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Front Door Step Switch

Yahoo Message Number: 18599
Has anyone had trouble with the step switch located in the front door jamb? Three times we have been driving and had the step start trying to come out - it just moves a short distance then retracts - over and over. Each time we have stopped, sprayed the button with WD40 and the problem stops, at least for a couple of weeks.
Could it be door alignment, or possibly the switch itself starting to fail?

Jim and Mary Jo Brown
2002 Allure # 30778

Re: Front Door Step Switch

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18600
You might want to check to be sure that the retainer nut is tight.
Mine gave trouble during the first year of ownership. It was not making firm contact with the door, they attached a small piece of metal to the door so that it was a tighter fit to the switch, the switch has worked ok since that fix.

Quote from: mjbrown46
Has anyone had trouble with the step switch located in the front

door

Quote
jamb? Three times we have been driving and had the step start

trying

Quote
to come out - it just moves a short distance then retracts - over

and

Quote
over. Each time we have stopped, sprayed the button with WD40 and

the

Quote
problem stops, at least for a couple of weeks.

Could it be door alignment, or possibly the switch itself starting

to

Re: Front Door Step Switch

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18604
Jim & Mary Jo,

If everything is OK at the door, take the steel cover off under the step and there is a switch (push button)that controls the motor. All mine took was a slight adjustment to make sure the switch was making good contact. Be careful not to get your hands in the moving parts when checking it.
Good luck..
Tom

04 Allure 30979

Re: Front Door Step Switch

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18606
Quote from: truk4u

Jim & Mary Jo,

If everything is OK at the door, take the steel cover off under the > step and there is a switch (push button)that controls the motor. All > mine took was a slight adjustment to make sure the switch was making > good contact. Be careful not to get your hands in the moving parts > when checking it.
Good luck..
Tom

04 Allure 30979
Greetings folks!

Does the Allure use the Kwik-Eze steps?
Mine have been driving me nuts, and I'm sure it's just an adjustment.
A variety of techs, including factory folks, have fiddled with them, and the problem recurs after a few weeks/miles. I suspect the four- pin contacts between the frame and the door, but also suffered a detached microswitch in the steps themselves.
Having your steps come out while you are driving is not quite up there with having a slide come out, but....

When someone comes up with a permanent fix, please let CC (and us) know!

Jay in (not so sunny) St Augustine 05 Inspire DaVinci 51457

Re: Front Door Step Switch

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18621
Jim and Mary Jo Brown

If you have not solved your problem, go to Home Depot and buy a rubber bumper used to stop a cabinet door against its frame (you may have to buy several as they come in groups). It will have sticky on one side and a rubber face on the other and should be about 1/8" thick and in the shape of a coin. Open your entry door and look at the inside bottom of the door where it meets the frame - you should find the switch button protruding through the frame. Note where the door jam and the end of the button meet as there will be some evidence on the aluminum door frame. Wipe any foreign material off of that spot on the frame and apply one of your bumpers to it. I had the same problem and it happened because the door switch was resting at a point in its open- close travel that it provided an intermittent electrical connection which applys then removes power to the step. Let me know if you got it solved as the damage caused by driving your step into a curb could mean big bucks.

Regards,

Dale Ford

99 Allure 36' 30408

Re: Front Door Step Switch

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18879
Jim,

I have had several problems with the door switch on my 2004 Inspire.
Don't know if it is the same switch as on mine, but this is how I handled the problem. Below is the email I sent to CC tech Jim Craig concerning this issue:
Jim,

I write to inform you of a problem I have experienced with a spring loaded entry door 12 volt electrical contactor switch. This contactor has failed twice in the last two years. Failure of this contactor results in entry door steps that do not operate. I have traced the cause of this failure to the spring installed by the manufacture inside the plastic housing. Over time moisture enters the contactor housing and the un-coated spring will rust and fail. Once the spring loaded contactor fails the entry steps become inoperable. The first time this contactor failed you sent me a new set of contactors and I installed one set on the frame side of the door. The contactor installed on the door itself has not failed as of this date. I assume that because it is attached inside the door it is protected from any moisture which might cause damage.

I have disassembled the failed contactor for a close inspection and found the old springs rusted and broken. My solution to this problem was simple. I used the stainless steel spring which I found inside my Pilot G-2 ball point pen to be approximately the correct size and tension to work just fine. I have attached a picture of my solution to the problem. Hope this information come in handy for someone down the road.

Thanks,
Jon

Jim, hope this is of some help with your door switch problem. If you wish, I will send you a picture of what I did to solve the problem.

Jon Gullette

Inspire 51008 - 2004

Quote from: mjbrown46
Has anyone had trouble with the step switch located in the front

door

Quote
jamb? Three times we have been driving and had the step start

trying

Quote
to come out - it just moves a short distance then retracts - over

and

Quote
over. Each time we have stopped, sprayed the button with WD40 and

the

Quote
problem stops, at least for a couple of weeks.

Could it be door alignment, or possibly the switch itself starting

to

Re: Front Door Step Switch

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18880
Jim,

I posted a picture of my fix to the door switch problem. Check it out and let me know if this is the same switch you are having problems with. Photo is titled Inspire door switch fix.

Hope this helps.

