After only 1 1/2 years my series 25 Kwikee steps have begun to fail. the motor is making "gear stripping" noises and the only way to get them to totally retract is to give it a little help by pushing it back up. Generally the motor will shut down after a second or two. This is disappointing as they really are pretty new.
After research I discovered the LPI recall and at first thought that my steps would be covered. Turns out that I have a new mechanism so the motor failure is still covered by warranty. I know that the motor only needs replacement gear plugs for $8.00 so I decided to fix it quickly and then schedule a warranty visit as LIP admits that it needs a new motor but will not ship me one directly.
The good news is that the new mechanism is completely different and can not possibly fail in the same way as the older designs. It is much cleaner and simpler...with one exception. The simple job of removing the 3 5/16 inch bolts now requires the removal of the entire sub plate and disconnecting the linkage as well, since the bolts have nuts on the back side rather than simple tapped holes in the base plate. Too bad! A 30 minute job is now a 2 hour job. So forget a quick fix!
I am getting ready to replace my
Series 25 motor. I have one question. With the steps all the way out, should the gear be all the way to the stop (the one next to the motor gear box) when reconnecting and meshing gears with each other? I know it has probably been a while since you did this but hoping you remember. That gear plate is heavy and sure don't want to do it twice.
You don't have to worry about that, the motor will run and re-sync no matter where you mesh the gear. I found it might be easier if you mesh it in the extended position so that you can more easily connect the linkage, but if you have somebody holding the steps you can connect it almost anywhere.
Ahhh, good to know. Sadly I was by myself and did it in the fully extended position but had to loosen the step stopper cams to get the necessary extension. Would have been easier with some help for sure, I think. Thanks for the info.
I have the identical steps and symptoms ... gear stripping noise on a Series 25 and requires assistance to extend / retract the steps. Is the repair accomplished by replacing the motor gearbox or is there more?
Sandy B said "I am getting ready to replace my Series 25 motor. ..."
Sandy, did the motor come off easily, or did you have to pry it off? I have all three bolts off, the motor wiggles and rocks, but will not drop out. Don't want to force it and end up breaking something else,(though am about to take a sledge hammer to it!!! ) Am I missing a removal step, or do I need to be more of a gorilla?
I don't recall any real difficulty getting it off. Is it maybe jammed with the gear? Do you have the arm to the steps disconnected? If not, I think the steps would be creating tension between the gears and perhaps not allowing the motor to disengage.
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