Project 2000 electric step problems help!

[bertieburstner]

We have a project 2000 electric two step on our Laika.

 

Tonight when I tried to open it the motor just made a slight "straining noise" I WD40'd around all the nuts and bolts and left it for ten minutes. I released the switch

 

Then when I pushed the button again to retract the step the motor started to pull the step out got halfway and seemed to jam. i pulled on the step (quite gently) and it came down ok.

 

Now when I try to close it the motor makes alot of noise. it eventually "picks up" the lower step, folds it in and then it all comes crashing down again, and the motor keeps working. i have to press one of the plastic covered buttons in the well to stop the motor.

 

Any ideas please? :-(

[silverback]

Berti,

if its anything like mine,(also a 2 step) it works on a motor pushing a plunger out which then moves the step, it sounds like the plunger(sorry cant think of the other word for it) is sticking, after a few years use it does this, due to road crap getting on it, you have to get underneath and remove the motor /stroke plunger (quite easy ,a couple of bolts and an electric wire connecter) give it a good clean and new grease and it will be fine, while you at it clean the step arms and screws (even remove screws/bolts) give em a good smearing in grease and all should be well.

The reason the step comes out then stops then when you press the button again it carries on coming out, is because the switch is on a memory and it didnt complete the last command, so it carries on when you press the button again, THIS probably sounds gobbledegook, but i know what i mean! hope you do too *-)

jonathan

[bertieburstner]

Thanks very much

 

I'll have a go tomorrow morning *-)

[Brian Kirby]

Do be aware that the motor and mechanism develop surprising amounts of power when energised.  Make absolutely sure you have disconnected the power supply to the motor before you do anything, and keep your fingers out of harm's way when re-connecting and testing.  As said above, they can stall at mid point so, once cleaned and re-connected, they are apt to spring into life unexpectedly.  It's the semblance these mechanisms to scissors that is getting my teeth on edge!  Don't go there!!  :-)

[bertieburstner]

oh dear the problem gets deeper

 

I looked under the 'van at the weekend and there is only one small nut to remove to take off the housing. I took this off but there was no movement in the housing.

 

Today it went to our local dealer Davan and unfortunately their technician could not get anywhere with it. They are not dealers of Project 2000. I have tried another dealer Highbridge Caravans and they are drawing a blank as well.

 

The Laika handbook says there is a 5mm steel pin installed on the coupling between the drive shaft and the electric motor that is designed to break if put under any pressure so I assume thats what i need to get to if i could get the housing off. The motor works fine.

 

I have e mailed Project 2000 in Italy and asked for a diagram and/or instructions. :-(

 

Will keep you posted

[Guest Tracker]

Have you asked Chelston or WCMH as you seem to be in that area and both are very experienced with motorhomes?

[Derek Uzzell]

I noticed this on the MHF forum:

 

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-42115.html

[Paul Hipkin]

Hi,

has any one had this problem our project 2000 steps 2 step on our Giottiline K900 works fine until you plug in the 240v supply and the steps will go up ,press the down botton and nothing happens steps will not work,if you disconnect the plug in all works fine again leave the plug in for an hour or two all works fine is this weard or not we can not find a logical answer to this?.

Paul

[Derek Uzzell]

Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums, Paul.

 

As one would expect that an electric step should operate irrespective of whether or not the motorhome is connected to a mains Electrical Hook-Up (EHU), the way yours is behaving must be considered a fault. This is stating the obvious, perhaps, but it does mean that there may not be a simple way of resolving the problem.

 

Pure crystal-gazing but, as Giottiline motorhomes are built in Italy, there's a fair chance that it has an Italian cbe-made electrical system.

 

My Hobby has such a system with a central 'black box' with a 12V output for an electric step and that handles input from the motorhome's on-board battery-charger. When you've connected your K900 to an EHU and the step fails to extend, have you tried switching off the on-board battery-charger to see if that makes any difference? If the step will extend with the battery-charger not operating, this might suggest that the problem lies within the electrical system's 'control unit'.

 

I can't see this problem relating to the step itself, and the fact that the step will extend after the motorhome has been on EHU for a while may also be a symptom of some sort of 'centralised' electrical fault.

[Keithl]

Hi Paul,

 

I would hazard a guess that your electrical system is sensing the charge voltage and wrongly assuming that this is an engine running condition and hence disabling the step down action. The fact that the step works after leaving on charge for a fair while goes further to make me suspect this is the case as the battery voltage will then have fallen back to a trickle charge condition.

 

How old is your leisure battery? If it is on it's way out it may well be the cause of your problems. I am assuming this never used to be the case with your step so what else can have changed? Answer probably your battery is failing.

 

Can you check the voltage of the system or battery under both counditions and let us know the answer please.

 

Keith.