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Old 02-25-2012, 08:48 AM   #1
5rvers
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Slides Won't Work

I just replaced my trailer battery and now I can't open the slides. Is it because the battery is not completely charged? Is there a fuse somewhere I can check? When I closed the slides two days ago I barely had any power to close them. Hence the new battery. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Lou
 
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Old 02-25-2012, 09:42 AM   #2
Bill-N-Donna
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You may have checked this but did you have the disconnect switch in the off position? Without any shore power plugged in the slides won’t work if it’s off.
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Old 02-25-2012, 10:05 AM   #3
5rvers
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Hi Bill,

I do have shore power. Pardon my ignorance, but where is the disconnect switch?

Thanks,
Lou
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Old 02-25-2012, 10:16 AM   #4
Bill-N-Donna
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quote:Originally posted by 5rvers

Hi Bill,

I do have shore power. Pardon my ignorance, but where is the disconnect switch?

Thanks,
Lou

Ours is located in the convenience center. We had a 2001 model which didn’t have a disconnect switch. Some older models didn’t have them. From what you’re saying I doubt the switch would be off if you have one but that would be the first place to look. There are also automatic breakers which can open up but they usually reset themselves. I’m not sure if they are on all models though. Someone with a little more knowledge in this area and will probably come along and help out. Was the new battery tested? I guess it’s possible to get a bad one.
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Old 02-25-2012, 10:16 AM   #5
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Disconnect switch is in your convenience center with the water controls, etc. It's labeled Battery Disconnect and if I remember correctly (it always confuses me) if it says off it means the power from the battery is on. Seems to me it should be the other way, but I wasn't consulted.
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Old 02-25-2012, 10:21 AM   #6
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quote:Originally posted by DQDick

Disconnect switch is in your convenience center with the water controls, etc. It's labeled Battery Disconnect and if I remember correctly (it always confuses me) if it says off it means the power from the battery is on. Seems to me it should be the other way, but I wasn't consulted.


I believe if the switch is “OFF” the switch is in the open position meaning that the power is disconnected.
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Old 02-25-2012, 10:43 AM   #7
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Well, my Monty does not have a convenience center. My water connect is the back and the pull handles to the tanks up front in the basement. I do not have a switch labeled Battery Disconnect. My Monty is a 2005 3400RL and it did not come with the convenience center. Any other suggestions!! I appreciate your response!!

Lou
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Old 02-25-2012, 10:52 AM   #8
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Follow the #6 or so wire off the top of the pump back to the front wall ... there will be a auto reset breaker there (usually has red plastic cover over it)... check for continuity. Sometimes the breaker grows weak and won't reset. Several have doubled up this single breaker with two in parallel as the slide pull alot of amps. If all is well there, remove the slide switch from the wall and check 12V power there as well as thru the switch.
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Old 02-25-2012, 02:36 PM   #9
scductman
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Lou its probaly the breaker I have an 06 and they didn't have the cutoff sw in them. my breaker is getting worse so I am going to replace it with the 2 like the guys on here. if you have a meter you can ck across the breaker and see if you are getting power JMHO.
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Old 02-25-2012, 03:28 PM   #10
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Does the pump motor attempt to run at all? Or simply nothing?
The fact that it barely closed the slides before and now nothing, makes me wonder if it is something else. Pump motor failed maybe. Bad ext/ret switch. Could be as simple as a poor connection somewhere, such as bad ground connection.
Not sure how your '05 is wired. Mine (as are many others) there is a short heavy wire from battery positive to an auto reset circuit breaker. Then another short heavy wire from there to the pump motor. With a volt meter check that you have 12v to the breaker (both sides) and to the pump motor terminal.
If you have 12v to the battery side of the breaker, but not to the motor side of the breaker, then you have a bad breaker.
If you have 12v to the terminal on the motor, then it could be either a bad motor relay. Or it could be that the switch to ext/ret is bad.
Have someone actuate the switch while you get near the pump and listen for any sign it is trying to run.
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Old 02-26-2012, 01:35 AM   #11
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Lou, assuming the pump on your model is like others, the pump can be checked by trying to manually operate the slides with the pump. On most models this is done using a hex bit on a power drill in conjunction with a fitting on the side of the pump. Disconnect the battery and manually try to extend the slides. We had a similar failure (slides worked very slow, then quit altogether) and the dealer had to replace the pump motor. Even if the battery was not charged the slides would work if you were connected to shore power which would be another simple test if you have a shore connection or a generator available.
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Old 02-26-2012, 01:47 AM   #12
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by 5rvers

