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Old 05-27-2023, 03:06 PM   #1
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Angry leveling system issue

Hopefully, someone out there has a quick fix for this problem. Three weeks ago the leveling system was working fine. The camper has been in my driveway since returning home. Today I went out to level the unit, to run the slides out, and the touch pad is reading, "retract jacks time out, return for servIcing!"
Now the pad won't even turn on! Id there anything I can do to get this functioning or is it an absolute necessity to take it to our local overpriced RV service center?

Ratracer

PS, yes, I am mechanically inclined and have plenty of tools!
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Old 05-27-2023, 03:42 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratracer View Post
Hopefully, someone out there has a quick fix for this problem. Three weeks ago the leveling system was working fine. The camper has been in my driveway since returning home. Today I went out to level the unit, to run the slides out, and the touch pad is reading, "retract jacks time out, return for servIcing!"
Now the pad won't even turn on! Id there anything I can do to get this functioning or is it an absolute necessity to take it to our local overpriced RV service center?

Ratracer

PS, yes, I am mechanically inclined and have plenty of tools!
I don’t know what brand jacks you have. Have you checked the operating manual for your jack to see if there is a remedy for that fault message or or no power situation?
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Old 05-27-2023, 03:58 PM   #3
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LCI manual

Yes, I did and the manual does not show a remedy for this message. I just found a Q & A from ER trailer and the tech says to press both the enter button and the retract button at the same time to clear the message/ code.. Problem is when I was trying to make it work, it seems to have lost all power.

I have the camper, A FR Sunseeker 2860 plugged in now, and maybe the house batteries were low on voltage and that could be why I don't have power to the touch pad. The manual is pretty specific saying the system needs 12.7 volts.
I may let it charge overnight and see what happens in the morning. If the pad has power again and the same message comes up, I will try the methind the tech suggested. Wouldn't you know this would happen on Memorial Day weekend and no service center is open for technical help!

Ratracer.
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Old 05-27-2023, 06:52 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by Ratracer View Post
Yes, I did and the manual does not show a remedy for this message. I just found a Q & A from ER trailer and the tech says to press both the enter button and the retract button at the same time to clear the message/ code.. Problem is when I was trying to make it work, it seems to have lost all power.



I have the camper, A FR Sunseeker 2860 plugged in now, and maybe the house batteries were low on voltage and that could be why I don't have power to the touch pad. The manual is pretty specific saying the system needs 12.7 volts.

I may let it charge overnight and see what happens in the morning. If the pad has power again and the same message comes up, I will try the methind the tech suggested. Wouldn't you know this would happen on Memorial Day weekend and no service center is open for technical help!



Ratracer.


Hi I had the exact same fault on my 2023 Forester 2440 DSF with Lippert Auto Level… not a fan so far of that system. Downloaded the manual from the interweb and found a troubleshooting page which showed “****ERROR**** Retract Timeout
Return Levelers for Service”.
It said causes are: Parking Brake not engaged; Engine is not running prior to starting auto retract sequence; and Leaking hose or fitting. Having said all that my issues came up when I tried to start the engine with an almost dead battery, which is a whole other story.
But the corrective actions for this fault where as follows: Press Enter and Retract, engage parking brake; Press Enter and Retract at the same time to clear error, turn on engine and restart auto retract sequence; and Check for leaks, repair if necessary, press Enter and Retract to clear fault.
Because I had dead battery issue during start I assumed an electrical glitch and used option 2 to reset the system. Worked as expected and the levelers were operational again.
The relatively dead battery start also tripped a check engine light which I cleared with a OBD scan tool, won’t level home without it. A local shop wanted several weeks just to look at, clear code myself and good to go.
Good Luck
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Old 05-27-2023, 07:03 PM   #5
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could be!

Thanks for the details. I have the LCI manual downloaded and I looked through the pages. I did not see the page you were talking about! I will look again.

I just made a trip to the Factory, from Florida and back, four weeks ago. Everything was working fine, however, today when I went to start the engine, it cranked slowly at first, indicating I may have a weak battery. In the past, when getting ready to leave a campground, once in a while I would get a low voltage warning on the LCI pad. After a few minutes of running the engine, iot would be fine.
After two tries today to get the pad to work, it went totally dark. pushing the on off button has no effect. Now I am wondering if there is a fuse someplace that has blown. When we bought the camper, the get ready person talked about some circuit breaker fuse near the battery, so I will check that also.
Being Memorial Day, not much I can do but check what I can. No help until at least Tuesday. Just glad we were not on a camping trip!

Ratracer
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Old 05-27-2023, 07:59 PM   #6
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Most problems with auto levelers are battery related. Start there, load testing, then ensure they are all fully charged.
You may need to reboot the control pad. Remove all power, 12v and 120v, to reset.
Good luck and keep us updated.
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Old 05-27-2023, 08:48 PM   #7
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Look for one of these breakers near the house batteries. If the little "flag" (which may be red) is showing, push it back up to restore power to the circuit.
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Old 05-27-2023, 10:12 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Ratracer View Post
Thanks for the details. I have the LCI manual downloaded and I looked through the pages. I did not see the page you were talking about! I will look again.



