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Old 08-22-2021, 04:39 PM   #1
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Unhappy GT7 36K7 Auto leveling system not working

First REAL trip out in the MH. The LCI Auto leveling system is showing blinking lights on the control panel and the auto leveling system will not work. With the engine running, the parking brake engaged, the control panel turned off - we have the left and right arrows blinking. This system powers down after 4 minutes of inactivity but the lights on the left and right arrows start blinking.

When we turn on the power to the system, the left and right arrows quit blinking and the rear arrow starts blinking. If we push the AUTO button nothing happens and the rear arrow light continues to blink but nothing happens. I read all the info in the "manual" we got but can't figure out what is causing this. Any ideas out there? We are about 75 miles from home so we sure need to get this figured out.
Thanks so much!
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Old 08-22-2021, 05:45 PM   #2
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Have you tried a reset of the system by pushing all 4 jack buttons at the same time?
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Old 08-22-2021, 06:17 PM   #3
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Reset

Yes, we tried that. Would the engine need to be on or off?
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Old 08-22-2021, 08:06 PM   #4
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Go into the house battery compartment, which is the first compartment to the left of the entry door on my GT5. I don't know where it is on a GT7, though.

Look straight back at the rear wall where the Battery Control Center is mounted. There are two or three square black circuit breakers on one or both sides of the BCC that do not look like circuit breakers but have a heavy gauge wire on each end and a small red button. The button may be covered by a black cap, though.

One breaker is for the jacks. When that type of breaker is tripped, a red (or yellow) "flag" is sticking out of the side on about a 30 degree angle. If you see that thing sticking way out, push it back in to reset the breaker. (I can see a touch of it when the flag is in on mine.)

Ray
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Old 08-22-2021, 08:53 PM   #5
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This is NXE is referring to and my 2012 Georgetown requires the engine to be running.
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Old 08-22-2021, 09:36 PM   #6
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Thanks, bubbles. I forgot I had a pic. It's a bit messier in real life.

Ray
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Old 08-23-2021, 09:28 AM   #7
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Thumbs up It worked! Thanks so much Bubbles and NXR

The breaker WAS tripped and our battery bay IS in the same place as NXR's. When we set up it was pouring down rain and a cursory look in the battery bay didn't show us anything. Looking better in the light of day revealed the tripped breaker. We appreciate the pics so we could be reminded of what to look for. Our orientation was pretty thorough but we couldn't remember it all and the digital manual we received on our flash drive didn't help. What could have caused the breaker to trip in the first place?
Thanks
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Old 08-23-2021, 10:12 AM   #8
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Low voltage will cause it to trip. Typically on a GT hydraulic levelling system the engine needs to be running for the engine alternator output to supplement the coach batteries output. Likewise shore power (or generator running) needs to be in use for the slides (converter supplementing coach batteries). The slides on my GT are not operational if the ignition switch is on. Don't know about the newer models.
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Old 08-23-2021, 11:08 AM   #9
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Makes sense. Thanks!
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Old 08-23-2021, 11:55 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KCKC View Post
The breaker WAS tripped and our battery bay IS in the same place as NXR's. When we set up it was pouring down rain and a cursory look in the battery bay didn't show us anything. Looking better in the light of day revealed the tripped breaker. We appreciate the pics so we could be reminded of what to look for. Our orientation was pretty thorough but we couldn't remember it all and the digital manual we received on our flash drive didn't help. What could have caused the breaker to trip in the first place?
Thanks
Haha, I'm pretty sure the number of dealers that teach customers about those breakers is in the single digits if even that high.

If you use auto leveling (or manual leveling inappropriately) the jacks can over-extend. That means they extend as far as they can and the pump keeps trying to push them out further. That seems to be the most common cause for the breaker to trip.

I've never experienced low voltage causing high current on a DC system because it should not be possible from my schooling and experience.

Lower the DC voltage and you lower the current on a DC system, unlike on an AC induction motor. The jack system also has a timeout that will kill the pump if it's running too long.

So, to my way of thinking, the only way that low voltage could cause a DC breaker to trip is if the low voltage causes the pump to run too long and it overheats the breaker. But the absolute pump timeout should never allow that to happen.

Another of life's many mysteries, I guess.

Bubbles, the manual for the LCI LevelUp jacks used in the later Georgetowns says the engine must be running to use the jacks. The jacks control panel is wired off the ignition switch so if the ignition switch is not turned on the jacks control panel is dead.

Some people have said they just turn the ignition on but do not start the engine and use shore power or generator power to add supplemental power. We always run the engine.

