KWIKEE STEP MOTOR REPLACEMENT SERIES 32

[Community Alumni]

NOTE THIS THREAD IS VERY OLD I HAVE SINCE DROPPED THE PHOTOS FROM MY HOSTING SITE.



I had problems with my Kwikee step Series 32. The steps on occasion would not retract. I had to tap the motor with a hammer while closing the door to get them to work even in doing this it was may or not work on the next try. I had lubricated the steps and linkage, and checked the door switch, controller, and battery voltage using the Technical tips on the Kwikee Step internet site. Also I took the motor off the gear box and checked for any worn, or broken parts in the gear box. All checked out fine. This left the step motor as being the part that needed replacement.

I had seen a post from member bsinmich in the forum and contacted him for more information. He said that he used a front door window lift motor that was suppose to fit a 1990 Lincoln.

I called a large RV parts dealer in Texas, and told him that I needed a motor for a 32 series Kwikee step. He said that I could not get just a motor that I would have to buy the complete kit that included the controller, gear box and motor as a matched kit. The cost was $209 for the kit. I told him that I had heard that the motor was a window lift motor. He said that he had not heard that and that he doubted that information.

I did research and found that by looking on the NAPA internet site they had photos of the lift motors. I found that a 1986-1995 Ford Taurus left front window lift motor matched my motor. NAPA part # BK655-1395 $63.99 I ordered my motor from Auto-Zone Manufactured by Dorman part# 742-206. This has a lifetime Warranty and was $49.99.

05-29-08
***NOTE: Gferris has brought to my attention that the photo of the new motor I have does not match the photo of the Dorman 742-206 on their site it matches the motor 742-205. Just wanted to tell you that.
With that said I ordered a drivers door window lift motor from Auto Zone for a 1986-1995 Taurus. I got the a box that was from Dorman part number 742-206 on the box. The motor that was in the box was the one I photographed and installed. If they have changed motor designs or if the wrong motor was in the box I got I have no further explanation. Just wanted to give you a heads up.

With the parts cleaned, I put the conversion gear on the new motor, this is a very tight fit and is machined to fit with no play. Care is needed when it is tapped back on the new motor gear so you don’t misalign the pin and the gear.


Next place the motor locating pin in the top of the conversion gear. This pin goes into the hole on the top of the gear box.



With the step linkage taken out of the gear box, I marked one side of the square in the linkage hole in the center, cleaned out the old grease, checked for any damaged teeth and put new grease in the box next I re-indexed the main gear turning it 180 degrees using the marked square in the center of the gear as a guide.



Next I put the linkage back into place and put the linkage bushing back into the cover plate.





Reinstalling the motor using care that the gearing and the pin is in place and the motor gear housing is seated against the gear box. The plate goes on next and the three bolts. With the motor tightened down the next thing I did was to attach the red wire and the yellow wire to their respective colors placing heat shrink tubing on the wires and then soldering the ends together.



All in all, the task took 1 hour. Care should be taken when the linkage is pulled because the steps will be free to move. Also you should compare the your motor with photos on NAPA, incase Kwikee Step used different motor and gear combinations.

[etmorrison]

Thanks I'l go aver to it and see if I can see a pin on the arm, not much room to do anything right now. Stay tuned

[Clay_L]

etmorrison wrote:
Help, my Kwikee series 32 wont extend so I can check the motor and gears. Is there a way to release the steps. I tried direct connecting a 12 battery on the Yellow and Red wires and reversing them just in case, but just sparks and clicking.

This puppy is retracted and tighter than a drum even with power off

There is a pin that holds the extending/retracting arm to the step. If you remove the hitch pin from the retaining pin and remove the retaining pin the steps can be manually extended or retracted.

[C-Leigh_Racing]

Try tapping on the end of the motor litely while you have those wires connected.
It could be a spot on the armature, where the brushes stop every time & bad enough it cant start the motor turning again.

If you think about how that motor works, steps come on & push the steps out & motor stops just about at the same spot every time. Then the steps go in & the motor stops just about the same spot every time, so over time that motor stopping in the same place & under load until the control box turns the 12V off it could cause a spot on the armature & the brushes not make good contact.

Now if a gear in the gear box broke or the gear box housing itself broke, it could cause everything to bind up & that little motor couldnt over come the binding.
You may can unplug the motor wires & then prize on the steps enough to remove some tention on the steps & then can remove that little pin in the gear box arm to release the steps.
Neil

[etmorrison]

Help, my Kwikee series 32 wont extend so I can check the motor and gears. Is there a way to release the steps. I tried direct connecting a 12 battery on the Yellow and Red wires and reversing them just in case, but just sparks and clicking.

