Kwikee Jacks Will Not Power Up

Yellowboat · 12-31-2013, 08:51 PM

My Kwikee jacks will not power up when I push the On/Off button.

My motor home, a 2005 Sightseer 29R on a Ford chassis, had a low engine battery after being parked at my brother’s house since Thanksgiving. I used jumper cables from my house batteries to the engine battery and was able to start my engine. I let it run for a while and then hooked up my Battery Minder over night. This morning my engine started fine.

When I got ready to retract my jacks I had no lights on the control unit.

After removing the wiring connectors the lights came on the control unit but the power On/Off button would not energize. I read the manual on trouble shooting. I tried a reboot by unplugging the power for 1 minute. That didn't work. I did a reboot with the engine running and with the engine off.

Decided to use the jumper to retract the jacks. Looked in my black bag but could not find the jumper. Wife also checked the bag. Called my dealer and asked about the jumper. Dealer had no clue about a jumper

but did spend a lot of time trouble shooting.

Dealer thinks it is a fuse or breaker somewhere in the circuit but I couldn't find one.

About ten minutes after he hung up another dealer that I called earlier near where we are currently parked called back to tell me they found the jumper.

It is tie wrapped to the wiring bundle under the dash and behind the Kwikee control panel. Yes, it was there so I was able to retract my jacks but the On/Off button still does not energize the pump.

I read where the Kwikee Jacks do not like low voltage. I would think that with the engine running, even with a low battery, I should have enough voltage to power my Kwikee jacks.

My dealer, reading a wiring diagram thinks there is a fuse or breaker near the solenoid valve on the pump. I could not find it.

Does anyone have a suggestion about what I might try?

Just posting this has helped me and perhaps it will help someone else who is looking for their Kwikee jumper.

My intentions are to continue our trip south now that my jacks are up and if I can't find the problem and fix it, I will have a mobile service come out and fix it for me once we arrive at a park where we plan to stay for a few days.

Have a Happy Prosperous New Year.

JD

LVJ58 · 12-31-2013, 09:20 PM

Had a similar issue with the KwiKee 2000 levelers on our coach, but then I realized I forgot to set the parking brake. However doesn't sound like that's the issue with yours.

Good luck and do let us know the fix--Thanks

Yellowboat · 12-31-2013, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LVJ58

Had a similar issue with the KwiKee 2000 levelers on our coach, but then I realized I forgot to set the parking brake. However doesn't sound like that's the issue with yours.

Good luck and do let us know the fix--Thanks

No, it isn't an issue but probably not for the reason you are thinking about. Our engine failed at 17K miles. When they put in a new engine some how they didn't get the parking brake hooked back up to our jacks and slides. Our jacks and slides work with, or without, the parking brake. I asked our dealer to look at the issue but when I picked it up they said they checked my jacks and they worked. I explained that they worked without the parking brake on and they said "Oh, we didn't check for that". Since the jacks and slides were working I said OK and left. That was about three years ago.

JD

UFO Pilot · 12-31-2013, 11:38 PM

Have you tried unplugging and replugging the small telephone type plugs on the back of the control board? That is how I reset mine after the battery was replaced.

Clay L · 01-01-2014, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UFO Pilot

Have you tried unplugging and replugging the small telephone type plugs on the back of the control board? That is how I reset mine after the battery was replaced.

That worked for mine also. On mine I had to remove four screws that hold the display panel on to get to the dc input connector so I could unplug it and replug it.

Yellowboat · 01-01-2014, 04:43 PM

Yes, I have unplugged it several times. We drove today and the engine battery is now fully charged. I will try unplugging one more time.

Thanks for the ideas.

JD

Yellowboat · 01-09-2014, 08:44 PM

I have found the problem with my Kwikee jacks. My touch pad control had an open circuit. If I move the ribbon connectors around I can find a position where the broken wires make contact and the controller works allowing me to raise or lower my jacks.

I called Winnebago parts and they said the touch pad was being re-engineered. I e-mailed Power Gear (now the owner of Kwikee) and they said that re-desigened parts will be available in two or three weeks.

Safe travels.

JD

Wayne M · 01-09-2014, 10:16 PM

JD,
Typically it is the point where the wire connects to the pin. Radio Shack sells a tool that allows easy extraction of the pin. You pus the tool in the end of the plug and it pushes the pin and wire out. It may be that you could check the pins and re-solder the bad connection.

Just a thought.

Yellowboat · 02-15-2014, 09:09 PM

My jacks are finally repaired. The ribbon connector that connected my touch pad to the circuit board had an open circuit. I could move it around till the wires made a connection and then carefully press the buttons and I could get my jacks to work.

I contacted Power Gear via e-mail and they let me know that the part I needed was not available. It was being re-designed. The new touch pad/circuit board arrived a few days ago and I was able to make repairs to my jack system. It is now working great.

I hope their design changes have improved the reliability of the touch pad/circuit board.

Safe travels. JD