Is my Lippert 6 Point Level Up failing?

[cinman2000]

Over the weekend I had to reset my Lippert Hydraulic system which controls the slides and the Automatic Leveling system. Now when I try to use the Auto Leveling feature, the Passenger side Rear jacks don't extend fully to the ground. I can set these manually, but I am worried about a potential system failure and I don't want to get stuck next weekend. I called Lippert today and they recommended that I re-calibrate which I did twice yesterday. I re-calibrated again tonight and got the same result. I will call Lippert again tomorrow.

Anyone else have an experience like this?

[Narboza]

I have not seen that, but how do the jacks respond in manual mode? Do they fully extend and retract? I would manually cycle the Hydac valve (blue wire) several times.

[cinman2000]

Originally Posted by Narboza

I have not seen that, but how do the jacks respond in manual mode? Do they fully extend and retract? I would manually cycle the Hydac valve (blue wire) several times.

Manual Mode works fine. What do you mean by cycle the Hydac valve?

[Narboza]

See this post for what I mean by cycling the Hydac valve. It is the solenoid valve that controls the fluid flow to each pair of jacks (front/left/right) and your slides. You should have four valves. That same thread has more pictures of the hydraulics. Be gentle with the valves since they are precision parts. You valves may be binding a little and full stroke cycling them a few times may loosen them up. It worked for when my slides started opening during and auto level.

[cinman2000]

Thanks Narboza, this is very informative. I am headed out to storage to take another look tonight.

[cinman2000]

Just got off the phone with Lippert again. They sent me a bunch of detailed documents most of which were on a Motorhome and don't exactly apply. She did tell me how to check the fluid level and recommended to check for foam in the fluid which would signify an air problem. The best advice I got was to check to make sure the valves were closed. I will check all that tonight. After learning how to manually operate the system today, I am more comfortable with going out this weekend even if the Auto Level does not work.

[cinman2000]

No resolution yet, but I thought I would post an update. I checked the valves, nothing was open or loose. No sign of air in the system, but the fluid was a quart low (filled it this morning). Current behavior is that auto mode does not work at all. Rear jacks won't descend. In manual mode, all works normally except for the right side. Once jacks descend and hit the ground, the right button activates the two jacks in front as well as the right side. Lippert this morning said that it sounds like a valve problem. Triple checked the valve and it is still tight. Looks like a trip to the dealer is in the cards soon.

On a side note, during my testing, I tried to use my drill to activate the jacks and did not have any luck. Opened the "right side" valve (clockwise about 3 turns) and used the hex bit on my drill to clockwise to extend. Went for a couple minutes and no motion at all. Is there a trick to this that I am missing?

[Narboza]

It could be that a valve O-ring or a jack piston seal has failed and it is just allowing fluid to leak internally. Does manual operation let you retract or extend the landing gear? If a right side valve O-ring is leaking, it may affect how the other jacks work too.

[cinman2000]

Originally Posted by Narboza

It could be that a valve O-ring or a jack piston seal has failed and it is just allowing fluid to leak internally. Does manual operation let you retract or extend the landing gear? If a right side valve O-ring is leaking, it may affect how the other jacks work too.

Front landing gear and left side works fine as does "rear" which controls all 4 rear jacks. I tried the manual cycling that you suggested, but I could not get movement anywhere that way.

[Narboza]

That sounds less like a valve leak and more like a jack piston head leak. See this Lippert data sheet about leaks.

Lippert LIP Sheet 0061 Hydraulic Cylinder Leak Locations.pdf

[cinman2000]

Originally Posted by Narboza

That sounds less like a valve leak and more like a jack piston head leak. See this Lippert data sheet about leaks.

Attachment 55135

Thanks for the links. This makes sense to me. Any thoughts about why I can't extend with the drill?

[Narboza]

Yes. Whether you use the pump motor to turn the pump or a drill, if the fluid is leaking past one of the two jack piston heads, it will not move. If the drill can move the landing gear (with known good jacks) your manual override process is working. You would still have a jack piston internal leak.

[cinman2000]

Just to finish off this post, the resolution was in the rear leveling sensor. It was dislodged during our fresh water tank incident and the shop did not notice that during the initial repair. Interesting that none of the 3 people that I talked to a Lippert ever mentioned anything about a rear sensor. I did not even realize that it had one until I talked to the shop manager right before we took it in. Anyway, it all works perfectly again! I am still not sure why I was unable to move anything with the drill, but hopefully I won't have to deal with that any time soon. Off to Seaside, OR for the weekend!!

[F and E Damp]

I gave up on auto-level the second time I tried it. By the time it finished, we'd have needed crampons and ice picks to reach the bottom step. The front wheels were off the ground, and I don't think I had more than 20% of the parking brake capacity available.

I now level manually every time. I try to get a reasonably level site and will request an alternate if I think the assigned one in too far out of level. My procedure is to lower all of the jacks (which work in pairs), until they just touch. Then, I try to get level with the minimum amount of jack extension. It's worked OK for four seasons.

BTW, when we first got the rig, I bought two stick-on bubble levels. Parked on my driveway, I put an 18" spirit level in the base of the fridge. I carefully levelled the rig until both lateral and longitudinal display on the spirit level was spot on. I then stuck the two bubble levels where I could see them from the driver's seat. One was attached to a sidewall for fore/aft levelling and the other to the bottom edge of the TV cabinet for left/right.

I figured that levelling the fridge was the most critical thing and used its base as my datum.

[BigJohnD]

F and E, that sounds all too familiar. I've just about quit using the auto feature. It all works, but after several uses and having to recalibrate numerous times, I usually do it manually. I too set things up in our shop, and used a combination of several areas of floor, countertops and fridge to establish "level" before sticking the bubbles. We've had HWH, Big Foot and the Lippert systems, and all required recalibration way too much for me. In the end, though they work, I could do it just as fast the old way (boards) and this will probably be the last leveling system we own. Just one more electronic / power feature to break or fail, like our power awning. The more gadgets you have, the more failures you have.

[cinman2000]

Thanks for the great perspective. We are beginners to RV'ing and during our purchase, I thought the leveling system was interesting but it was not critical to our decision. It makes sense to me that spreading the pressure more evenly between the tires and jacks would be preferable.

[Gee Whiz]

Originally Posted by cinman2000

Over the weekend I had to reset my Lippert Hydraulic system which controls the slides and the Automatic Leveling system. Now when I try to use the Auto Leveling feature, the Passenger side Rear jacks don't extend fully to the ground. I can set these manually, but I am worried about a potential system failure and I don't want to get stuck next weekend. I called Lippert today and they recommended that I re-calibrate which I did twice yesterday. I re-calibrated again tonight and got the same result. I will call Lippert again tomorrow.

Anyone else have an experience like this?

How do u calibrate the system?

[Gee Whiz]

how do u calibrate the 6 point level system?

[Narboza]

Originally Posted by Gee Whiz

how do u calibrate the 6 point level system?

I could say it is in your system documentation (it is), but the procedure is here. Place the level at your personally critical spot (kitchen counter, stove, etc.) and set that place in the trailer to be level.