Lube for Electric Step Moror September 19, 2016, 11:39:16 am Well looks like it's time to do a full cleaning and lube on my electric step. I've had two incidents in the past three months. First seemed to be cured by siliconing the step and axles. But this last time didn't do a quick cure. Checked grounds. Heard the relays click but no motor movement. I pulled the lunch pin and tied the step up. The next morning the motor started working and had ever since. It just doesn't have a step to drive. I looked in the companion but no mention of what kind of lube is required in the motor gearbox. Any help appreciated Thanks Lydia.
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #1 – September 19, 2016, 12:35:59 pm Hello Lydia. If my memory is still intact, I believe the LD manual for our '09 recommends White Lithium Grease in a spray can. I use a silicon cleaner, wipe everything down, and spray all the moving parts with White Lithium Grease. The step opens and closes smoothly and quietly. And I do this every six (6) months. Hope this helps.
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #2 – September 19, 2016, 01:44:59 pm LydiaIf that's the Kwikee Step you are referring to the Kwikee Company recommends their proprietary "KwikLube" 'Grease Gun in a Can'. I've been using it exclusively since I took delivery in 2004 and have never had an issue with my steps.
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #3 – September 19, 2016, 01:53:24 pm LydiaKwikee recommends using a spray grease on the slides and linkage, they even sell their own brand.Amazon.com: Kwikee Products Co 905069000 Kwiklube Spray Grease 11 OZ: AutomotiveIf you disassemble the motor, lube its bearings with a light oil, such as 3-in-One electric motor oil.Amazon.com: 3-IN-ONE 10045 Motor Oil, 3 oz. (Pack of 1): Industrial & ScientificThe gear box is not well sealed and can fill with dirt, helping to jam the steps.Repairing requires disassembly and cleaning .The master electrical plug, coming from the coach to the Kwikee's control box, has contacts that can get dirty or corroded.Open the plug and clean the contacts and then coat them with a thin coat of dielectric grease.I have cut the power leads to our Kwikee electric step and reconnected them, adding crimp-on electrical disconnect terminals. Solderless / Crimp Terminals in the Connectors & Adapters Department at...This allow using a jumper battery to power the steps in, bypassing the control box, assuming the motor is operational. This was very useful on a cold, wet morning when the steps would not retract. Larry As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Lube for Electric Step Motor Reply #4 – September 19, 2016, 02:03:57 pm "I have cut the power leads to our Kwikee electric step and reconnected them, adding crimp-on electrical disconnect terminals."Good idea, Larry. You probably did this but for others: I recommend using the "nylon insulated" male and female connectors, which provide some additional protection against corrosion. Better still, use FTZ Crimp 'N' Seal connectors, which have shrinkable tubing sheaths. Crimp on, shrink with a lighter or heat gun, and you have a watertight, gas-tight seal around the wire. I use FTZ crimp-on butt splices, ring terminals and power lugs for all my electrical work. I've tried several other brands, but none are as well made.
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #5 – September 19, 2016, 03:21:06 pm Quote from: Lydia Drake - September 19, 2016, 11:39:16 amWell looks like it's time to do a full cleaning and lube on my electric step. I've had two incidents in the past three months. First seemed to be cured by siliconing the step and axles. But this last time didn't do a quick cure. Checked grounds. Heard the relays click but no motor movement. I pulled the lunch pin and tied the step up. The next morning the motor started working and had ever since. It just doesn't have a step to drive. I looked in the companion but no mention of what kind of lube is required in the motor gearbox. Any help appreciated Thanks Lydia.A heads up, Lydia. I recently had to replace the motor on the steps on our '02. For a year, it operated sporadically until finally it would not open or close. I lubed stuff, but to no avail. The motor was determined dead by checking various electrical leads with a multimeter.Chris
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #6 – September 19, 2016, 03:49:20 pm Quote from: Chris Horst - September 19, 2016, 03:21:06 pmI recently had to replace the motor on the steps on our '02. For a year, it operated sporadically until finally it would not open or close. Kwikee used a power window motor on the older steps. These motors were never developed for exterior use and are not sealed, which can allow debris to enter the motor, either jamming it or destroying the electrical windings and/or brushes. Sure wish my wife had not insisted on having an automatic step.On the positive side, its several breakdowns has been an education in how it functions. So far, one jammed motor, a corroded main plug, a jammed gear box and a defective magnetic reed switch, the one in the door that control the automatic opening and closing of the step, when the door is opened and closed.Larry
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #7 – September 19, 2016, 04:17:40 pm Quote from: Larry Wade - September 19, 2016, 03:49:20 pmSure wish my wife had not insisted on having an automatic step. On the positive side, its several breakdowns has been an education in how it functions. So far, one jammed motor, a corroded main plug, a jammed gear box and a defective magnetic reed switch, the one in the door that control the automatic opening and closing of the step, when the door is opened and closed.You just made a believer out of me! If (finger crossed) we lose our electric step, we sure may need to look at the manual step.
