Slideout Wiring

[Harold and Gloria Skipworth]

I'm looking for any information I can get regarding the function of the wiring at the switch for a bedroom slide, in particular how the in line diodes affect operation.  In the past year I have had the rear slide wiring and diodes serviced three times .  The first time I was told the one of the solenoids was bad, then it was the diodes, the diodes blew so it was the wiring which was rerun.  Shortly thereafter it failed again and the diodes were replaced again.  It failed again and I was on the road with an extended slide.  I got a local shop to come out and trouble shoot.  H discovered a bad rocker switch which he replaced.  I has failed again three days later but this time retracted and after I docked at my home base.  All the searching I have done to try to find a cure myself yielded nothing.  Any help I can get is more than welcome.



2005 Monterey Laguna IV C-9

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Harold,
Will email you a diagram of the wiring from my 01 Contessa. My wiring didn't use diodes but I suspect the general layout is similar. I had a lot of trouble with the slide not operating intermittently and tracked it down to resistive connections, mainly at the "pigtail" that connects the switch to the main slide wiring. Switch pigtail used 14AWG and slide wiring was 12 AWG. Resolved problem by removing spade connectors on the 5 wires and soldering them.
Steve

[Harold and Gloria Skipworth]

Steve,
The wiring is different enough to not help, but the idea of excess resistance is plausible.  I noted that the space in the wall where the switches are located is minimal and the volume of wire in there is enough to make a very tight fit.  I am starting to suspect a stressed connection which was relieved when the switch was replaced.  After packing all the wire back in the stress returned and the connection failed.  I tested the replaced switch and only found .5 ohms resistance on either pole.  I'll keep looking !

Harold

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Harold,
Be sure the motor brake is getting a full 12V. If not it won't release and allow the motor to run. If it sticks again you can remove the brakes from the motor and see if the slide retracts. If so,  the brake is probably not seeing enough voltage. If you can't locate the high resistance connection, you could add a relay to supply battery voltage to the brake whenever the slide switch is depressed.
Steve

[Edward Buker]

Harold,

The function of the diodes is usually to eliminate an inductive kick back from the brake coil or motor coil or a relay coil when you release the switch that moved the slide. They are not mandatory in this application, if that is the function that they are serving. Disconnect one end of the diodes and measure across each diode with an ohmmeter, once with the probes in one direction, then reverse the probes and measure in the other direction. If they are high resistance in one direction and low in the other then they are good, if so reconnect them. If not disconnect them and see how the slide works. The switch will have more contact arcing when you release the contacts (when they break) so the switch may not last as long but the life should still be acceptable. If the diodes are blowing and shorting you need a higher rated diode. If you have a number for what is in there now, we should be able look them up and see what diode would be more robust as a replacement. The diodes should not fail and that should be a correctable problem. This is info on checking diodes. They should be wired so they are high resistance and non conducting when the 12V switch is activated, that is + 12V  on the end with the cathode bar on it.

http://www.learnabout-electronics.org/diodes_05.php

Next I would remove the electric brake if you have one on the end of the motor shaft and see if the slide moves more freely. If it does then post that and I can give you some advice. If the whole system is drawing more current then it should then components will be stressed current draw wise. You obviously have some issue that has not been sorted out and corrected so hopefully it will declare itself well enough to sort it out.

Later Ed