Airstream 360 XC Land Yacht Owner's Manual page 28

AIRSTREAM 360 XC LAND YACHT OWNERS MANUAL
General Service Notes
If the power wire to the step is disconnected from its source and reconnected, a spark is common. This is
caused by the momentary charging of the control unit and does not necessarily indicate the system is
staying on, causing a drain on the battery.
If battery drain is suspected, observe the understep light (if so equipped) while the step is extending. The
power switch must be on for the understep light to operate. When the step locks into the down position, the
understep light should become noticeably brighter. If it does not, the control may not be shutting off. Turn
the power switch off and unplug the four way plug between the control unit and the vehicle to prevent
overheating the motor.
To further determine that the control is not shutting off, remove the two (2) screws from the connector on
the motor leads between the motor and control unit. Remove the seal assembly. (See Figure 2 on page #8)
Place a voltmeter between the red and yellow motor leads than reconnect the four way plug. Turn the
power switch on. If any voltage is read, the control is not shutting off and may be defective. When doing
this test, switch the voltmeter leads back and forth between the red and yellow motor leads to be sure no
voltage shows. If any voltage shows, disconnect the four way plug to keep the motor from overheating. If
zero voltage is present, the control has shut off and is normal.
If the step does not work or operates erratically, such as extending part way and shutting off, the first item
that should be checked is the vehicle battery. The voltage across the battery terminals should be at least
12.7 volts DC to insure a well charmed battery. A battery that reads below 12.7 volts DC may drop as low
as 8 volts DC when a load is drawn, such as the engaging of the step motor. The control unit will shut off if
the loaded voltage falls below 9 volts DC. The control unit will remember which function it was
performing. It will wait between two and five seconds (time depends upon temperature) and will try again
to complete the original function. If the supply voltage is still below 9 volts, the control will go into another
delay state. If the supply voltage remains above 9 volts DC, the original function will be completed. Should
the supply voltage again fall below 9 volts the system will go into another delay state. It many take a couple
of minutes to complete the original function. Low supply voltage may cause erratic operation of the step.
Intermittent ground may also cause erratic operation of the step.
The step may also operate erratically if the step is being operated directly from a converter and the output
from the converter is not adequate or properly filtered for clean DC voltage. The converter must be capable
of producing a minimum of 30 amps for proper step operation.
If the control unit is hooked up electrically backwards, the step will not operate. If ground to the control
unit is lost, either between the step control unit and the vehicle chassis (the 31 " long 10 gauge green
ground wire), or between the vehicle battery and ground (negative battery cable) the step will not function.
Make sure the battery terminals and all wire connections are clean and tight.
Be sure all wires are of proper gauges or heavier as specified in the wiring diagram.
WARNING: IMPORTANT: No other devices (hearers, fans, burglar alarms, lights, etc.) can be
incorporated in the same circuit as the control unit or step. This may cause the step or control unit to
malfunction and may void the warranty.
Check the step for physical damage. If the step has been struck by some kind of road hazard, the step
mechanism may be bent, causing the step to bind. Check the tread, sliding rails, and extending arms for
physical damage. Also check the pivot points for rusting. (See the LUBRICATION AND
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE).
If the power switch is on and the step will not extend when the door is opened and/or retract when the door
is closed, but there is a clicking noise coming from the control unit (the engaging and disengaging of the
relays in the control unit) the first item that should be checked is the motor.
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