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Old 08-25-2022, 06:57 PM   #1
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Freedom Express Slide Out Non Responsive Not Working

So, have had my unit (Ultra Lite 246RKS) in my driveway after bringing it back from having something repaired. I had set it up and opened the slide out. Have never had an issue with it, but now, I get zippo response from the switch. Everything else on 12v works fine.

I have ohmed the switch, good. I have used an alternate RJ45 cable; they are bit hard to test but if I have to I will. I saw in an older post reference a resettable safety breaker but I don't think that applies here, since the power goes directly to the controller, and I measure power at that input connector. Of course, nothing happens with I flip the switch.. that is, the motor doesn't run so the voltage potential remains as is.

One thing I don't have, if I'm supposed to, is 12v at the switch. I would think I should. Please advise. If I should, I'm assuming the controller is kaput?

I will say, as I'm writing this, I'm realizing I have just put a new battery in a couple days ago and I'm wondering if somehow I zapped the slide controller.(?) But, I'm pretty sure I turned off my 12v battery cut-off switch I installed years ago during the battery installation, to try to avoid exactly that.

Also, is it possible one limit switch or wired issue could be causing this or should I still see the motor voltage toggle as I press the switch? It gets a bit murky for me at this point. Could one bad limit switch or wire stop motor from going both directions? Of course, the slide is open, so if the closed sensor is made or falsly made, I suppose it would not initiate movement in that direction? I guess I could manually move the slide in a bit and then see if it will work under power going back out to the limit.(?)

Thanks in advance!
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Old 08-25-2022, 07:57 PM   #2
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Update #1

So, yea, I manually moved the slide in enough to disengage the 'open/out' limit switch, which I physically located, and the motor engaged to move it back to the fully open position! This tells me that either the controller for closing action is bad, or the wire to the limit switch is bad or the switch itself is incidentally engaged.

The 'open/OUT' switch is normally closed when ohmed, so when activated, it's open. If the 'closed/IN' position switch functions the same, then somewhere therein lies the issue, because it is ohming out as open with the slide OUT.

Tomorrow, I'll pick up where I left off. I can't swap the sensor connections at the controller because they are different sizes. I have yet to find the 'closed/IN' limit sensor. I'll have to remove some metal brackets. Or, I guess I could snip the wires and tie them together to create the condition I need just to bypass the sensor.
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Old 08-25-2022, 08:15 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LonestarGuy View Post
So, yea, I manually moved the slide in enough to disengage the 'open/out' limit switch, which I physically located, and the motor engaged to move it back to the fully open position! This tells me that either the controller for closing action is bad, or the wire to the limit switch is bad or the switch itself is incidentally engaged.

The 'open/OUT' switch is normally closed when ohmed, so when activated, it's open. If the 'closed/IN' position switch functions the same, then somewhere therein lies the issue, because it is ohming out as open with the slide OUT.

Tomorrow, I'll pick up where I left off. I can't swap the sensor connections at the controller because they are different sizes. I have yet to find the 'closed/IN' limit sensor. I'll have to remove some metal brackets. Or, I guess I could snip the wires and tie them together to create the condition I need just to bypass the sensor.
It sounds to me that you must be the site expert on slides. I am wondering if the slide just didn't extend out correctly due to some reason like the trailer wasn't level or the stabilizers weren't down.

We had the same issue a couple of weeks ago with my daughters TT. I manually pushed it in a little and the motor engaged and completed the job. Since that time the issue has disappeared and the slide has worked flawlessly. Good luck tomorrow.
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Old 08-25-2022, 08:39 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilFromMaine View Post
It sounds to me that you must be the site expert on slides. I am wondering if the slide just didn't extend out correctly due to some reason like the trailer wasn't level or the stabilizers weren't down.

We had the same issue a couple of weeks ago with my daughters TT. I manually pushed it in a little and the motor engaged and completed the job. Since that time the issue has disappeared and the slide has worked flawlessly. Good luck tomorrow.
Egad! No expert on slides! I just try to learn by digging in. (I worked for 40 years on complex medical devices with all kinds of motors, sensors, wires, circuit boards, etc.. mostly troubleshooting. So, I'd like to think I have some technical ability to put to good use and I enjoy the process.)

Thanks for the suggestion. So, I guess by manually moving the slide IN a bit, I kind of did the same thing you are talking about. The motor engaged to move it back OUT an inch or so until the limit switch made again. It's getting the motor to go the other direction that is still the problem. It THINKS it's already IN(closed) to the limit, but obviously it's not... it's wide open.
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Old 08-26-2022, 11:08 AM   #5
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Or, I guess I could snip the wires and tie them together to create the condition I need just to bypass the sensor.
So, I did this... and whether the wires are shorted or open at the controller port, the motor will NOT run and move the slide back IN. I'm not sure this is a valid test method, but I don't know that it's any different than installing a new switch. I have a switch I can use, but it's going to do the same thing as shorting or unshorting the wires, right?
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Old 08-26-2022, 12:17 PM   #6
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Update #2

I did a bit more concentrated effort playing with bypassing the IN limit switch in question, and without going into all that detail, lo and behold, when I shorted the wires together this time, the motor works and slide begins to move IN! It also moves OUT, as it previously did. This tells me that either the switch's wiring is open or the switch is damaged or stuck closed, which has opened the circuit and is prohibiting the motor from running.

The PROBLEM is... accessing that frigging switch! I see the actuator block on the end of the slide rack under the slide out, which would move in to activate the switch, but the switch is buried in behind the lower rubber seal, part of which is a hard plastic and not pliable. At any rate, I can't get that gap open enough to see the switch and am imagining the only way to access it, is to pull the whole sofa out away from the slide wall and see if I can find it. Ugh! Otherwise, I have no idea what to do other than leave the wires shorted and just be sure to not hold the control switch down any longer than necessary to close the slide. Make sense?
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Old 08-26-2022, 03:52 PM   #7
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Final update for now

I am not going to pull the sofa... talked to a dealer technical rep and he suggested I might create more problems than the one I have. So, I'm bypassing the switch and just have to be careful when retracting the slide to not over drive it to the IN position. I made a mark on the side of slide to indicate when to stop. Not my favorite way to fix something but it will do for now.
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Old 08-26-2022, 03:54 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LonestarGuy View Post
I did a bit more concentrated effort playing with bypassing the IN limit switch in question, and without going into all that detail, lo and behold, when I shorted the wires together this time, the motor works and slide begins to move IN! It also moves OUT, as it previously did. This tells me that either the switch's wiring is open or the switch is damaged or stuck closed, which has opened the circuit and is prohibiting the motor from running.

The PROBLEM is... accessing that frigging switch! I see the actuator block on the end of the slide rack under the slide out, which would move in to activate the switch, but the switch is buried in behind the lower rubber seal, part of which is a hard plastic and not pliable. At any rate, I can't get that gap open enough to see the switch and am imagining the only way to access it, is to pull the whole sofa out away from the slide wall and see if I can find it. Ugh! Otherwise, I have no idea what to do other than leave the wires shorted and just be sure to not hold the control switch down any longer than necessary to close the slide. Make sense?
Good troubleshooting! Easy to see you know your way around electronics (like me).

They don't put any extra fasteners in RVs, so the sofa is probably held in with only four bolts. Might even be two bolts and two slide-in brackets. If it were mine (and I admit I'm OCD), I'd pull the sofa out and replace the switch, just in case, some day, your wife, kid, or grandkid is pulling the slide in.
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