Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Schwintek In Wall Slide Motor Replacement

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Schwintek In Wall Slide Motor Replacement

    My turn in the Schwintek slide motor failure pool. So how do I know it's the slide motor? I got lucky when my first slide motor went out, I was at a GD rally and the GD mobile repair guy swung by and replaced it in just a few minutes, wow, that was fast and easy. So yesterday the left front Schwintek living room slide would not come in on my 2017 Momentum 376TH. Facing it from the inside the left motor would run fine and the right motor wouldn't. Having been here before we knew enough to not to try and force it. I called LCI and they walked me through the manual over ride procedure, worked kind of. So to test the cable harness he had me swap the leads off the controller, cool idea. Made no difference, left motor worked, right didn't. Also, the LED trouble code lights stayed the same. 2 green before the swap, 1 green after. Then 8 red. Given the swap had no change in behavior I am assuming the harness is still good.

    I talked to the tech about removing the set screw as I had access to the outside at the time. Pulled bulb seal back a little but couldn't id the screw, hmmm! I know that has to come out before the motor can be removed. I was thinking I could remove the motor and just push the slide until I could get it repaired. By now it's past lunch time on a day we were supposed to change locations. Always the case... By activating the slide controller while pulling on the slide I got it to retract fully so we could move.

    And by the way, the clearance from the wall of the slide to the cabinet is only about 3 inches. I took the door off the cabinet so I had enough room to get my hand to the seal to pull it back for access to the motor. It is super tight in there.

    New location we left the slide in, inconvenient but safe to travel again if necessary. From the parts lookup linked here I got the picture of the slide motor, 170000, in the description it had IG-42-10 mm. Matching that up with LCI parts list and Amazon I got a part number of 236575. Called around to local parts/repair, have to order it. I ordered the Amazon one, it will be here Sunday. So I started calling repair facilities, book up, booked up, booked up. So I started calling mobile repair guys, booked up, on vacation, booked up. Ok, not getting it fixed while we are here.

    Next location has even fewer resources. I really really would rather pay to have this repaired by someone who is trained and experienced. But that does not look like it is happening. Busy part of the season, lack of resources, impact of the pandemic all play into this.

    Motor arrives tomorrow. Monday I have appointments, Tuesday we relocate. So I have decided to go ahead and make the replacement myself. I am pretty sure I can get the slide back out. My first hurdle will be identifying the set screw. One source said it is a Phillips head. Now to locate it. Is it above the motor or below the motor? I can't find a picture of the exact location.

    I need to line up some tacky sealant for the bulb seals to make sure I get them sealed back up after the repair. Any suggestions?

    Anyone know a knowledgeable repair person in the Bend, OR area or the Challis, WA area?


    2017 Momentum 376, 2019 Ford F450
    2022 Triumph Scrambler Motorcycle
    E-bikes, Hobi Pedal Kayaks
    Kota the dog and KC the Kitty Cat

  • #2
    Hi Dallas,

    I'm attaching a video from Lippert which shows the location of an attachment screw which is located on the outside of the slide out. The info is at about minute 2:30 on the video. I can't remember if the head is a Roberts, Phillips or other type of fastener.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xojUdPDWNS0

    I've also changed a motor on a 2015 Solitude for another owner and there was no screw retaining the motor at all. I just lifted the motor up and out. This video shows that method of changing the motor if so equipped. It literally took me about 5 minutes from the time I started until it was all put back together.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DviEbWT3lUo

    Jim
    Jim and Ginnie
    2024 Solitude 310GK
    GDRV Technical Forum Moderator
    GDRV Rally Support Coordinator

    Comment


    • #3
      d2reid Dallas, my motor was retained by a Robertson screw. Some motors are easier to access than others where 3 inches is really tight. Pulling the bulb seal back on the outside at the top /side will reveal the retaining screw that is about 4 inches up from bottom of the motor. Its a silver colored screw where typically the surrounding screws are black.

      If you need to pry up on the motor, do so slowly. If you see a bushing coming up with the motor, use a screw driver to push the bushing back into the bearing block before it pulls up too high and disconnects from the lower bearing block. It can be difficult to get this bushing back in, but its not impossible. Pay close attention how the motor is arranged with the wring harness in the frame. The new motor has been improved with the use of shrink wrap and a re-designed board where a small pig tail harness is used on the motor rather than a direct solder connection.

