2022 Navion Steps Stopped Working

Merc · 01-31-2023, 02:04 PM

Steps weren't working, tech guy did this and that, they worked and when I got to my daughters didn't work again. I didn't touch anything. Ideas on why - trying to avoid long trip to dealer
Thanks

be happy · 01-31-2023, 02:47 PM

Merc
Theres a ton of folks here that will provide you with some great help. Let me ask you a few questions to help them narrow in on the problem.

Can you hear the motor running?
If so does the motor run when opening the door?
If motor runs do the steps move at all?
There is a switch that changes the step operation. It will allow the step to go up or down in relationship to the door being open or closed. Does that switch work.

Can you give some more info on what the tech did, where they worked that kind of stuff.

Again the more info you can give the better the help from these great folks will be.

Ontario Don · 01-31-2023, 02:50 PM

Hi - We had a similar problem with our '21 View. The steps worked sometimes, and not at other times.

I'd recommend starting off with something easy - There are a couple of magnets down at the bottom right hand side of the door frame that enable the retract mechanism when the door is closed. The magnet on the door is just screwed into the plastic, so I removed it and experimented with repositioning it in hopes that it was factory installed in a poor location.

That worked for us. If that doesn't help, standby for more detailed troubleshooting from the Group!

Welcome to the Forum.

Cheers,

Morich · 01-31-2023, 06:04 PM

More detail is always good, so maybe a couple questionts on how thw "steps don't work" will help??
A couple quick things to check, maybe?
Step switch is on? Easy thing to miss!
Do the steps seem to be okay as far as movement and not binding? They should be able to move a little by hand if you push/pull on them, just to make sure they are not bent and binding.

Do you mean they don't go out when you open the door? This can be as simple as a little switch being stuck. Normally down near the door bottom (but could be different) there is often a small plastic box on the door and the door frame. I think you will find the one on the door is the magnet and the one on the frame is likely to be a "reed switch".
I asswume called that because inside there is a very weak little wire (reed?) which is moved by the small magnet as we open and close the door and that tiny movement opens and closes the switch.
They normally work pretty well but due to being such a sensitive little wire thing, it can stick so that when we open/close the door, the circuit is not changed.
One hammer head way to fix it might be to simply tap it a time or so, hoping to jar it loose! Don't stand in front of the steps as them tend to whack your shins if it comes loose and they work!!

A second thought would be to take the reed switch off and remove one of the wires, hoping to get some step movement. While off the frame, touchng the wires together and back open again will act as if the door is opened and closed.

Both of these are best done with the door switch that controls open/close on the step is turned on.
Just a couple quick things to try and hope one doesn't have to get into how the steps work as I find them to be one of the harder things to sort trouble.

eyecando · 01-31-2023, 09:43 PM

If the steps won't go in, the switch on the left side of the door above the steps may be turned off as Richard indicated above.

If the steps won't go out there may be a poor ground connection attached to the frame under the RV near the steps. The 12Vdc for the steps is powered from the chassis battery by a 20amp circuit breaker under the passenger seat. Check to see if the button is out.

If the magnet or the reed relay on the right bottom side of the door are not close together when the door closes, the steps will not pull in. I'm not sure if one was mis-aligned if the steps would fail to deploy.

Mike

Merc · 02-01-2023, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morich

More detail is always good, so maybe a couple questionts on how thw "steps don't work" will help??
A couple quick things to check, maybe?
Step switch is on? Easy thing to miss!
Do the steps seem to be okay as far as movement and not binding? They should be able to move a little by hand if you push/pull on them, just to make sure they are not bent and binding.

Do you mean they don't go out when you open the door? This can be as simple as a little switch being stuck. Normally down near the door bottom (but could be different) there is often a small plastic box on the door and the door frame. I think you will find the one on the door is the magnet and the one on the frame is likely to be a "reed switch".
I asswume called that because inside there is a very weak little wire (reed?) which is moved by the small magnet as we open and close the door and that tiny movement opens and closes the switch.
They normally work pretty well but due to being such a sensitive little wire thing, it can stick so that when we open/close the door, the circuit is not changed.
One hammer head way to fix it might be to simply tap it a time or so, hoping to jar it loose! Don't stand in front of the steps as them tend to whack your shins if it comes loose and they work!!

A second thought would be to take the reed switch off and remove one of the wires, hoping to get some step movement. While off the frame, touchng the wires together and back open again will act as if the door is opened and closed.

Both of these are best done with the door switch that controls open/close on the step is turned on.
Just a couple quick things to try and hope one doesn't have to get into how the steps work as I find them to be one of the harder things to sort trouble.

Not sure if replying right but give a try. Steps have worked, but for short time,. I feel like it is a short or loose wire. I' m not a home project guy so just trying the easy stuff. Hard to get into places for an appt. I will try the tapping. Thanks for time!

Merc · 02-01-2023, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyecando

If the steps won't go in, the switch on the left side of the door above the steps may be turned off as Richard indicated above.

If the steps won't go out there may be a poor ground connection attached to the frame under the RV near the steps. The 12Vdc for the steps is powered from the chassis battery by a 20amp circuit breaker under the passenger seat. Check to see if the button is out.

If the magnet or the reed relay on the right bottom side of the door are not close together when the door closes, the steps will not pull in. I'm not sure if one was mis-aligned if the steps would fail to deploy.

Mike

Going to check the circuit breaker tomorrow! Thanks!

eyecando · 03-13-2023, 08:22 PM

Unplug the 2 pin connector under the steps and attach a voltmeter. Open the door. If 12 volts appears, then close the door. 12 volts should appear with reversed polarity. If that happens the motor has issues.

You can purchase a replacement meter from Amazon for about $35 or you can probably disassemble the motor and use 400 grid sandpaper or Scotchbrite to clean the communicator and the brushes, then reassemble it.

To re-assemble the motor, you can use a couple of rubber bands to hold the brushes in place while you insert the communicator into the brush holder. You can use a pair of Channelocks to put pressure on the gear so the magnets in the stator don't pull the communicator out of the brush holder while you insert the armature into the stator.