I just replaced my trailer battery and now I can't open the slides. Is it because the battery is not completely charged? Is there a fuse somewhere I can check? When I closed the slides two days ago I barely had any power to close them. Hence the new battery. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Lou
Perhaps a silly questions, but have you checked your hydraulic fluid?

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Old 02-26-2012, 02:41 AM   #13
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I had a 2005 and it did not have a battery disconnec. Check to see if your front legs work. If they do, battery is ok. Next step is checking the fuse previously discussed. I would be looking at no power to the pump motor or the motor itself once I confirmed battery is good.
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Old 02-26-2012, 04:12 AM   #14
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by TxYellowRose

Quote:
quote:Originally posted by 5rvers

I just replaced my trailer battery and now I can't open the slides. Is it because the battery is not completely charged? Is there a fuse somewhere I can check? When I closed the slides two days ago I barely had any power to close them. Hence the new battery. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Lou
Perhaps a silly questions, but have you checked your hydraulic fluid?

Yes, the hydraulic fluid is good.
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Old 02-26-2012, 04:33 AM   #15
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We have a "04" 2980 RL that I had a similar problem when I could not get the slides out. Called Lippert the next morning and their tech. told me he thought it could be the Polarity Reversing Solenoid by Trombetta, so he found me the nearest service center and they diagnosed that this was the problem. They did not have a new solenoid so the mechanic put a used one they had in the shop and it is still in our unit and works great. I ordered and carry a spare unit. The cost was $70.00 and it is very simple to put in. There is a web site, but could not find it that tells you how to test it. If I find it I will pm you with the information.
Hope that you get it working.
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Old 02-26-2012, 05:23 AM   #16
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5rvers ... have you made any of the previously posted electrical checks? Keep us up to date unless you've solved the issue. Here's the trombetta documentation that was posted. http://www.lippertcomponents.com/LIP/0056.pdf
Unlike a regular hydraulic system, the pump on your fiver runs both directions to make your system work ... one direction to extend and the other direction to retrack. It's cheaper to build a system like this as it eliminates valving and added hydraulic lines.
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Old 02-26-2012, 06:31 AM   #17
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Hi All,

Thanks to everyone for their inputs. I checked every where for a circuit breaker to reset, but I could not find anything. There seems to be no power to the motor. I checked the switch and the motor and nothing. I followed the wires coming out of the motor up to the bedroom. I removed the bed to gain access to the compartment and again no breakers to check or reset. I tried the hex bit and all it does is spin with no slide movement. Unfortunately, I need to get ready for a business trip. So I'll just take it to the experts when I get back. I'll just added to the list of things I want them to do to get it ready for the camping season. I'll let you know what the problem was.

Thanks again!
Lou
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Old 02-26-2012, 07:30 AM   #18
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before i bring it to the experts i would trace the wires starting at the pump. you will run into the fuse on the back wall somewhere near the pump if you have power one side and not the other you have found the problem. these are auto reset fuses that get weak. I had to double mine by putting on two. Its a power problem most likely a break in the system. Good luck
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Old 02-26-2012, 07:33 AM   #19
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other thing to check depends on your layout doors that have to be in certain postions will shut the system down if they are not where they belong. They will a safety switches on them sometimes.
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Old 02-26-2012, 10:01 AM   #20
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Not stomping on anyones advice here, but I've owned 3 different Montana's and not one of them has had any fashion of a position switch that disables the slide pump motor. The circuit breaker looks more like a terminal block than a "flip breaker" and there is no reset button on them, they are auto reset. It should have been located on the front wall inside the storage bay. When you say you put a drill on the pump with the hex bit and nothing happened, unfortunately that leads toward something in the pump unit. Did you try the drill both fwd and reverse? Just by chance, if you have the manual shutoff valves for each slide ... have you closed them and forgot you did?
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