maglobal Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Hi...my first forum post! I am located in the US (Ohio) and have the pleasure/misfortune to have a Hymer AKTIV Class B....since EHGNA went belly up there is no support available in the US for Thule Power Step as they do not have a distributor in NA. I got to thinking that perhaps there is a Thule PowerStep dealer and maintenance shop that I could communicate with to get some remote support for my Power Step 400? Thule warranty support is of no help because I don't know enough about what my problem is. It is a fairly common situation...the step works great....only problem is it seems to have gotten out of synch...e.g. it works great until the ignition is turned on....then the step goes out and won't come back until it is turned off...seems the exact opposite.... Can any point me to where I may arrange some remote diagnostic assistance? Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plwsm2000 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 A bit of a long shot, but does your EBL have a switch that inverts the D+ signal? On my EBL223, this switch is labelled "D+ aktiv an +12V / D+ aktiv an Masse". I had a similar (but not identical) problem where this switch was accidentally flipped into the wrong position. In my case, I could not operate the step unless the engine was running. On a Fiat Ducato chassis, this switch should be set to the "+12V" position. I don't know if this is different on a Mercedes chassis. Apart from that, I would suspect the Thule control unit is faulty rather than the actual step mechanism. You should be able to disconnect the D+ signal from the controller as a temporary measure to allow you to drive without the step out. I am assuming it was working correctly at some point and no one has since done any maintenance and possible got a couple of wires crossed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 I’m guessing that Thule does not use the “Power Step” name outside the USA and that the equivalent step in Europe is the 407mm-wide slide-out step shown on this link https://www.thule.com/en-gb/gb/caravans-accessories/steps/thule-slide-out-step-v18-12v-_-301461 The User Manual downloadable via that link includes installation/usage instructions and (Page 5) carries wiring schematics. I’ve heard of installations where an electrically-operated step will automatically deploy when a motorhome’s entrance-door is opened. But, logically, when automatic retraction is implemented the step should retract when the vehicle’s motor is started and definitely never extend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alanb Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 maglobal, Welcome to the Forum. Provided that you have the necessary understanding, you will receive the support that you need here. However we do very much appreciate it when an enquiring member reports back when the problem is solved. I hold great respect for plwsm2000's technical knowledge, and my first reaction was to leave the diagnosis to him. However as he has hinted, I think that your problem is easily explained if the wiring to the step has been disturbed. The orange and purple wires to the step motor unit are the motor connections. If the connection to these wires has been reversed, your reported symptoms will be fully explained. To elaborate, with the motor connections reversed between the control switch, plus D+ operated relay, and the step motor, the step will function as you describe. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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