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #8 – September 19, 2016, 05:44:26 pm Okay. For some reason I thought you would have to pack the gear box with a grease of some kind. (Which I wanted to get in advance)Thanks everybody This weekends project seems easy enough then. Lydia.
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #9 – September 26, 2016, 11:59:50 am As I reviewed this post I noticed I used motor and gearbox interchangeably when I discuss d the mechanics under the coach. Once assembled it's rather easy to look at them that way. Rather than re edit. I'm letting you know up front. So the step. Well the jury is out. Mainly because it started working the morning we left Vegas and hasn't stopped yet. That said I took the motor and gear box off as a unit to clean and lube and see if the motor was iffy. In doing so I got thoroughly disgusted at lazy daze. The step mount is wood but only around it. Hollow under the base were the black button rubber is as you first step into the coach.So. This is crappy because kwikee uses carriage bolts submerged into their own dimples to mount the motor to step. This is done so the step can be mounted completely flush and counts on a background to keep them there. So if you jockey the motor a bit. You can knock one up into that hollow never to be seen again. Ask me how I know?! This meant loosening the four bolts to the LD. Doing this would drop the back pan down and I could use a dental tool too force the bolt back into its useful place. Simple right? Well I start loosening all four nuts, when they are 1/4" down, the step is still flush with the LD! For Fukushima! I start wrestling with it and one side drops a crack. To reveal. Wait for it! White in a sea of black. PARLASTIC!!!! The far side never moved and with all the banging the screw crowned into the hole so I struggled with that dental tool and cackled like a mad witch when it fell back in. The motor:Scrubbing and cleaning the housing proved it was all good mechanically on the outside. Disassembling worm gear motor and gearbox wasn't hard once I convinced myself the alternate of a new motor and gearbox was my other option. The motor brushes were ok the motor spinned rather freely. So I went to the first reduction housing. E-clips need removing and then the internals come apart for cleaning and re-lubing with white lithium grease in a squeeze tube from Home Depot. The stuff in there was drying to something like candle wax and had rust in it. So this was a good thing to do. The main gear was clean and its lube was still good so I put it all back together. It does help to mark the shaft with a sharpie to line up the two gearboxes in the manner they came apart and in relation to where the cam arm is. Also where gloves. Lots. Of gloves. Can get messy and gooey. Keep the crud from getting into the housings. Back under the coach:I had a hard time putting the linchpin back and the witch cackled again when the idea of letting the motor hang down loosely eased the angles on everything and the linchpin and cotter pin went in fine. (I had to drive it out with a hammer and screwdriver in Vegas, so should I have to do this again I will loosen the gearbox first) Then I couldn't bend the cotterpin. It kept spinning the linchpin. That was solved by tightening the motor back up to the step. This tensioned the linchpin and the cotter pin bent easily. So I'm done right?! Well not exactly. Seems like one of the nuts jammed on the main step part and we over tightened into wood above on the front left bolt as you look at the step from the side walk. The one that takes all the pressure when you step on it. Yesterday I went in to get something and the step gave way under my foot. I was so damned mad that Robin went under there in my place. We managed to have a pair of vise grips small enough to grab the bolt shaft and wedge against the step frame so we could wrench off the offending nut. We also loosened the partner nut exposing that bad parlastic job. And squirted in construction glue. Then retightened. Cleaned up and the vise grips now live in the motor home tool box. Yeah Robin!!Shout out to Larry for explaining where the actual motor parts stopped and the gears started. So far so good.Lydia 2 Likes
