Maxxair remote control doesn't raise lid

[jimbobway47]

During a recent trip one of my Maxxair roof fans failed. The other two work fine. When you activate the remote control to open and start the fan the motor that should raise the lid turns the knob in the proper direction but the lid doesn't raise. The fan starts and runs as usual. When the close command is issued the knob turns in the opposite direction but again the lid doesn't move. I removed the fan screen and, while the fan was off of course, pushed on the lid and it appeared to be disconnected from the open/close mechanism. During a rain storm on the way home rain leaked into the bathroom and tripped the rain sensor on the fan I plan on getting up on the roof (No ladder so I will use a lift I have access to) and checking to see if it is something simple, such as a loose or missing pin. Has anyone else had a similar problem and have the ultimate solution? If I can't find anything simple I will take it to the dealer with my $50 deductible repair contract.

[bigfatguy]

Mine, i had to lube the rubber seal. It was sticking to the cover and holding it shut

[jimbobway47]

Using a lift I got up on the roof. Before going up I started both the bad fan and one of the good fans to use as a comparison. As stated before, the lid would not raise and, from the inside, appeared to be disconnected from the mechanism. I raised the lid and immediately noticed that part of the cast housing, with a worm gear that was connected by a linkage to the lid, had broken off and was laying next to the housing. This effectively disconnected the lid from the motor. I took a phone picture of the label inside the housing and accessed the www.airxcel.com website where I found a parts list. There was a separate listing for manual and automatic lid systems. I have emailed the company support listing to get ordering information. It may have been a stuck lid that broke the gearbox originally. I'll post again when(if) problem is solved.

[Morich]

I find it easier to go at the lid from the bottom instead of top as the mechanism is inside and under the lid.

[jimbobway47]

I posted yesterday using quick reply and it looks like it went in the trash so I will try to remember what I said then.
In response to Morich: On my unit there is no way to get to anything from the bottom. The fan is right there and , although you can remove the covering screen, there is really no access to the mechanism.

Anyway, I got on the roof with a lift after starting both the bad fan and one of the good fans to have a comparison. As I suspected, the lid was loose from the mechanism and was easy to raise from the top. When I lifted the lid i immediately noticed that the casting holding the worm gear for raising and lowering the lid was broken. The piece of broken casting was lying next to the casing. I took a picture of the manufacture's label with my phone and then was able access the parts list on the website airxcel.com. There was a part called operator mechanism and there was a part for manual lift units and one for automatic lift units. I have emailed the support department for ordering instructions. With the lid raised it looks like the operator mechanism is held in by two Philips machine screws and it may be easy to replace. Not sure how to synchronize the lid with the motor yet but maybe when the unit is apart that will be obvious.

I plan on posting again when(if) the job is completed.

[jimbobway47]

After I sent an email to the support address for the fan I got a return stating they were sending a replacement. It came last week (no charge) and this morning I replaced the defective part. In the package was a guide to replacing the part including pictures illustrating the instructions. It said to remove power from the fan and since I have pushbutton breakers there was no way to just remove the fan power. I just turned off the battery master switches. It took less than ten minutes to replace the part. The instructions told how to set the gearbox before installation and hook up the linkage that raised the lid. I then had someone inside the RV turn the knob to raise the linkage so I could reattach it to the lid. Powered back up and it worked fine again. Great support from Airexcel company. There website is airxcel.com so someone else must have already owned airexcel.com (it sells beauty products)