      Jim
      Last edited by Guest; 06-06-2020, 06:55 PM.

      Comment


      • #4
        Thanks Jim and Jim. I have a few things to overcome, bad ladder, tight quarters, and not knowing exactly what that set screw looks like. But when the motor gets here and I start in I should be able to figure it out. I know it's not difficult, but it is intimidating the first time.
        2017 Momentum 376, 2019 Ford F450
        2022 Triumph Scrambler Motorcycle
        E-bikes, Hobi Pedal Kayaks
        Kota the dog and KC the Kitty Cat

        Comment


        • #5
          d2reid Dallas,

          We will be back home tomorrow where I would be happy to take a picture of the screw for you.

          Jim

          Comment


          • #6
            d2reid Dallas,

            Here is a pic of the Schwintek slide motor release screw. Pull the bulb seal from its track and the screw can be seen.

            Jim
            Last edited by Guest; 06-07-2020, 03:31 PM.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by MidwestCamper View Post
              d2reid Dallas,

              Here is a pic of the Schwintek slide motor release screw. Pull the bulb seal from its track and the screw can be seen.

              Jim
              Oh no, that's too funny. I pulled the outer bulb seal off. Couldn't decipher the correct screw, so I removed the screw you are pointing to thinking it was just a seal screw. I pulled the inner seal loose looking for the elusive set screw that was in my hand.

              Good news, a mobile tech has answered my inquiries and will assist us Tuesday afternoon. He is even willing to dance with the extended warranty company. New motor should be in hand tomorrow by noon. One more reservation to adjust, one extra move. A little ladder work by someone better than me. Things are looking good.

              It's always fun to talk with tech's, they just naturally assume you don't have a clue. I would suspect that most of their clients don't, ergo the attitude. So it does take some patience to talk through the diagnosis and part finding process. Right now my mobile tech guy thinks that two motors he has on his truck are going to be more correct than the motor I have ordered. This like the perfect gambling scenario, wanna bet my motor is correct and his aren't, or vice a versa. Hopefully the third option will be the truth, both his motor and my motor are correct, then I will have a spare.....
              2017 Momentum 376, 2019 Ford F450
              2022 Triumph Scrambler Motorcycle
              E-bikes, Hobi Pedal Kayaks
              Kota the dog and KC the Kitty Cat

              Comment


              • #8
                d2reid Dallas,

                The 170000 does correctly cross reference to the 236575 LCI number. I would not let the tech install an old style motor with the small wire harness directly soldered to the motor board. The new style motor has a small pig tail harness that plugs onto the top of the motor board which has better strain relief for the wires. The old style has been unreliable with the wires directly soldered in where there are plenty of repair videos of folks re-soldering a broken wire back on. And like my new motor, it may come with the motor shrink wrapped for better moisture protection.

                Pic of my my old style motor below which was repaired under warranty by soldering the wire back in on top of the board.

                Jim
                Attached Files
                Last edited by Guest; 06-08-2020, 06:33 AM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by MidwestCamper View Post
                  The old style has been unreliable with the wires directly soldered in where there are plenty of repair videos of folks re-soldering a broken wire back on.
                  Jim
                  That's what happened to my first motor, one of the wires broke. The GD tech replaced the motor. We will see how it goes, should get it fixed tomorrow afternoon.
                  2017 Momentum 376, 2019 Ford F450
                  2022 Triumph Scrambler Motorcycle
                  E-bikes, Hobi Pedal Kayaks
                  Kota the dog and KC the Kitty Cat

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Repair is made, not complete, but functional.

                    Here is a picture of the motor that was removed.
                    Click image for larger version  Name:	Slidemotor.jpg Views:	0 Size:	123.2 KB ID:	21268
                    236575 is the model number.

                    Wow, what an education I got today. I don't know if the wires were broken before or after the removal. Could go either way.