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #10 – September 26, 2016, 12:34:30 pm Lydia, after hearing of this ordeal, I just can't express how thrilled I am with my low-tech, "lube a couple of points", lift and pull out manual entry step! Also, whether one has an electric or manual entry step, this Safety Step product is an excellent "interim lift" between the ground and the step. The step is extremely solid and stable; it does not tip, even if one steps on a corner. The step legs fold flat for carrying. It comes in 2 sizes (at least, it used to) and 2-3 colors, and with adjustable height legs, if one prefers that; I didn't. Mine is the larger 15"X19", which I believe to be the better choice for a landing platform. It's available from several sources, but here's the Amazon link:Amazon.com: safety stepJoan As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #11 – September 26, 2016, 01:18:14 pm Joan, you have to lube those manual steps? (Joke)Lydia, nice write-up!
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #12 – September 26, 2016, 01:27:35 pm Thanks Paul!Joan. We have one of those too. I fell off of it when it was at an angle from the coach. That was not fun. It has to be level or it pitches me into a header. We use it when blocks make a third step desirable. And we used it until this thing got fixed. For what it's worth. "Ordeals" seem to happen. I normally like a challenge. And I'm better under do or die pressure. Its when the pressure is off and the stupid stuff sets in that I am not my best. 😳Lydia
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #13 – September 26, 2016, 01:49:24 pm The electric step is the one thing Ed said, "why the hell do you want that?!?! It's just another thing to break!!" We didn't get it.T-9 Boeshield is my latest lube of choice including the joints on the step. Lithium grease is messy!
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #14 – September 26, 2016, 02:02:15 pm The Lithium I mentioned is not for the step hinges. It's for the semi sealed gears inside the motor gearbox. Not your average wash and wax maintenance item. I only went there because of the "failure to cooperate" issues. This is the first time in ten years it's had a problem. I can't really complain when I think on it that way.
Re: Lube for Electric Step Moror Reply #15 – September 26, 2016, 03:55:04 pm Quote from: huskerblue - September 26, 2016, 01:49:24 pmThe electric step is the one thing Ed said, "why the hell do you want that?!?! It's just another thing to break!!" We didn't get it.T-9 Boeshield is my latest lube of choice including the joints on the step. Lithium grease is messy!Steve told us that "we didn't need the step" too.My wife insisted that the new LD came with the electric step.....and that was that!While Boeshield is an excellent anti rust and corrosive, and is clean, it isn't the heavy lubricant that the Owner's Manual specifies. Kwikee even has its own spray lubricant, for this very purpose.Amazon.com: Kwikee Products Co 905069000 Kwiklube Spray Grease 11 OZ: AutomotiveThe four main bushings, which the shaft spins, need a heavy grease to keep the lubricant in place. With a spray grease, using a plastic extension nozzle, you can pin point the spot where the grease flows.Once done spraying, wipe the excess grease off with a rag or paper towels, to help prevent a buildup of dirt and staining of clothes. Before lubing, wipe off any old grease and dirt that has accumulated since the last lubing.For increased reliability, pull the main electrical plug apart and lightly butter the contacts with dielectric grease.Do the same to the motor plug, if it comes apart easily.This helps prevent corrosion on the contacts by coating them with an air and water tight coating. Amazon.com: Permatex 22058 Dielectric Tune-Up Grease, 3 oz. Tube: AutomotiveGood stuff, I use it on almost all 12-volt plugs and connections.Larry As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
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Topic: Lube for Electric Step Moror (Read 358 times)
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