Cranky Entry Step

[Dave Porter]

Greetings.  I'm stumped and I'm hoping someone can offer suggestions for a cranky entry step.  About 2 weeks ago, the step would remain extended when the ignition was turned off regardless of the position of the step switch inside the coach.  Whenever the ignition key was turned on, the step would retract like it should.  When the ignition was turned off the step would stay retracted until the door was opened, then it would extend and stay that way until the next time the ignition was turned on regardless of the position of the step switch in the coach.  I called BCS and they suggested it must be a magnet / magnetic switch issue.  I pulled the step switch from inside the coach and it tests OK.  I've traced the 4 wires from the magnetic switches as far as I can, but they don't seem to be heading towards the step controller.  So I've fooled with this step for the last week and I've pretty much wrote this problem off as not ideal, but one I could live with.  

I returned to the coach earlier today only to find the step retracted as it they should be. "Something" happened overnight and I have no idea as to what occurred to magically make the step retract.  When I opened the door the step extracted like it should, I closed the door and the step retracted like it should.  I opened/closed the door again and everything was still looking great.  On the third try, the step stayed retracted and hasn't moved since.  My guess is the vibrations from the door and/or the step extending has "shaken" something to either open or go to ground.  Regardless, I now have a situation I can't live with and I'm back on the clock to fix this thing.  So I'm stumped and am open to ideas as to how to troubleshoot this thing further.    Could the magnetic switches themselves be bad (or at least one of them)?  Are they a high failure item?  Or is this an indication of a flakey controller?  My instincts tell me to replace both magnetic switches to eliminate an intermittent switch.

As always, I appreciate your thoughts and ideas

[Edward Buker]

Magnetic switches are usually cheap and they can become defective with age (magnatized, poor contacts). Elimination of the simplest items first is a good strategy. Sometimes there are current limiting circuits to protect the motors etc. Be sure the unit is lubed and works freely also so that is ruled out.

Later Ed

[Don and Kathy DuCharme]

We had a similar problem.  A good kick or rap with a hammer would usually make the step either retract or extend as it should have.  The problem turned out to be sticky brushes in the motor.  Good luck, the steps can be very temperamental.

[Robert Mathis]

Another common problem is a loose or corroded wire in the connector, usually the ground wires. It's easier to find a fault that is consistent than one that is intermittent. I recently had to replace my control board on my step. In a pinch, the step can be retracted or extended manually by hotwiring the motor bypassing the controller.

[Richard And Babs Ames]

We ended up replacing the control board. Quickee parts are not cheap.

[Robert Mathis]

It's fairly easy to test the individual components with a multi-meter. Check for continuity between the wires from the door magnetic switches, (both open and closed), check for 12 volts into the control board, check the motor by wiring directly bypassing the control board. Richard is right, the parts are expensive, but I understand the motors are actually electric window motors.