Birder Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Hi All, Can anyone help? Our habitation step used to work via a switch just inside the door & also when the engine was switched; so on stopping any accidents when driving away. The step now only works when we use the switch just inside the door!! Is there a fuse that may need replacing or what? It's an Avondale Seascape 5ELX which I believe is a copy of the AutoSleeper Ravena Thanks in anticipation of your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninian Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Hi, There is a relay in the circuit so you would need to check that it is switching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 If it is on a Fiat have a look in the engine bay for a fuse box and relays at the middle of the engine and possibly protected by a large cover. Should be 4 fuses and two relays. Check these fuses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Hi On our CI, there was a fuse separate from every other fuse in the engine, by the battery (very helpful, took me ages to find it). When it blew, the step stopped going in and out and the fridge ceased to work on 12 volt, which is quite logical, as the fridge is supposed to switch over automatically at the same time as the step goes in when the engine is started. Happy hunting. :-D Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birder Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 Many thanks guys. At least now I know where to start looking. Hats off to the forum once more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 This is a reasonably common problem and will be related to the relay that should cause the step to retract when your motorhome's motor is started. Assuming that you have an "Omnistep", these wiring diagrams may help http://www.motts.dsl.pipex.com/Omnistep.htm http://www.omnistorawnings.co.uk/content/12_volt_wiring_diagram/ and you'll find (plenty of) previous discussion here http://tinyurl.com/clta7b5 Your Avondale Seascape may look like a Auto-Sleepers Ravenna, but there's definitely no guarantee that its step's electrical installation will be the same. The 12V power-supply to the step's motor will normally be protected by a fuse, but where that fuse is will be wherever Avondale decided to put it. However, as your step still functions from the manually-operated switch, the fuse protecting the step-motor's power-supply must be OK. (There MIGHT be another fuse somewhere for the 12V supply that operates the step-relay, but this would be more unusual.) The step-relay itself (and I've no idea where the relay might be on an Avondale) may have failed or may not be being activated when the motor is started. Clive Mott-Gotobed's advice (the 1st wiring-diagram above) suggests that 12V power to trigger the step-relay will come via the fridge-relay, but it may not. As ninian advises, you'll need to check whether 12V power is arriving at the step-relay when the motor is started and the step has been manually extended. If no power is arriving, check the wiring 'upstream' of the relay for loose/corroded electrical connections, detached cables, etc. If 12V power is arriving at the relay when the motor is started and the step has been manually extended, but the step-relay fails to switch, then suspect a step-relay failure. If the relay does switch (you may be able to hear it click), but the step does not retract, try waggling the relay's cable-connectors just in case there's a poor electrical connection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 When you run your engine does the fridge work on 12 volts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Also check that the limit switch at the back of the actual step has not stuck 'in'. If it has then the relay will already think that the step is fully retracted. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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