Failure of LCI Leveler

hfbundy · 03-31-2018, 08:48 AM

When I left Lake Mead on Thursday, the leveling jacks retracted almost normally, although I heard something like a crunching sound when they were almost retracted. I stopped several times before stopping at Wells, NV for supper. When I turned on the ignition to leave Wells, I received an alarm and a message "function aborted". I also had a "jacks down" light. When I tried to turn it off I received further messages - "retract timed out" and "return to dealer for service". I checked that the jacks were retracted and drove on. After several stops the jacks down light is no longer illuminated, but the messages exist. I have an appointment in May with my Winnebago dealer who is also an authorized Ford service shop. The 2016 Vista 30T is no longer under the Winnebago warranty, but it is under the 3 year Ford Warranty. My questions are: 1) any ideas on what failed? 2) In that the LCI leveler comes with the Ford chassis, is it covered by the Ford Warranty?

ARNE-T · 03-31-2018, 01:08 PM

when this happened to me it was because I tried to lower the jacks without first starting the engine. Do delete the massage simple press enter and retract at the same time.

If this does not work google gthe errormassage to bring up the LCI users manual. Good luck

MBA · 03-31-2018, 02:54 PM

My 2015 Sunstar 27N is in the shop for the same issue. They are replacing the motor for the hydraulic unit. The did all the usual manual reset routines, but once the engine was turned off and restarted the same error message would return. The RV is at Colton RV in Tonawanda NY..

Wayne M · 03-31-2018, 08:55 PM

As stated, press Enter and Retract at the same time but hold them like that for more than 5 seconds.

hfbundy · 04-02-2018, 09:24 AM

I had pressed enter and retract buttons at the same time with clearing the trouble messages. A gentlemen on the Ford forum said the buttons had to held for at least 5 seconds. That worked. I am keeping my service appointment until I am reasonably sure that the problem is not going to reoccur. Thanks.

Howard

Goshawk22 · 04-03-2018, 02:33 PM

Had the same thing happen on our Adventurer last year. Drove about a mile from the dealer and noticed a small white cloud of smoke that appeared to come from the vehicle next to me (later turned out that it came from the right front). Went about a tenth of a mile and got the jacks down warning along with the "retract timed out" and "return to the dealer for service". After being unable to clear the message, returned to the dealer to get some help. Service manager suggested doing the system reset. This caused the real source of the problem to become apparent. Got a big cloud of white smoke followed by a fire near the right front tire. The fire was quickly extinguished (thanks to the fire extinguished I keep under the drivers seat) and was found to have been caused by a small hole in the right front jack pressure line. Doing the system reset pressurized the line and caused the transmission fluid used in the jack hydraulics to spray on the exhaust manifold.
Had I checked the manual before doing the reset I would have realized the manual says the to check for leaks when that message is displayed. Had I done that I probably would have found the leaking hose, which lost pressure when I noticed the first cloud of smoke. Lots of lesson learned on that one.
Not saying that's your problem, but I'd check the fluid levels and look for leaks.

Hardroad · 04-04-2018, 08:01 AM

And after you press the two buttons, or before, check the hydraulic tank for fluid - I just went thru this last week and I was a quart low. Then your system should return to normal - I couldn't find my leak, but it took a year to go down that much.
I'm just watching
Semper Fi Marine.

hfbundy · 04-07-2018, 08:53 AM

Well I had only looked at the reset procedure on the Ford forum before I read the trouble warnings from members on the Winnebago forum. After resetting the trouble alarms I lowered my jacks. A couple days later when I was preparing to leave the RV park I couldn't raise them. I was fortunate in that the mobile RV technician I contacted was also a certified Lippert technician. With tech support from Lippert he determined that the pump was defective. He turned the screws on the two solenoids clockwise and a nut under a cover on the pump counterclockwise and the jacks retracted. I will be ordering a new pump from the parts department before I take my motorhome to the dealer on May 10.