Driver slide will not extend. Light Blinks 17 times

Wayne M · 06-12-2014, 10:38 AM

Getting ready to head out tomorrow and went to extend driver side slide. No go.

2008 Winnebago Destination 39W
Kwikee Electric slides

Push out button and nothing happens. Green light blinks 17 times. Manual only goes to 15 blinks.

Any ideas?

Clifftall · 06-12-2014, 10:57 AM

You might want to email Power Gear . [email protected] . Their techs respond very quickly. Hopefully they can get you going.

corjaguar · 06-12-2014, 11:03 AM

Is the engine running?.........or at least have the ignition switch in the on position?........if all else fails, flip the chassis/ house batteries to the off position for a minute to let everything reset itself.
If the above fail, call Winnie tech support 1 641 585 3535
Good luck...let me know if that helps

corjaguar · 06-12-2014, 11:06 AM

Forgot to mention that if the engine is running or the ignition switch is on, you have to have the emergency brake on.

Wayne M · 06-12-2014, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clifftall

You might want to email Power Gear . [email protected] . Their techs respond very quickly. Hopefully they can get you going.

Guess what. They are down for two days of inventory starting today.

Quote:

Originally Posted by corjaguar

Is the engine running?.........or at least have the ignition switch in the on position?........if all else fails, flip the chassis/ house batteries to the off position for a minute to let everything reset itself.
If the above fail, call Winnie tech support 1 641 585 3535
Good luck...let me know if that helps

I always run the engine when extending either the jacks or the slides. Several on/off sequences did not help the problem, but read my last entry on this post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by corjaguar

Forgot to mention that if the engine is running or the ignition switch is on, you have to have the emergency brake on.

The DigiSync will not blink green error codes if it is the emergency brake. It flashes a red light and has little printing that says Brake, or words to that effect. The ignition key does not have to be on for me to extend or retract the slide.
==============================================
First, Thank you all for responding with good ideas that other can use. (been there done that)

New followup:

My previous experience that I searched on is that the 17 blinks of the green light is "Low voltage to actuator." With that in mind I started and let the engine run for several minutes. Still no progress. HOWEVER:

I just got the coach out of the shop at Holiday World of Houston - South for a bad solenoid to the auxiliary battery disconnect. That solenoid is located behind the circuit breaker panel in my electrical compartment. The slide RAM circuit breakers are on the panel. I thought to myself that it was possible that a wire broke of or came loose. What I found was not what I expected.

Inside that compartment behind the pane are two DigiSync boxes with 4-6 plug connectors. The bottom DigiSync box controls the passenger side slide. All of the plugs were connected. The upper box controls the driver slide and the bottom center plug was just hanging around waiting to be plugged in. I did plug it in and the slide is now working normally.

The emotional stress that this caused is beyond explanation. We had thought we would have to postpone our trip beginning tomorrow, and I called a mobile repair technician. Initial charge for them to show up and one hour of work was $156. I just hate it when things don't work the way they should.

Again, thank you all. I hope this post can help someone else.

corjaguar · 06-12-2014, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne M

Guess what. They are down for two days of inventory starting today.

I always run the engine when extending either the jacks or the slides. Several on/off sequences did not help the problem, but read my last entry on this post.

The DigiSync will not blink green error codes if it is the emergency brake. It flashes a red light and has little printing that says Brake, or words to that effect. The ignition key does not have to be on for me to extend or retract the slide.
==============================================
First, Thank you all for responding with good ideas that other can use. (been there done that)

New followup:

My previous experience that I searched on is that the 17 blinks of the green light is "Low voltage to actuator." With that in mind I started and let the engine run for several minutes. Still no progress. HOWEVER:

I just got the coach out of the shop at Holiday World of Houston - South for a bad solenoid to the auxiliary battery disconnect. That solenoid is located behind the circuit breaker panel in my electrical compartment. The slide RAM circuit breakers are on the panel. I thought to myself that it was possible that a wire broke of or came loose. What I found was not what I expected.

Inside that compartment behind the pane are two DigiSync boxes with 4-6 plug connectors. The bottom DigiSync box controls the passenger side slide. All of the plugs were connected. The upper box controls the driver slide and the bottom center plug was just hanging around waiting to be plugged in. I did plug it in and the slide is now working normally.

The emotional stress that this caused is beyond explanation. We had thought we would have to postpone our trip beginning tomorrow, and I called a mobile repair technician. Initial charge for them to show up and one hour of work was $156. I just hate it when things don't work the way they should.

Again, thank you all. I hope this post can help someone else.

2010 saids that the RV is on jacks and the engine running emergency brake on......but I usually leave the key on with engine off to deploy the slides....it needs all the 12 volts it can get the slides out.....it's not me, but according to the Winnebago operators manual.

Clifftall · 06-12-2014, 12:06 PM

Thanks for the update. Have fun.

Wayne M · 06-12-2014, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corjaguar

2010 saids that the RV is on jacks and the engine running emergency brake on......but I usually leave the key on with engine off to deploy the slides....it needs all the 12 volts it can get the slides out.....it's not me, but according to the Winnebago operators manual.

Yep! Exactly what I do 99 and 9/10ths of the time. Only once in a while will I use just battery power without the engine running and it is usually here in the driveway. Always on jacks, leveled and otherwise engine running. The engine running allows the alternator to back up the batteries. The passenger side slide has two motors, so twice the current draw and I will always start the engine for that one.

Off topic, but I'll also always put the little slide out first before that long 23 foot one. Just balances and checks.

Thanks for the reply.

