2017 Sunstar jacks-down alarm location

bobby5832708 · 10-27-2021, 09:06 AM

I am trying to find where the jacks-down alarm is located on my 2017 Sunstar 29VE on F53 chassis. I want to quiet it down a bit, not disable it.

I've looked under the dash and it seems like the beeper is to the left of the steering column but I can't seem to locate it's exact location, it's one of those sounds that I just can't pick up the exact direction of where it's coming from.

Anyone know where the beeper is actually located? Maybe above the gauge cluster? I don't want to just randomly remove dash parts looking for it.

**creativepart** · 10-27-2021, 09:27 AM

I’m not positive but I thought it was on the back of the jacks control panel. That’s what I’ve been told.

Tell us why you want to do this. I’ll bet we can help you out. You shouldn’t need to hear this at all except when operating the slides. Maybe that’s when you are being bothered by the sound?

Morich · 10-27-2021, 09:43 AM

Two ideas to try but one depends on which brand you have, HWH or Lippert and I've forgotten which but "think" Lippert!!!!

One idea is to look carefully at how the plastic of the control comes out. It may be that you can stick something thin (we used a pin) in above the plastic and gently pull down to snap the cover out and that lets you spot the noise maker! Our unit sounded like under the dash but my only guess is the plastic cover makes it go back and under???/
A small scrap of felt cut to fit over the noise was enough for us.

Second idea if the first is wrong?
Make a DIY stethoscope with a funnel and tubing or hose.
A funnel large enough to fit over an ear and tight to the head with a short piece of hose/ tubing stuck on the end will let you tell which dierection the sound is coming from as you point the hose around.
Goofy, quirkey but it works to find our noises!
Also helped to find a knife which had fallen out of a drawer and banging around under the cabinet!

Bones2003 · 10-27-2021, 02:21 PM

There are numerous posts on this site about this issue. Here is a link to one interesting thread:
https://www.winnieowners.com/forums/...er-357651.html

You can also use the search feature near the top of the page to search for jacks down alarm or alert.

Morich · 10-27-2021, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bones2003

There are numerous posts on this site about this issue. Here is a link to one interesting thread:
https://www.winnieowners.com/forums/...er-357651.html

You can also use the search feature near the top of the page to search for jacks down alarm or alert.

Okay, Good job finding that old post and Wyatt did a great job showing what he found and where. So part of the question comes down to whehter you have the same system and alarms and which is the one you want to change. That videos is far better than my memory of what we got involved in last time!

bobby5832708 · 10-28-2021, 06:02 AM

Thanks for the replies. I had searched on this site but didn't find Wyatt's solution. It looks like I will have to remove the gauge cluster to access the chime.

Disabling the jacks-down warning chime/light completely is easy but that's not what I want to do. I just want the noise to be about 1/3 of the volume from what it is now. The constant loud PING-PING-PING seems to resonate through my head and is, to me, very irritating. When the jacks are down even a little bit the chime/light is constant with the key is in "acc" or "on". If the noise timed out after about 15 seconds and the light flashed constantly that would be fine too, but it doesn't work that way.

I first thought that, logically, the chime would be on the Power Gear jack control panel but it wasn't. I unplugged the control panel then turned the key on and still a chime. I then removed the lower dash plastic panels searching for the noisemaker. After about a half hour of trying to squeeze my old, overweight body between the seat and floorpan and laying over the back of the engine (had to remove the engine cover first) I gave up.

Maybe this weekend I will try again if I get some free time. Anybody know how easy (or difficult) it is to remove the gauge cluster?

f53Challenge · 11-01-2021, 10:26 AM

Not sure if yours is the same. On my 2011 Sunstar 26P, I gained access by removing the large plastic dash cowling by removing the ~ 16 screws, opening up a large area to view from the top, the various wiring looms, top of steering column etc. and followed the sound coming from the jacks down alarm (while wearing hearing protection). The large plastic dash cowling is listed on the Winnebago parts catalog as "Pod ASM-Instrument Panel"

**creativepart** · 11-01-2021, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f53Challenge

Not sure if yours is the same. On my 2011 Sunstar 26P, I gained access by removing the large plastic dash cowling....

My 2017 Adventurer has the same kind of cover (but only 4 screws). I was going to suggest this, but did not know if other models have this or not.

bobby5832708 · 11-06-2021, 07:08 AM

Thanks everyone for the help. I found the noisemaker!! It's disconnected and the only warning now is the 'jacks down' light next to the steering column.

I removed the top cover of the dash that's over the gauge cluster. After removing the a/c vents to get access to 2 of the screws and also removlng the 2 screws that face the windshield the cover lifted off to reveal a 12" x 12" (approx) cutout in the main dashboard. Using the funnel-and tubing method as suggested earlier I located the general area of where the chime sound was coming from, it was about halfway down on the far left. After moving the left a/c air hose out of the way I could see the chime "down there" and could just barely access it to pull a wire off. There wasn't enough working room to duct tape over the chime to reduce the volume so I opted to just disconnect it. The chime is attached to an L-shaped bracket and it is aimed towards the front of the RV. Now that I know where the chime is I may try to access it again from below to reconnect and muffle it but that requires removing the engine cover or the seat so I can get my fat azz in there. Not gonna happen for a while! I'm enjoying not having that piercing PING-PING-PING sound.