                    1. Working clearance in Momentum 376TH. This motor is within inches of the front cabinets. Like 4 inches to get your arm up in there to reach the motor. You will need extra light. I removed a cabinet door so I could bend my elbow while trying to reach it. Best move I ever made was giving it up and hiring a mobile tech to do the work. That young lad grunted and groaned for 3 hours getting that motor replaced. Dark, no clearance.

                    2. Motor models - the one I ordered was the latest with the rubber wrap around it to prevent rust etc. Others have had issues. The clearance tolerances where so tight the tech finally told me he couldn't get it in with the rubber wrap around it, he was really hindered by working clearance. He asked permission to remove the wrap. The old motor had no sign of corrosion, so I said it was ok.

                    3. Alignment. I think he made things a little harder when he didn't make note of the the alignment on the motor shaft, resulted in a lot of in/out push/pull adjustments to get the new motor to drop into place.

                    4. Trim. He removed the trim at the top of the slide where the roof material connects. Not sure why, He sealed it up well after he replaced it.

                    5. Synchronization. Left motor and right motor have sensors in them to determine if they are moving at the same rate and if they are out of alignment. If not it stops. I have 3 Schwintek slides, this one has always "drug" a little. While doing the replacement and re-sync it would stop/start quite a bit. Biggest symptom is it will stop right in the middle of a slide. This is an indicator of a sync problem. Causes can be the control board, the sync sensors, the slide binding, the slide dragging. Replacing the motor does not fix this. Replacing the control board may fix this, but probably not. That leaves figuring out why the slide is dragging. It's a huge deal. After several hours of poking etc. the tech finally said he couldn't figure it out. It would probably take removing the slide and reinstalling it to completely cure the problem.

                    6. Rail gear wear. The tech told me that there was some indication of the gear rail being worn. Along with left over sealant from the installation this may be the cause of the motor failure, simply working it too hard by having to much drag on the slide. There is some truth to this, this slide I have had to remove extra caulking from the rails, smeared everywhere. I think this has caused a good bit of drag.

                    So for now the slide is "fixed", it slides out, it slides in. Sometimes it stops, but starts again as soon as the button is pushed. We talked a little today about how we could get it to a repair facility to have it completely checked out and repaired vs. just replacing the slide motors as they give out. Like a lot of things on an RV, it aint right, but it aint to bad wrong either.

                    Note to self: if I ever buy another rv with Schintek slides and one is not acting like the others harass the dealer to replace it. There should be no hesitancy nor dragging. If there is, there is a problem that will manifest down the road.

                    For now, we are again happy campers.
                    2017 Momentum 376, 2019 Ford F450
                    2022 Triumph Scrambler Motorcycle
                    E-bikes, Hobi Pedal Kayaks
                    Kota the dog and KC the Kitty Cat

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by d2reid View Post
                      Repair is made, not complete, but functional.

                      Here is a picture of the motor that was removed.
                      Click image for larger version Name:	Slidemotor.jpg Views:	0 Size:	123.2 KB ID:	21268
                      236575 is the model number.

                      Wow, what an education I got today. I don't know if the wires were broken before or after the removal. Could go either way.

                      1. Working clearance in Momentum 376TH. This motor is within inches of the front cabinets. Like 4 inches to get your arm up in there to reach the motor. You will need extra light. I removed a cabinet door so I could bend my elbow while trying to reach it. Best move I ever made was giving it up and hiring a mobile tech to do the work. That young lad grunted and groaned for 3 hours getting that motor replaced. Dark, no clearance.

                      2. Motor models - the one I ordered was the latest with the rubber wrap around it to prevent rust etc. Others have had issues. The clearance tolerances where so tight the tech finally told me he couldn't get it in with the rubber wrap around it, he was really hindered by working clearance. He asked permission to remove the wrap. The old motor had no sign of corrosion, so I said it was ok.

                      3. Alignment. I think he made things a little harder when he didn't make note of the the alignment on the motor shaft, resulted in a lot of in/out push/pull adjustments to get the new motor to drop into place.

                      4. Trim. He removed the trim at the top of the slide where the roof material connects. Not sure why, He sealed it up well after he replaced it.

