entry step won't retract

[Gary Winzenburger]

Stan,
This can be very frustrating. Our step motor was "hanging up" in a certain bad spot in the windings that would cause it to stop retracting. I had to use a rubber mallet to tap the step causing it to move out of the bad spot and start retracting again. It'll continue to work, as it should, until the motor stops again in the bad spot.
Good Luck,
Gary

[Stan Simpson]

Thank you Ed. I saw these before and thought THEY were the lock controls. Anyway, when I was scanning the door frame with a magnet, I got no hit, but when I scanned the ones on the door itself...VOILA! It is a magnet!

Its too dark now, but I will take it apart tomorrow.

Stan

[LarryNCarolynShirk]

Stan,

When you use your meter on OHMS, do not touch the leads to any energized (hot) circuit.  When you are through measuring OHMS, switch the meter to OFF, so you do not forget and use the leads to measure voltage.  Measuring Voltage with the meter set on OHMS can ruin your meter.

Larry

[Robert Mathis]

Depending on which step you have, there is a controller in the electric lines that reverses the motor to retract/extend the step. You should have 12 volts hot to the controller and a good ground, then there is the door switch which on my coach makes a solid ground, and the open/close wires that tells it what to do. First check to see that you have a good ground and a 12 volt hot wire to the controller, then check to see that the magnetic switch is making a ground. If all seems good, run a hot wire to the motor to see if it is working, if all those check out, you need a controller. The problem usually turns out to be the controller.

[Stan Simpson]

Update:

I finally gave up with my limited knowledge and ability and called a mobile tech here in the New Orleans area. He spent an hour and a half and found this:

The three re-settable breakers work and have power.

The motor is good.

The controller is good.

The on and off switch on the inside of the coach works.

He was able to switch the leads on the motor to get the step to retract. However, there is no reaction when he put a magnet to the door switch. He concluded the problem is a broken wire or blown in line fuse. Neither of which he could find. He called Monaco tech support, gave them my coach # and they are going to email him the wiring diagram for our coach so he can find where the inline fuses are. He left and will be back later today or tomorrow morning. No charge...yet.

He promised to send me a copy of the wiring diagram.

I will report further developments.

Thanks all for your help.

Stan

[Joel Ashley]

Emailed you the schematic, but as usual it won't tell you where the fuses are.  It shows connectors, but not where they are.  

I presume he checked for a solid ground of the switch in the door frame, and the function of the switch itself.  The wire in question connects to the controller's brown one, and should be marked 129.  It may be that if the fuse to the switch isn't in the controller itself, a tech at Beaver Coach Sales would know where it is and be glad to help with a phone call.  If you know where the controller is and where the switch is, which you do, any fuse has to be along 129 between them.

Joel

[Robert Mathis]

Did he say whether there was power to the controller?  On mine, the controller is located inside the frame rails, directly behind the step itself. How did he test the controller if it didn't have power? Assuming he used the power and ground wires under the coach too  activate the motor and retract the step, that would indicate to me that there is no problem with the fuses. If there is a continuity change in the up wires when the magnetic door switch is opened/closed, and there is power to the controller, and the motor works, it almost has to be the controller, unless the wiring from the switch inside is bad.

[Joel Ashley]

The controller power doesn't come through the door switch, so the other functions could be checked and were.

If I'd narrowed it down to the magnetic switch, I'd have removed the switch from the door frame and checked the connections, including and especially the ground.  With circuit breakers in the system, I'm not sure there is a fuse to look for involving that switch.  I've heard of magnet side problems before, but that's not happening here since the switch failed the manual magnet test.  I don't know that it would've taken me an hour and a half to check all this, and still not have examined the switch and mounting.

Joel

[Stan Simpson]

Turns out the mobile tech in Louisiana never got the wiring schematic he needed, and by the time I found out, I had to leave for the Memphis area.

I have talked to a guy here who says he is very familiar with the step we have, and in his experience its almost certainly the controller box. He is going to try to get one by next Tuesday when we leave for Nashville.

Stan

[Stan Simpson]

Update on step issue:

Waited until today for a mobile tech to come out to the RV Park, as he was certain the problem was the control board. He had to order one. Anyway, found that the control box is good, the motor is good, and all electrical circuits are good.

Quickly discovered the problem is the magnet sensors. He attached a set of Kwikee step magnets in line and the step worked. Unfortunately, the magnets he had are not for a Coach Step like I have.

The tech installed a temporary switch in the wheel well. I can use it to retract the step for travel, until I can order and receive the correct magnets. It appears that even I may be able to install them myself. Doesn't seem too difficult.

He told me the magnets can only be ordered through dealers. Yes? Does anyone have a source?

Thanks,

Stan

[Joel Ashley]

Check with Beaver Coach Sales parts dept., Stan.

This seems weird to me... How does a magnet go faulty?  Or by magnet sensors you mean the door frame unit I warned about?

Joel

[David T. Richelderfer]

lolol   Joel - I was wondering the same thing, but was afraid to ask.  It must be our great OSU experience that leads us to the same question, eh?  Is it an electromagnet?  Naaaaaa, can't be!

[LarryNCarolynShirk]

David,

Recheck or replace the ground wire.  Somewhere it may be broken or the connection to the frame may be bad.

Larry

[Edward Buker]

The magnets themselves do not go bad but the reed relay switch usually housed in glass can over time develop bad contacts or have the metal lose its physical characteristics such that it no longer opens and closes as a switch with the magnetic forces involved. They can just wear out....

This may be the one.

http://www.amazon.com/Kwikee-905327000-Round-Switch-Magnetic/dp/B003VASLM0

Later Ed

[Stan Simpson]

I called Beaver Coach Sales and spoke to Mike in parts. They have my magnets in stock, and are shipping to me today. I will update the results of the installation.

Stan