Hi Everyone,

My Kwikee steps #909513 will not retract or extend unless I override the controller and connect the motor directly to vehicle power.

When I open and close the door there is a faint clicking sound but the motor will not activate.

I do not have a spare battery to check the controller as outlined in the trouble-shooting manual and have checked all past & present posts on the steps but cannot find anything which addresses this problem directly. Any suggestions are appreciated.

It seems as though I need a new controller. If so, does anyone know af an after-market source for this part as I understand that the price from Kwikee is expensive.

Thank you.

Carl Feren

Had the same issue a few years back..thought controller price was way out there, so eliminated it altogether. Wired in a toggle switch in place of original step switch near pass seat...down to extend, up to retract...simple. Meant to add a lite to indicate step out but haven't needed it yet. Been working great and we don't miss having step extend when door opens etc.

Hi Carl,

Several years ago I had the same problem and disconnect the power to the steps and then cleaned all the connections and lub the fittings. Also cleaned the ground wire connection. When I hook it all back together it worked again.

Hope this may help,
Jim
1985 Barth Regency 35 ft MCC
8.2 Detroit 225 HP Allison 4 speed.

You can check the step with a battery charger if it puts out ~20-30amps.

One of my favorite trouble shooting tools is a long wire with a large clip on one end and a small clip or probe on the other end.

When connected from battery ground or from battery positive to the problem area, you will be providing a known good ground, or a known good positive. That can tell you a lot.

A lot of folks say the batteries must really be up to run the steps. Mine will go down with 8 tired D cells, and will almost go up with them. My bicycle headlight battery runs them up and down really well.

So..............if the steps need a fully-charged battery to work, it is possible that there is a bad ground or a bad connection somewhere. Or a dirty commutator, who knows? Sometimes just a cleanup does the job.

I replaced my whole step because it was deteriorated. I found that there were too many butt connectors. and several were badley corroded.

The controller and adaptor are so expensive, it's not worth repair. I posted some comments in the thread about replacing the step.

Note that the new controller operates differently in that the magnetic switch goes to ground.

WOW! All great suggestions.

I started with the easiest one first. I cleaned the connectors and coated them with di-lectric grease before reconnecting them. Still nothing. Then my wife decided to turn the switch off and back on again. As soon as she did it seemed to reset the controller because it worked on the next try.

The toggle switch is a good idea but Betsy and I both like the convenience of the automatic in & out feature available with the controller, even if it may cost us a few bucks.

My battery charger puts out 2 or 10 AMPS unless I put it in START mode in which case it puts out 55 AMPS. Is 55 AMPS too much to use for a quick test?

I'm going to make a set of those long test leads, bill. What gauge wire ro you recommend?

I have heard other people say that it was cheaper to replace the whole step too, Rusty. Fortunately ours is in surprisingly good condition so we are good for a while. Did you get another KWIKEE step or a different brand? I really like the looks of the Stromberg-Carlson. CUTE little puppy by the way; he looks right at home.

MWrench also gave me a suggestion for my lack of spare battery and suggested that I clamp a meter onto a connection going from the controller to the motor and another to the ground. He said tha if I got 12V on the meter while opening or closing the door then the controller was probably good. I tried this and got no reading (until after I cleaned and reattached all the connections.

Thanks again to everyone for their advice.

Carl Feren

I replaced the step with another Kwikee. The automatic step, BTW, was only $9 more than the manual.

55A won't hurt IF it's attached to the battery. As a rule, chargers aren't recommended for use as a test power supply unless in parallel with a battery.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:


55A won't hurt IF it's attached to the battery. As a rule, chargers aren't recommended for use as a test power supply unless in parallel with a battery.

+1 on that. Most chargers are unregulated, unfiltered or both, and can have high voltage and some AC component. The battery in the circuit acts as a capacitor, and absorbs the peaks and minimizes the AC component of the charger's output.

quote:

Originally posted by Carl Feren:

I'm going to make a set of those long test leads, bill. What gauge wire do you recommend?

The correct answer is to use the length and gauge appropriate to the distance and load, with a fuse 10% above the ampacity of the wire.

The farm boy answer is to go in the shop and see what is available. I think mine is 14 gauge. That has done the job for for me for decades, but will heat up a little on aircraft landing lights or other high loads. Be sure to use automotive wire, as it is way more flexible than stranded wire from Home Depot.

A good source of 14 gauge wire is a damaged extension cord. Strip off the jacket and there you are.

At work, I acquired several that way. Sometimes we daisy-chained them from one end of an airplane to another for trouble-shooting.

just hit a tire last week and it took out some wires reconnected the RED wire it worked but just the opposite as it should. every time I closed the door it went out. also found that the plug wires were shorted after fixing those red wires it worked fine . ebay has the window closer you need for the kwike step. BE CAREFUL THAT IT DOES NOT GO IN WHEN YOU OPEN THE DOOR LOOOOOOOOOONG STEP
lenny
PS. found alot on the other site MH mag.

Good advice re: batteries & jumper leads. I was thinking maybe 10 gauge since that is what was recommended for the jumper wire for the steps. Even over 10'- 12' it should be OK.

I never knew that there was a difference between automotive & other twisted wire. ... learn something ne every day!

Lenny/Judy ... Ebay has everything nowadays MH mag?

Thanks again.

Carl Feren

Not a big deal but the wire is exposed to the elements, use the tinned wire used (should be used) for marine applications.