1ciderdog · 06-12-2014, 05:57 PM

Happy to hear the problem has been resolved. Enjoy you trip.
Semper Fi
Bob

Wayne M · 06-12-2014, 08:58 PM

Thanks bob. Hoping for a mechanically uneventful trip.

Ray,IN · 06-12-2014, 10:00 PM

Wayne, look at it this way, you got some knowledge for that $156. The glass is half-full thinking. Good luck with your trip, and enjoy.

Wayne M · 06-14-2014, 09:09 PM

Ray,
I didn't have to pay the $156, that is what was quoted to me for 1 hours work and travel time. I called and cancelled before he got on the road

Knocking on wood, so far so good on the trip.

Left the house Friday right after son and D-I-L got there, stopped at friends house in LaBelle, tx, and now in gulfport at the Shields Fam Camp.

jimbotucson · 07-30-2014, 09:31 PM

My trip started July 1 through New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and on to Indianapolis to visit the grandkids. From there to Bowling Green to see the Corvette Museum and back to Texas to see my other grandkids and home today in Tucson. It was in Texas when I started to bring the kitchen slide in, I got an error code. I had done it before so I removed the control, pressed the RESET button and started to bring it on in. I did not realize at the time that the IN button only ran the front motor and I was able to get the slide in such a bind, I lost all power to that control. To shorten this, you refer to "the circuit breaker panel in my electrical compartment". Are you referring to the compartment that houses the inverter? I have electrical breakers in the front left side compartment and under the bed as well. Reading the books, I feel there is another one I haven't found. Thanks for any help you can provide. Jim

Wayne M · 07-31-2014, 08:17 AM

Jim,

In my particular case the DigiSync controllers are behind the circuit breaker panel in the Electrical bay. I had to remove the "several" screws to look at the relays and controls behind that panel. I don't know where that may be on your particular model. Call the Winnebago hot line and talk with a service rep. Give them the serial number of your coach (not vin #) and they should be able to tell you where the relays are located. I'm suspecting that they did not make that much of a change and it is the one behind the breaker panel in the electrical compartment where your inverter and power cord are located.

Let us know what you find.
It is vary possible that some fine craftsman did not push the connectors in as hard as they should have and over a period of time something could have wiggled loose.

Wayne M · 07-31-2014, 08:22 AM

My DigiSync has a small pin hole between the IN and OUT buttons. Using a toothpick and putting it in the hole and pushing it for 6 seconds or a little longer both the green and red light will blink. At that time I can use the IN and OUT button to either walk the slide in, get one side moving that I know is a little slow, and/or push both buttons at the same time for both sides to come in at one time. When the slide is all the way in I can just forget about the lights, or push the pin hole button again to turn them off. Forgetting about the and they will go off by themselves. Once the slides are in they motors are supposed to sync up. I have found that a weak motor will not necessarily sync up.

Right now, every time I bring in the full wall slide I start the back end moving the both buttons to continue the retraction. When we get home I'll have the rear motor changed out, or whatever.

jimbotucson · 08-01-2014, 09:35 AM

In the past couple of days, I have learned more than I originally wanted to know but still not enough to solve the problem. In my case, I get no lights when pressing the "set stops/clear fault button". I have downloaded more information from the Power Gear website which details a series of tests. Everything else works properly so I'm suspecting there is a blown fuse or circuit breaker to that particular DigiSync. I'll keep you posted. Jim

Wayne M · 08-01-2014, 03:47 PM

Yes, please keep us posted.

bobmac · 08-02-2014, 08:46 PM

If one slide motor operates and the second doesn't and you cannot reset the control to activate each motor, you should check the breakers. The breakers are likely in the rear DS electrical compartment along with you inverter. According to Winnebago when I called, most of the electrical equipment that is connected to the chassis batteries is housed there. You will find the House disconnect solenoid as well as your charge solenoid and the control boxes for your slides. There is one box for each Power Gear slide. Connected to these are the motors, the control and power. It might just be that the power lead for the inoperative motor has become disconnected. You need to remove the metal panel to reach this equipment. My Journey has a fuse panel that can be detached but you need to remove the complete panel to easily access the controllers. In my case, one of the controllers was bad and had to be replaced. If you have two controllers, you can mark the wiring on both and switch the wires from the defective controller to the good one to get the slide in. It really isn't as complex as it sounds. Good luck!

jimbotucson · 08-03-2014, 06:35 PM

No lights work on this slide. The other two slides work fine. I'm doing a lot of reading and learning which I should have done before I got myself in this mess. I still feel its a blown fuse or breaker but I haven't found it yet. Once I get some red or green flashing lights, I'll have something to go on. Jim

bobmac · 08-04-2014, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbotucson

No lights work on this slide. The other two slides work fine. I'm doing a lot of reading and learning which I should have done before I got myself in this mess. I still feel its a blown fuse or breaker but I haven't found it yet. Once I get some red or green flashing lights, I'll have something to go on. Jim

Jim

The control panel switches for the slide connect to the controller board in the rear compartment. I had the same 17 flashes which PG says is "low voltage less than 8 volts". If you are getting the "error" flashes on the control panel, the wiring to your control panel inside is OK.
My slide motor fuses were inside the coach above/near the motors mounted on the floor under a sofa on the DS and under the bed on the PS. It is unlikely that they have failed but they are easy to check.
You can see if the slide controller board itself is defective by interchanging the connections on that slide controller to the "good/working" controller for your other slide in the rear compartment.
I had the same symptoms - no lights showing slide movement on the control panel but it did indicate error codes - as you have when my controller board failed.

Good luck,