Jon Gullette

Inspire 51008 - 2004

Quote from: mjbrown46
Has anyone had trouble with the step switch located in the front

door

Quote
jamb? Three times we have been driving and had the step start

trying

Quote
to come out - it just moves a short distance then retracts - over

and

Quote
over. Each time we have stopped, sprayed the button with WD40 and

the

Quote
problem stops, at least for a couple of weeks.

Could it be door alignment, or possibly the switch itself starting

to

Inspire Steps

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18881
Quote from: jryder3344
Jim,

I have had several problems with the door switch on my 2004

Inspire.

Quote
Don't know if it is the same switch as on mine, but this is how I > handled the problem. Below is the email I sent to CC tech Jim

Craig

Quote
concerning this issue:

Jim,

I write to inform you of a problem I have experienced with a

spring

Quote
loaded entry door 12 volt electrical contactor switch. This > contactor has failed twice in the last two years. Failure of this > contactor results in entry door steps that do not operate. I have > traced the cause of this failure to the spring installed by the > manufacture inside the plastic housing. Over time moisture enters > the contactor housing and the un-coated spring will rust and > fail. Once the spring loaded contactor fails the entry steps

become

Quote
inoperable. The first time this contactor failed you sent me a new > set of contactors and I installed one set on the frame side of the > door. The contactor installed on the door itself has not failed as > of this date. I assume that because it is attached inside the door > it is protected from any moisture which might cause damage.

I have disassembled the failed contactor for a close inspection

and

Quote
found the old springs rusted and broken. My solution to this

problem

Quote
was simple. I used the stainless steel spring which I found inside > my Pilot G-2 ball point pen to be approximately the correct size

and

Quote
tension to work just fine. I have attached a picture of my

solution

Quote
to the problem. Hope this information come in handy for someone

down

Quote
the road.

Thanks,
Jon

Jim, hope this is of some help with your door switch problem. If

you

Quote
wish, I will send you a picture of what I did to solve the problem.

Jon Gullette

Inspire 51008 - 2004

[quote author=mjbrown46"

>

> Has anyone had trouble with the step switch located in the front > door

> jamb? Three times we have been driving and had the step start > trying

> to come out - it just moves a short distance then retracts -

over

Quote
and

> over. Each time we have stopped, sprayed the button with WD40

and

Quote
the

> problem stops, at least for a couple of weeks.
>

> Could it be door alignment, or possibly the switch itself

starting

Quote
to
> fail?
>

> Jim and Mary Jo Brown
> 2002 Allure # 30778
>
Good morning!

The step issue has been my foremost aggravation in my 5-month old coach. Just about every remedy imaginable has been tried on my steps, with only temporary relief. The problem still comes back after a few cycles, weeks, miles, whatever.
Jon, your analysis and remedy are very interesting, and I'm sure Jim Craig and CC are looking for anything to get this monkey off everyone's back.

However, the culprit is KwikEze. I plan to call them to complain, and I encourage everyone else who is having problems with their Inspire steps to do the same. They need to rewicker the switches and ship them out to the consumers.

I don't care for the gigantic step required to enter or depart the coach when the steps are stuck in. I really, REALLY don't care for steps that open while you are underway.

Jay

05 Inspire DaVinci 51457
Sunny (for now) St Augustine

Re: Front Door Step Switch

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18910
Jon, I don't see your picture in the files section.
If you're sure you posted it, maybe the group's 20 Meg file limit has been reached (again?).
--

Tom Harsch 2002 Allure #30791

Quote from: jryder3344

Re: Front Door Step Switch

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18915
Tom,

Click on the photo section, select "show all" from the menu and look for item #37. It is a picture of the of the 4 contactor door switch, a ball point pin with the spring removed and one of the spring loaded contactors removed fron the housing. I used the spring from the ball point pin as a replacement for the original equipment spring. It takes four ball point pins to replace all of the springs inside the switch. The ball point spring is coated and will not rust and break as does the original equipment spring. If any of the four contactor springs break the steps will malfunction. The malfunction may cause the steps to not extend or they may extend while driving down the road. I have had both things happen to me. It all depends on which spring inside the housing breaks and what contactor fails to complete a circuit. The photo is titled "Inspire 51008 door switch fix".

Hope this helps. If you wish I can email you some more pictures of how I addressed the problem.

Jon Gullette

Inspire 51008 - 2004

Quote from: Tom & Maxine Harsch
>

Jon, I don't see your picture in the files section.
If you're sure you posted it, maybe the group's 20 Meg file limit

has

Quote
been reached (again?).
--

Tom Harsch 2002 Allure #30791

[quote author=jryder3344"

>

> Jim,
>

> I posted a picture of my fix to the door switch problem. Check

it

Quote
out and let me know if this is the same switch you are having > > problems with. Photo is titled Inspire door switch fix.
>

> Hope this helps.
>

> Jon Gullette

> Inspire 51008 - 2004
>
>
>

[quote author=mjbrown46"
>]
> >

> > Has anyone had trouble with the step switch located in the

front

Quote
door

> > jamb? Three times we have been driving and had the step start > > trying

> > to come out - it just moves a short distance then retracts -

over

Quote
and

> > over. Each time we have stopped, sprayed the button with WD40

and

Quote
the

> > problem stops, at least for a couple of weeks.
> >

> > Could it be door alignment, or possibly the switch itself

starting

Re: Front Door Step Switch

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18926
Oops! I was looking in the Files section, not the Photos section. Got it now. Thanks.
--

Tom Harsch

Quote from: jryder3344