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Old 07-16-2019, 12:15 PM   #1
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Steps not extending

2015 Itasca Sunstar 27N LX has steps that do not extend. This occured two or three times but by shutting, then reopening the door they did extend. They now seem to be stuck in the closed postion. Anyone ever have this problem? Thanks.

Thought I had posted this before but I can't find it on the forum.
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Old 07-16-2019, 01:06 PM   #2
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Try wiggling the connector that’s at the bottom, inside edge of the door frame. Mine is a little flaky.
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Old 07-16-2019, 04:01 PM   #3
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Lube all the joints on the step linkages with some spray on silicone lube. Then, being out of the way of the step operation, tap the step motor drive with something hard, not mean beat the motor. Often the motor needs cleaning and the tap will get the bad area of the motor commutator to go.
Worth a try. I removed mine, disassembled and cleaned, reassembled and installed, it has been good so far this season.
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Old 07-16-2019, 06:55 PM   #4
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Mention of open closing makes it work might make me look at the magnet on the door to be sure the wiring is not the problem. Also I tend to look at the simple easy first!
Spraying on lube is always a good plan on these but while there do some looking for obvious bent, etc. but I find that not as likely for one that works sometimes as stuck may tend to blow a fuse and totally quit. Since your has, checking the power/ fuse, etc. is good .
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Old 07-31-2019, 04:30 PM   #5
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I have a 2017 View that had the same problem, I took it to the dealer, and they were going to replace the entire motor harness but didn't have any in stock. The repairman took ut a magnetic tool and used it to trigger the door switch/magnet on the door; this worked so he took the switch off another rig and put it on mine, and I haven't had any problems. I don't think that switch costs more than $10. There is a screw that holds the switch inside the metal part by the door. Only the side attached to the door frame was changed. It has a black and white wire, I think, and the other part is just a magnet if I'm not mistaken. It's called a butterfly switch.
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Old 07-31-2019, 05:19 PM   #6
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auto steps not extending

I will tell on myself: purchased new motor (INCORRECT motor) purchase correct motor from Amazon (great deal), purchased wiring harness, purchased test wiring harness. Install and assembled new parts, then tested, no luck. Re-read manufacturer's manual "lube all points". Worked great!!!

Yes I re-installed old motor, worked great. Removed old motor re-install new motor, carry old motor as spare (several people have described their nightmare of stripped gears in middle of nowhere), lubricate steps and slides before and during each trip.

CAUTION: your fingers will not provide sufficient resistance to stop stair retraction/extension during testing!!! Happy trails to you.
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Old 07-31-2019, 07:28 PM   #7
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My steps only work under genset power. Any tips on how to diagnose this problem?
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Old 07-31-2019, 07:54 PM   #8
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Our 2014 View steps suddenly dropped out. We were driving down the Interstate with them hanging out. When out they were not stable. Ended up tying them up. While our Mercedes manual includes the steps as their part of the RV, Mercedes says it isn't theirs. Will be seeing Winnebago folks next week.
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Old 08-01-2019, 04:38 AM   #9
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I had a lot of trouble with the magnetic switch on my door. And yes, I did drive with them extended. Once, not knowing they were out, they caught on a low mound of earth with tough grass that racked them so badly I thought they would never work again. In frustration, I whammed bammed them with an 8 pound sledge hammer and to my surprise, they recovered enough that I am still using them with no problem. Looking at them you would never know the trouble they've seen.
To solve my problem, I installed a switch near the other switches on the kitchen cabinet wall that opens and closes the steps with no problem. I no longer need Mr tricky magnet.
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Old 08-01-2019, 08:57 AM   #10
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https://support.lci1.com


You haven't indicated the manufacturer of the steps but Lippert Componets, maker of Kwikee Steps and others, has a troubleshooting guide at https://support.lci1.com.


As several have mentioned, it would be good to isolate mechanical issues from electrical. The way that the steps work is that the open and shut position are controlled by monitoring the amount of electrical current that the motor is using when the magnetic switch is activated. When the steps mechanical mechanism friction increases sharply, the motor electrical current increases and the step controller switches the electrical current off.


So, if the mechanical friction increases either due to hitting the the open or closed mechanical stops (normal operation) or because of lack of grease or damaged/bent mechanism, the electrical controller unit turns the motor off. The steps could be in any position.

Without more info troubleshooting is difficult. The steps will stick for many different reasons,some from increased mechanical friction and some from electrical anomalies I spent several days troubleshooting and finely found that the trouble was in the gearbox inside the motor housing. My steps would chatter and would stop unpredictably. I fixed them for $9 in parts, replacing the 3 clutch dowels inside the motor assembly.


Your step failure description could be due to the same because the dowels wear unevenly for opening and closing, possibly causing the steps to freeze closed but not open. The jarring caused by repeated door opening and motor starts could um-wedge stuck dowels, allowing the steps to extend normally.


One thing to notice is when the door is open and the steps extended, does the light over the steps turn on? If yes, the magnetic switch is operating correctly.


Also, my explanation above of how the steps work does not include all of the things that the electrical controller does. There are some timing functions that don't seem relevant to your situation.
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Old 08-01-2019, 11:18 AM   #11
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I have to agree with Phil-T's response above. Before you try anything complicated, try giving the motor a tap or two. A friend of mine's 2014 Journey's steps did the same thing...they worked fine...then for no apparent reason they just quit working. He had tried everything to try to diagnose it. I looked it up here on Winnie Owners and found the idea to tap on the motor. He had already lubed the movement points, so he slid under; found the motor; tapped on it and it has worked perfectly ever since!
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