Drop Down TV won't Operate

[Larry Dedrick]

We recently traded in our 01 Marquis for an 08 Marquis.  The new coach has a drop down tv which we loved until today.  It won't come down.  We have tried hitting the raise TV button and then the lower button but nothing works.  It did this a few days ago but then worked.  We can hear a motor running but no movement.  Any ideas?

Thanks,
Laura

[Jerry Emert]

Laura, I've got a manual for the TV lift mechanism if it will help.  It says its 2004 to current for Monacos.  I can try to email if you want.
Jerry

[John Hennessey]

Our tv lift on our 2003 Marquis has been touchy too. Sometimes it works and other times we hear the motor but no action. Could you email the manual to us also?

[Larry Dedrick]

Jerry,
That would be great!

[Jerry Emert]

Emailed to both of you.  Let me know if it works.  I'm never really sure when I send an email attachments from home.
Jerry

[Jerry Carr]

Larry, I have also had issues with our lift system. I had it into BCS a few times but have never been able to fix it.
I did find that if I never go to the full up stop or the full down stop I can always get the system to operate. I think the problem my also have something to do with heat. I leave the lift about 1" from full up or down.  This seems to allow the lift system to move. When my system is locked and I want to move the set up or down I am able to go in the opposite direction because I am not on the stops. Once I have movement the system will work. I don't know why but I have been running it like this for 3 years and don't get the lock up. Our rig is the 06 design but I think it's the same as your unit.

[Bruce Sieloff]

My drop down TV quit working and I assumed it was because while my wife was showing the coach to someone she noticed some wires hanging down and just shoved them back into the unit and closed it up. I have been assuming that the wires were jamming some kind of scissors mechanism since the unit worked flawlessly before and now will only drop about an inch before locking up. We intend to replace the existing TV anyway, but I would like to get it "unjammed" to measure the existing space. I've been assuming that I would have to dismount the entire enclosure to access things.   I'd be interested if anyone has a solution.

[Jerry Carr]

Bruce you should be able to get the panel off the TV, it's held in place with a few screws and Velcro. It will pry off.  The TV is mounted to a metal frame so it would not fall. The wood panel is 5/8 thick plywood. Above the TV set is a removable molding. The fabric is held in place with staples and can be removed once the molding is removed.  I changed our set 2 years ago and also replaced the sound system.  Both are much better then the original product from Monaco.  We now have a 42" Samsung HDMI Smart TV and the sound system is a Sony Home Theater with a blue Ray player. If your going to Kerrville I would be happy to show you the finished job.    

[Lee Welbanks]

Larry,

You said that you hear the motor but nothing moving, maybe the manual crank got pushed in which disengages the unit, it's the eyebolt device on the left end of the unit. These units do have temp overloads in the motor and the controller. These are made by Liftit Tv out of Seattle Wa. Hang on to your panty hose when replacing something, not cheap. I've had great response when I have asked them questions about the unit.
I have attached a couple of manuals and the web page. Oops can't attach the pdf's. I can email to you if you send me your email, actually the little manuals don't tell you all that much, I think I downloaded one from Lift Tv site.

http://www.liftmytv.com/products.html

[Gary Carver]

We just had this happen and i shut off all the electric including the 12 volt system then turned it back on----bingo it worked----up by the box is a small shaft that when i shook it turned on a red light ---so i moved it back and forth and now it works every time-----i think that shaft runs a set of points that are sticky

[Larry Dedrick]

Thanks everyone for the responses.  I had replied days ago but see it didn't go through for some reason.  Our problem seems to come and go.  If we wait a bit and try it later it seems to work…not sure why yet.  Could be heat though because it seems to be in the middle of the day it doesn't work.  We just figured out our old coach and here we go again.  We are loving this new coach though!
Laura

[Jerry Carr]

Larry I think the problem may be heat, I have had this issue with our PT since 08 and it just won't go away. I have found that if the set is not on the limit stops I can always reverse my desired selection and then the system will work OK sooooo that being said I just don't go all up or all down stopping short allows me to touch the operational switch momentarily to get normal operation.  We have no locks on the system to having the set hang down an inch make to problem, I have found the same issue when the set is down so again just stop short of full down.

[Larry Dedrick]

Jerry,
I have tried your method and so far it has worked.  We have been parked now for a few days so have not had a lot of movement of the tv but will see how it goes once we start our long way home where we will be moving every few days.
Thanks,
Laura

[Lee Welbanks]

I have left my down while traveling and not had a problem. The control box does have thermal overloads, that is what TVLiftit told me when I talked to them. They said problem was probably the controller, I thought that it could also be one of the lock outs built into the system. I've never had another problem with mine but one time it desided not to come down and after awhile it worked again and has ever since.

[David T. Richelderfer]

We left our Marquis unplugged and with the battery disconnects off for several days in an overflow area in a RV park.  When we returned to the coach yesterday to move it back into a pay-for spot with hookups we found the Aladdin needed to be reset and it needed to be set back to VD on.  After some 15 minutes of fidgeting with it I got the Main Menu and got the Coach Electrical Status up and showing while the generator was running.

When we got the coach into an RV spot, hooked to 50 amp, slides out, and leveled, the drop down TV would not operate.  I read several threads here on the forum regarding this issue.  I tried Gary Carver's method of turning off all power - still didn't work.  I noticed when all was quiet and I pushed the Drop-Down switch I could hear two very faint clicks.  After several repeats of pushing the button and hearing the coinciding clicks I concluded the switch must be forwarding power to the lift motor or at least to the area near the lift motor.  I read with interest the discussion on the thermal breaker issue - thank you Lee Welbanks.  It was very hot last week when we used the coach and when we parked it in the overflow area.  But it was not too hot yesterday - in the upper 70s, I believe, when we returned and moved the coach.  I fiddled with wires and wiggled with all the stuff I could reach near the lift motor with the TV up.  Not much can be seen or touched with the TV up, by the way.

It still would not drop-down this morning after several button pushes. I decided to listen to the faint clicks when the Drop-Down button is pushed in an effort to pin-point their origin.  I pushed the button and the damn TV about broke my neck.  lol  It's lowered now.  I hope it goes up in a few days when we depart.

This is the first time in the nearly three years of our ownership this has happened.  Does anyone have any ideas of what caused the problem?  Where can I look?  Should I have someone look at it... soon?