This puppy is retracted and tighter than a drum even with power off

[harpmakers]

New part number DORMAN 742-276 86 Taurus Driver side window lift $45.99 From Autozone (Kincor no longer available.)

[Raveson]

Thanks for the info, have tried to find a replacement with no luck. Have only been told I needed a complete upgrade system as Kwickee does not sell motors for old systems for about $375. Bought a replacement as you sugested for a Tarus LH front lift motor ($54). Installeed and all sems to be working good. Will wait to see if the intermitant problems return. Hopt NOT. Thanks

[theburren]

Johnny G1 wrote:
If and when the weather warms up here, I will be doing the xact switching arrangement on my steps, I am thinking of using micro switches along with spring loaded power window switches, one inside the the door frame so I can close the steps when we are away from the coach and one on the dash with a light connected to ignition to let me know I forgot to close the steps, at my age that would be quite possible, will let everybody know how it works out, Just my thoughts.

I like the idea of a warning light on the dash to let me know the steps are down.. I have one of those for my levelers...

[Johnny_G1]

If and when the weather warms up here, I will be doing the xact switching arrangement on my steps, I am thinking of using micro switches along with spring loaded power window switches, one inside the the door frame so I can close the steps when we are away from the coach and one on the dash with a light connected to ignition to let me know I forgot to close the steps, at my age that would be quite possible, will let everybody know how it works out, Just my thoughts.

[theburren]

Chris Bryant wrote:
FWIW, every Kwikee step is available without the electronics- with a simple switch. People just don't buy them. Microswitches are a fine idea, but will soon become more complex than the electronics, given the current capacity needed and the environment they are in. B&L made an electric step which used a cam operated microswitch with an spdt door switch, and a non-reversing motor.
An easier option for a warning switch would be a magnetic reed switch.

I believe that... with the money I've seen retirees drop on their coaches--
But thats convenience for them.. I'm glad I was able to set the switch up simply because I didn't want to be at the mercey of the control unit.. But truth be told.. I MAY spring for a new control unit IF I don't find one cheap in salvage, eBay etc..

For me.. simpler is better..
Less things to break..

And it kind of pisses me off that the unit fried JUST by removing the ground wire...
I still don't get that

[Chris_Bryant]

FWIW, every Kwikee step is available without the electronics- with a simple switch. People just don't buy them. Microswitches are a fine idea, but will soon become more complex than the electronics, given the current capacity needed and the environment they are in. B&L made an electric step which used a cam operated microswitch with an spdt door switch, and a non-reversing motor.
An easier option for a warning switch would be a magnetic reed switch.

[C-Leigh_Racing]

Oh yes, now that is even better idea, use a normally closed micro switch & then with contact at time to stop, it breaks 12V connection.
Oh yes.
Man, I bet we are upsetting some Kwikee step people, bypassing their failure items.
Neil

[theburren]

C-Leigh Racing wrote:
What I was thinking, like if your inside the coach & cant see the steps, if they are in or out, those micro switches & little light would let you know when to release the toggle switch.

The step controller box, has a function to tell when the step motor is under load once the steps stop moving & turns the 12V off to the step motor.
If you hook up the manual switch, & have nothing alerting you the step motor has stopped moving & keep holding the toggle switch, you'll soon over time burn the step motor up.

Was just an idea, maybe a bit to much or over kill I guess.
Neil

Ahhh.. I understand now..
That might actually be useful then..
More useful though, might be something to kill the 12V to that motor in case you forget to turn it off..
For me.. I'm just happy to have a cheap fix for that broken control unit--

[C-Leigh_Racing]

What I was thinking, like if your inside the coach & cant see the steps, if they are in or out, those micro switches & little light would let you know when to release the toggle switch.

The step controller box, has a function to tell when the step motor is under load once the steps stop moving & turns the 12V off to the step motor.
If you hook up the manual switch, & have nothing alerting you the step motor has stopped moving & keep holding the toggle switch, you'll soon over time burn the step motor up.

Was just an idea, maybe a bit to much or over kill I guess.
Neil

[theburren]

C-Leigh Racing wrote:

theburren wrote:

theburren wrote:

theburren wrote:

C-Leigh Racing wrote:
That three way switch sounds good.
One 12V hot wire with a jumper wire hooked to the other switch side & then two wires from each switch side, then all four wires running from the switch to the motor connector plug end converted down to two wires.

Walla, overide switch doing away with that crazy control box & D/H will get a little recongnition boost from on looking thinking hes opening the door like a gentelman & helping D/W out of the M/H.
Neil

Hmmm. I'd like a manual switch too, actually...
sadly, I'm having trouble understanding completely what you recommended--
Is there a "How to convert your Kwikee steps to Manual using a 3 way switch for Dummies" version?