I just made a trip to the Factory, from Florida and back, four weeks ago. Everything was working fine, however, today when I went to start the engine, it cranked slowly at first, indicating I may have a weak battery. In the past, when getting ready to leave a campground, once in a while I would get a low voltage warning on the LCI pad. After a few minutes of running the engine, iot would be fine.

After two tries today to get the pad to work, it went totally dark. pushing the on off button has no effect. Now I am wondering if there is a fuse someplace that has blown. When we bought the camper, the get ready person talked about some circuit breaker fuse near the battery, so I will check that also.

Being Memorial Day, not much I can do but check what I can. No help until at least Tuesday. Just glad we were not on a camping trip!



Ratracer


In the manual there is a section marked Troubleshooting and is right after “Level Zero Point Calibration” and “For Diesel Units with Air Bag Suspensions ONLY” sections.

Its in a table, copied it and pasted here, could not copy the table lines but formatted the text. The table has three headings marked:

LCD Display
What is Happening
What Should Be Done

Start Troubleshooting:

Troubleshooting

Error Mode Input Conditions:

A. If an error occurs before or during operation, the error will be displayed in the LCD and an alarm will sound. To reset all errors or service displays, push ENTER.

B. All normal functions will be disabled when the system is in Error Mode.

LCD Display:
****ERROR**** Excess Angle

What is Happening:
Coach not parked on level ground or Zero point incorrectly calibrated.

What Should Be Done
Move coach to level ground prior to starting auto level sequence.
Recalibrate Zero Point.

LCD Display:
****ERROR**** External Sensor

What is Happening:
Rear sensor shorted out or disconnected.

What Should Be Done:
Check wire connection or replace sensor.

LCD Display:
Out of Stroke

What is Happening:
Jack has insufficient length to complete the leveling procedure.

What Should Be Done:
Check the disposition of the jack.

LCD Display:
Low Voltage

What is Happening:
Battery voltage dropped below 9.5V DC during operation.

What Should Be Done:
Turn engine on, check battery voltage under load.

LCD Display:
Function Aborted

What is Happening:
A button was pressed on touch pad during Auto Level operation.

What Should Be Done:
Hit enter to acknowledge. Restart procedure.

LCD Display:
Unable to Finish Leveling

What is Happening:
Excessive movement inside coach during auto level sequence.

What Should Be Done:
Discontinue movement inside coach during auto level sequence.

LCD Display:
Engage Park Brake

What is Happening:
Parking brake not set prior to starting auto level sequence.

What Should Be Done:
Set parking brake prior to starting auto level sequence.

LCD Display:
Comm Error Check Wiring
NOTE: Screen will not back light.

What is Happening:
Wiring connections loose or faulty between touch pad and controller.

What Should Be Done:
Check connections, replace communication harness if necessary.

LCD Display:
****ERROR**** Retract Timeout Return Levelers for Service

What is Happening:
a. Parking Brake not engaged.
b. Engine is not running prior to starting auto retract sequence.
c. Leaking hose or fitting.

What Should Be Done:
a. Press Enter and Retract. Engage parking brake.
b. Press Enter and Retract at the same time to clear error.
Turn engine on and restart auto retract sequence.
c. Check for leaks, repair if necessary. Press enter and retract to
clear error.

LCD Display:
Excessive Angle

What is Happening:
Occurs only in manual mode when the angle of the unit is too severe.

What Should Be Done:
Use the manual functions to return coach to a more level condition.
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Old 05-28-2023, 04:43 PM   #9
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well folks, I opened the hood today and found the circuit breaker mentioned earlier in this thread and it was in the on position. Looking at the battery, which is the engine start up battery and the one connected to the leveling system, I found a round inspection window. Having had a battery with one of these before, I knew to look at it. It is glowing RED, so the battery appears to be the weak link. Tuesday I will pull it out and take it to Interstate battery and have it checked. I am pretty sure Ford put a battery in that was built to last two years and it has exceeded that by a few months.

Ratracer
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Old 05-28-2023, 05:41 PM   #10
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well folks, I opened the hood today and found the circuit breaker mentioned earlier in this thread and it was in the on position. Looking at the battery, which is the engine start up battery and the one connected to the leveling system, I found a round inspection window. Having had a battery with one of these before, I knew to look at it. It is glowing RED, so the battery appears to be the weak link. Tuesday I will pull it out and take it to Interstate battery and have it checked. I am pretty sure Ford put a battery in that was built to last two years and it has exceeded that by a few months.

Ratracer
My Ford installed battery is great at 4 years old and I generally get 7 or 8 years out of a battery in the midwest, almost Great Lakes area. Funny if they put a different one in yours.

I see your profile location says Florida. Heat shortens battery life significantly, from what I have observed. It is what it is.
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