Slide Outs Working Intermittently

[CharlesYuhnke]

I have a 2006 Beaver Patriot Thunder with Quad Slides.  All four slides have started working intermittently.  I sometimes have to press the button several times to get the slides to work.  Once you hear the pump start, it keeps going until the slide is extended/retracted, but this does happen whether extending or retracting the slides.  And it happens on all four slides.  My ideas are two fold:  I'm guessing there is a relay that causes the pump to engage and this relay may be sticking or developing a problem.  I don't know for sure that there IS a relay and I don't know where it is located if there is one.  My other idea is that the hydralic pump itself is having trouble starting up.  My parts list supplied with the coach shows a slide out pump manufactured by HWH with a part number of AP23281.  I think that is the pump but looking at an HWH website, I'm not sure there isn't a problem with the part number.  I probably need to locate the pump to determine the correct part number.  I suppose the actual buttons I push could be faulty but I can't imagine all 8 of them having a problem.  It sounds more like a problem that is common to all four slides whether extending or retracting.  Has anyone out there seen this problem or have any ideas about this?

[LarryNCarolynShirk]

Just a thought.  Check the fluid level for the pump.

Larry

[Jeremy Parrett]

Check the relay .Mine is in the electric bay under the drivers window. A  tap with a small screw driver works when the relay sticks.  There is also a fuse in the wiring behind the switch.Mine is near the front door step.

[Gerald Farris]

Charles,
I have never worked on your exact system, however all of the integrated slide and hydraulic leveling systems operate the same basic way. There will be a high amp solenoid switch that supplies current to the pump motor. The pump draws to much current to be activated by the wall switches, so a solenoid that is activated by the wall switches supplies the current to the pump motor. Most of the solenoid switches look like the old Ford starter solenoid. It is usually located close to the pump, and you can verify which one it is by having someone activate it by pushing the wall switch as you feel or listen for the click as it is activated.

Gerald

[Joel Ashley]

Interesting that it occcurs on all 4 slides, because the bed slide is electric.  His bed motor probably has its own solenoid.

Is there a common ground point between switches, for both the hydraulic and electric circuits, extend and retract?  One of the first places I'd look, confronted with Charles' symptoms, is a loose or corroded 12v. common ground, resulting in high resistance.

-Joel

[Jeremy Parrett]

I would also check all the connectors at the switches and the electric motors. I have found several lightly crimped terminal connectors resulting in badly or non functioning items.
 Vacu Pump, water fill solenoid,slide switches,slide motor,halogen lights,dash a/c condenser fan,etc......and  several burned spade connectors in the electrical bay under the drivers window .
 All these items now work well after having their connectors redone or recrimped.