FR stopped using hydraulic slides on the later GT series. I think the 2020 XL was the last one to use hydraulic slides. Its replacement, the 2020 GT7, uses the electric SlimRack system now.

FWIW,

Ray
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Old 08-27-2021, 03:11 PM   #11
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So it happened again when we got home and tried to use the Auto Leveling system in our driveway. At one point, the rear jacks actually picked the rear of the MH up off it's wheels. We know that is a huge problem so we turned the system off, repositioned the MH so it was almost level without jacks and tried to lower the jacks again - mostly for stabilization. The breaker was not tripped but the system wouldn't lower the jacks. The rear light just kept blinking. I think our next step is to consult with Lippert to see what this code is and why it might keep happening.
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Old 08-27-2021, 04:29 PM   #12
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If they're honest, they'll say "Do not use auto level."

I think you'll find that most experienced Georgetown owners, including me, use Manual leveling exclusively.

Even after calibrating our 2020 GT5 jacks I did not like how Auto really jerks the coach around. It seems to "split the difference" on each adjustment and that results in the coach being higher than we like (less weight and less tire footprint on the ground). What I do now:

1. Turn on the panel and push Manual.

2. Using your level of choice (I use the LevelMatePRO), see whether the front is the lowest or the rear is the lowest. I also use the Android app named Bubble Level by Gamma Play. I just set the phone on the kitchen counter between the sink and the stove top.

CAUTION: If the rear is lowest, that is a warning that the jacks may lift the rear coach tires off the ground, the tires where the parking brake is. Bad things will happen if you allow that, especially if there is any wind or rain. Closely evaluate whether repositioning the coach or driving each rear tire up on blocks is a better alternative. HINT: Yes, it is.  

3. Push and hold the button for whichever end is lowest. Raise that end up until the coach is now either level front-to-rear or that end is a touch higher. I make it a touch higher because the next step will raise the other end a bit.

4. Push and hold the button for the other end until you just feel the coach move.

5. Walk outside to assure all four jack feet are on the ground and no tires are close to coming off the ground, especially the rears where the parking brake is.

6. Now level left-to-right and re-check that no tires are close to coming off the ground.

7. Turn the leveling panel off.

In Auto mode, if the panel is properly calibrated, the green LCI light will be solid green when level. In Manual mode, if the panel is properly calibrated, the green LCI light will be flashing green when level.

I always double-check with the the Bubble Level app. I can feel if the coach is more than 0.5 degrees off-level, so I try to keep it within a half-degree both front-rear and especially left-right. I'll usually try to keep the front a bit high so rain water runs off the rear instead of the front.

The jacks always move in pairs to avoid twisting the frame. That's also why there is only a Retract All function; to avoid twisting the frame.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: When you are in Manual mode, the Retract All button does NOT perform a full retract. It just retracts all four jacks while you have your finger on the button. You may be able to make a minor correction this way.

NOTE: Lifting the front too high will also make the bottom entry step a lot higher. Many of us carry a large stepstool for those situations.

NOTE: Remember that your holding tank dumps are on the driver side. If you are higher on the driver side than the passenger side, even a bit, you cannot fully drain the tanks so they may fill faster than expected. That's because the holding tanks are far longer than they are high.

NOTE: With the LevelMatePRO app, it seems that as long as 4" or less is needed before extending the jacks, I can use the jacks without needing any blocks. FWIW, I do have RV SnapPads installed on all of my jack feet to give them a bigger footprint and to protect the flimsy metal used for the jack feet from bending. The RV SnapPads do add 1" to the bottom, so they're sort of like having a 1" block under each jack all the time.
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Old 08-29-2021, 07:31 AM   #13
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Similar situation has happened to me recently. The cb would trip every time that i retracted in the auto mode. Have replaced the cb and the controller, but it still occurs. I am currently on a four month trip in Canada and the northeast, so i do not have a reliable shop to take it to. Have had several calls to Lippert, but they have not been able to pinpoint the cause. The forrum has been very helpful, especially Bubbles and NXR. My workaround, which has been working the last couple of weeks, until I get back home to Florida is this. Don't use the auto leveler to lower or retract the jacks. Use the manual method. When I retract, I push the manual button and then retract all. I push the retract all button until I can hear the motor start dragging. If the jacks are up, then the jacks down light will go off. I check the jacks to make sure they are all the way up and if so I am done. I am sure this is not supposed to happen in the auto mode, but the alternative is ok.

Joe
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