Kwikee Steps

[TXbillervin]

My story is.... Left my coach parked next to my house for a couple of days, air suspension leaked out faster on one side so the steps were closer to the ground than normal.

When I opened the door the step extended part way and stopped at the ground. I started it up, and suspension lifted but the steps didn't move, and haven't worked since.

1. I removed the motor and tested it. It works both ways with direct power both on and off the gearbox.

2. the step frame works with the motor off the gearbox, without any binding

3. I have power to the system with key on and off and the magnetic switch is working correctly, when I open the door the steplight comes on, closed it goes off.

4. when I plug the motor into the control unit off the gearbox it runs for about five seconds and stops. If it is bolted to the gearbox it extends the step to full extension and when you remove the motor from the gearbox it is binding.

Questions:

5. The step is a kwikee seres 39 single step unit and the control box part # is 1800709 Rev OE

[TXbillervin]

ksg500... I actually replaced the whole step early last year because of damage before I bought the coach so I've already jump through that hoop 🙂

Thanks everyone.... I'm going to replace the control unit. $140 + shipping at Camping world. aaaaaaaaaaarrh!!

Checking with Kwikee to see if I can replace it with a newer less expensive version of the unit on Amazon.

[ksg5000]

TXbillervin wrote:

ksg5000 wrote:
When you start the rig will the steps retract?

No it doesn't retract!

If the step motor opens/closes correctly when not connected to the steps (ie when you open/close the door, start the engine etc) then the controller is working - if not then you may have to replace the controller. Note that give the age of the rig it's possible that the replacement controller may require you to change the magnetic door switches (not expensive) that becaue sometime in the 90's Kwikee changed how the controller worked.

[TXbillervin]

ksg5000 wrote:
When you start the rig will the steps retract?

No it doesn't retract!

[ksg5000]

When you start the rig will the steps retract?

[DaHose]

The older Kwikee units used power window motors. When I took mine apart, I saw that there is a small, glass enclosed thermal cutoff inside the actual motor. It looks like a safety feature. So if the load is excessive (something blocking the window or short to power), the cutoff can blow and disable the motor instead of killing the windings or causing a fire.

Yes, you read correctly. You have to dismantle the motor to get at that cutoff.

If the motor is still operating with direct power to it, then it has to be a relay or switch in the controller box.
Jose

[Gjac]

If you follow the link that oldme posted it tells you how to test the various components. Just from what you posted it points to the controller. Once you perform the test and you know for sure that the controller is bad I would look inside the box at the 2 relays to see if one is burned out. Depending on the age of the steps you may not be able to buy just the controller without replacing the whole step assy.,and it would be cheaper to just replace the relay.

[TXbillervin]

Kevin... Correct!

There was a little bending and it was straightened. As I said there is no binding of the stair frame mechanism.

When I have some time I was going to check current levels out of the control box but I haven't been able to do that yet. I'm afraid the control box was damaged, the motor only extends the stair and will not retract it. If I power the motor in reverse without the control box it will retract.

I'll look at the tech info... thanks Oldme

[Oldme]

Tech info

Link

[midnightsadie]

or some thing got bent just a bit.

[ksg5000]

As I understand it your step motor works fine when not connected to anything, your steps open/close when not connected to anything. But when you put everything together the steps will extend but wont' retract - is that correct?.

Have you tried lubricating everything? Have you visually inspected everything to insure that something didn't get bent out of line when you had your air suspension issue?

For what it's worth - the vast majority of step issues are associated with low/bad battery and/or corroded ground wire from the step. Suggest you check both just to rule out the obvious.