaker for the Red wire. So, he needs to attach a voltmeter to the Red wire side of that Circuit breaker and watch and listen to see if that breaker opens and closes and he loses 12 volt power. That Intellitec disconnect is a latching relay. Doug

[dougrainer]

enblethen wrote:
I was thinking last night that the clicking you are hearing is not coming from the relay, but a circuit breaker close by it.

Bingo. He NEEDS to do what I stated. Until then he will be chasing ghosts. What I stated is what I would do if he came into our shop. It takes less than 15 minutes to do and that makes it easier to isolate the problem and makes sure the step is not the problem, but the wiring FEEDING the step. He also needs to have a voltmeter at both the White and Red and see when the clicking happens does the 12 volts go on and off with the clicking. That would point to a weak 12 volt circuit Breaker OR a low amp circuit breaker not large enough to handle the step load. MINIMUM 20 amp fuse or breaker for Red wire. 5 amp fuse or breaker for the White wire. Doug

[dougrainer]

ChrisSupple wrote:

larry cad wrote:
What do you mean when you say, " Brown grounds with door position"?

When I test the ground harness (Brown) wire, the door switch completes 12V to ground when door is closed & not grounded when door is open. I may have these descriptions backwards, but I tested with the Lippert manual troubleshooting instructions from the steps manual.

You may have misquoted here. The Door switch (magnetic) does not have ANY 12 volts. It is just a simple open and closed GRound signal. Doug

[enblethen]

I was thinking last night that the clicking you are hearing is not coming from the relay, but a circuit breaker close by it.

[enblethen]

Have you had any work done on the batteries about the time steps started acting up? Might verify min batter connections.

[ChrisSupple]

enblethen wrote:
The relay that is clicking is normally a battery disconnect. It should not be clicking. You will hear a solid click when energizing, a lighter click when disengaging.
The brown wire will have a ground on through the door switch.
***Link Removed***
***Link Removed***
I am thinking that the system is not wired correctly. You should start by ensuring the battery disconnect is wired correctly. Check the wiring to the small posts. They should go to the battery disconnect switch.
Verify wiring to the step per the exact wiring for your step. Make sure the ground wire has a good solid ground. If it does not it can back feed power through the other wiring.

Thank you. I will check the connections this weekend.

[ChrisSupple]

larry cad wrote:
What do you mean when you say, " Brown grounds with door position"?

When I test the ground harness (Brown) wire, the door switch completes 12V to ground when door is closed & not grounded when door is open. I may have these descriptions backwards, but I tested with the Lippert manual troubleshooting instructions from the steps manual.

[ChrisSupple]

My apologies! My steps work properly when I run a 12g wire from my chassis battery + & bypass the harness red wire. When the harness is connected, the steps don’t work & the solenoid clicks on & off, only when the steps power switch is on.

[CA_Traveler]

Turn the step switch off so that there is no clicking sound and turn on a light. Does the door switch for the relay turn the light on and off?

[CA_Traveler]

What is the result from Doug's post?

If you are SURE that the relay in the picture is the one clicking then you have some other problem likely wiring. It's a latching relay controlled by it's own switch at the door. The intended purpose is to disconnect most house battery power loads like lights etc when you leave the coach. The upside down black hat is a second solenoid that mechanically latches the biger solenoid open or closed. As such the relay draws absolutely no power except during the brief time that it switches states.

[dougrainer]

While he has given the complete items for us to help. HE LACKS JUST ONE SIMPLE ITEM. WHAT is his problem with the steps. He states they do not work properly. WHAT does that mean?
1. What happens when you run the chassis engine and open and close the door?
2. Are you taking the 12 volt measurement with a multimeter or a 12 volt test light?
3. You need to isolate the step 12 volts from the RV. Disconnect the 4 wires from the quick connect. Run just a simple 12 volt wire positive to the White and RED. Do not worry about the Yellow. Then take the Brown and put Ground to it and release. Continue doing this. The steps should operate. If NOT, then the control board is bad. Doug

[Lwiddis]

There are issues that go beyond regular RVers’ ability to diagnose and repair. This seems one of those.

[enblethen]

The relay that is clicking is normally a battery disconnect. It should not be clicking. You will hear a solid click when energizing, a lighter click when disengaging.
The brown wire will have a ground on through the door switch.
Step manual
OP's images
I am thinking that the system is not wired correctly. You should start by ensuring the battery disconnect is wired correctly. Check the wiring to the small posts. They should go to the battery disconnect switch.
Verify wiring to the step per the exact wiring for your step. Make sure the ground wire has a good solid ground. If it does not it can back feed power through the other wiring.