Very polite thread--
Lots of help and advice:)

For anyone reading this in the future, whose control unit goes bad like mine did--
Here are 2 switches that work perfectly when wired directly to the 2 wires feeding the motor unit--no modifications needed... just connect the hot wire and ground to the center terminals, and then reverse the 2 motor wires so that the polarity reverses.. making the motor retract..

The DPDT Switch, ON/OFF/ON Positions, 6 Blade Terminals here:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=109405&catalogId=10001&...

Or this:

http://www.valmarmarine.com/productdetail/ProdDetail-27237.asp

Something else that would be nice to add to this, would be two little micro switches mounted to the steps, with 12V hot from the two way toggle switch to operate the micro.
This would be for when to release the manual toggle switch when the steps are at their stopping points. When those micros make contact, they would send 12V a small light to come on, letting us know when to release the toggle switch during operation.

All this sounds like a good deal to do, to get the step in or out, but think about it, when those steps dont work right, then you got to go to work trying to figure out how to fix them.
This way, just flip the toggle switch, get those steps in & be on your merry way, like RVings suppose to be.

Ok, now who wants to design a retro fit kit, that we all can buy from you.
Think about it now, you would not only be making something you probably can make a dollar on, but look at the aggravation & worrieing you'll be taking off of the shoulders of RVing public from not having to deal with that step not working right.

I can see it now, folks traveling, stop somewhere for a little lite break, go to get back in & low & behold that step not work right.
NO PROBLEM, I've got my trusty manual override swtich, so Mr control box you just have your way. :B
Neil

Confused... The 3 way toggle switches that I posted links to have On-Off-On positions. One way the steps go out, the other way the steps retract. My steps are just 2-step Kwickee steps... They actually go out or retract in about 3 seconds.. And the nice thing is.. I'm standing right there so I can actually see when they are extended. Then I simply move the switch back to the neutral/ Off position.

Not sure what purpose adding 2 additional switches with alert lights serves Lol!

All in all, it was a great idea by JohnnyG1, so thanks Johnny--

If anyone wants to bypass the control unit, just buy the switch I listed and you will have a working manual in out switch in 15 minutes..

If you want to spend additional time.. wire an amber light under the steps for nighttime visibility--

[C-Leigh_Racing]

theburren wrote:

theburren wrote:

theburren wrote:

C-Leigh Racing wrote:
That three way switch sounds good.
One 12V hot wire with a jumper wire hooked to the other switch side & then two wires from each switch side, then all four wires running from the switch to the motor connector plug end converted down to two wires.

Walla, overide switch doing away with that crazy control box & D/H will get a little recongnition boost from on looking thinking hes opening the door like a gentelman & helping D/W out of the M/H.
Neil

Hmmm. I'd like a manual switch too, actually...
sadly, I'm having trouble understanding completely what you recommended--
Is there a "How to convert your Kwikee steps to Manual using a 3 way switch for Dummies" version?

Very polite thread--
Lots of help and advice:)

For anyone reading this in the future, whose control unit goes bad like mine did--
Here are 2 switches that work perfectly when wired directly to the 2 wires feeding the motor unit--no modifications needed... just connect the hot wire and ground to the center terminals, and then reverse the 2 motor wires so that the polarity reverses.. making the motor retract..

The DPDT Switch, ON/OFF/ON Positions, 6 Blade Terminals here:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=109405&catalogId=10001&...

Or this:

http://www.valmarmarine.com/productdetail/ProdDetail-27237.asp

Something else that would be nice to add to this, would be two little micro switches mounted to the steps, with 12V hot from the two way toggle switch to operate the micro.
This would be for when to release the manual toggle switch when the steps are at their stopping points. When those micros make contact, they would send 12V a small light to come on, letting us know when to release the toggle switch during operation.

All this sounds like a good deal to do, to get the step in or out, but think about it, when those steps dont work right, then you got to go to work trying to figure out how to fix them.
This way, just flip the toggle switch, get those steps in & be on your merry way, like RVings suppose to be.

Ok, now who wants to design a retro fit kit, that we all can buy from you.
Think about it now, you would not only be making something you probably can make a dollar on, but look at the aggravation & worrieing you'll be taking off of the shoulders of RVing public from not having to deal with that step not working right.

I can see it now, folks traveling, stop somewhere for a little lite break, go to get back in & low & behold that step not work right.
NO PROBLEM, I've got my trusty manual override swtich, so Mr control box you just have your way. :B
Neil