                      5. Synchronization. Left motor and right motor have sensors in them to determine if they are moving at the same rate and if they are out of alignment. If not it stops. I have 3 Schwintek slides, this one has always "drug" a little. While doing the replacement and re-sync it would stop/start quite a bit. Biggest symptom is it will stop right in the middle of a slide. This is an indicator of a sync problem. Causes can be the control board, the sync sensors, the slide binding, the slide dragging. Replacing the motor does not fix this. Replacing the control board may fix this, but probably not. That leaves figuring out why the slide is dragging. It's a huge deal. After several hours of poking etc. the tech finally said he couldn't figure it out. It would probably take removing the slide and reinstalling it to completely cure the problem.

                      6. Rail gear wear. The tech told me that there was some indication of the gear rail being worn. Along with left over sealant from the installation this may be the cause of the motor failure, simply working it too hard by having to much drag on the slide. There is some truth to this, this slide I have had to remove extra caulking from the rails, smeared everywhere. I think this has caused a good bit of drag.

                      So for now the slide is "fixed", it slides out, it slides in. Sometimes it stops, but starts again as soon as the button is pushed. We talked a little today about how we could get it to a repair facility to have it completely checked out and repaired vs. just replacing the slide motors as they give out. Like a lot of things on an RV, it aint right, but it aint to bad wrong either.

                      Note to self: if I ever buy another rv with Schintek slides and one is not acting like the others harass the dealer to replace it. There should be no hesitancy nor dragging. If there is, there is a problem that will manifest down the road.

                      For now, we are again happy campers.
                      d2reid, Dallas,

                      I figured from your description that the trim would need to be removed but without seeing your rig I did not want to take a chance and give you advice that was not correct. My rig is tight as well but was not as bad as your situation.

                      To be honest, I also fought my motor installation and the only way to get my motor in with the wrap was to remove the trim piece on the slide out that holds down the TPO. So I also removed the wrap and will buy a spare motor to keep with me since I opted to not remove the roof trim. But every rig is slightly different where removing this trim on your rig may not have gained enough clearance with the wrap. On my rig I believe it would have provided the clearance.

                      Many techs carry a jumper harness to operate the motor from a drill battery where they can apply downward pressure on the motor while intermittently operating the motor. I purchased a spare harness which can be used for this purpose or to be used to motor in one side should the original harness fail.

                      Is the operation the same as before the motor replacement? One trick to check if one side has excessive drag which will throw a code for either hall effect, or a short is to swap the motor plugs at the controller. If there is an issue with the one side, gearing, motor or wiring, the code will follow the swap on the controller since you would be swapping motor 1 with motor 2. If the code does not follow the swap, then I would suspect the controller or the feed for that side since they are separate at the controller. The codes are listed in the manual where the motor ID and code will be flashed out on the controller with a green light that signifies motor 1 or 2 and then followed by the code in red flashes. So for instance, a single green light followed by 8 red flashes would designate motor 1 and a code 8 which is listed in the manual or on the front of the controller.

                      Your last point on the motor that does not respond as well as the other when new. My motor on the rearward side of the slide has always been slower than the other. The dealer repaired this motor by soldering on a wire that broke off but it still seemed to struggle. With the new motor replacement, both operate at the same speed and its never been this fast.

                      Something to add about the positioning on these units. When the controller is in sync, it is counting pulses from the toner wheel at the top of the motor where speed as well as position is tracked. If one side is slower, the controller will slow down the faster side to help keep the slide in even control. If there is so much binding, or in my case a suspected bad gear reduction in the motor, that side may stall or delay at times.

                      I've measured the current draw from the entire slide with my Victon BMV712 where it exhibits a start up current at around 8.5 amps with a constant current at around 5.5 to 6 amps.

                      Hope you get this all corrected soon,

                      Jim
                      Last edited by Guest; 06-11-2020, 10:50 AM.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by MidwestCamper View Post
                        Hope you get this all corrected soon,
                        Jim
                        More good info Jim. I'll watch my Victon meter next time I slide, forgot about that. I built an amp draw chart when I first installed the Victon meter. After the new motor was installed the slide would stop halfway about 1 out 4 slides, both in and out. When we got to our next destination it slid out without stopping. I think we are good for a while.

                        2017 Momentum 376, 2019 Ford F450
                        2022 Triumph Scrambler Motorcycle
                        E-bikes, Hobi Pedal Kayaks
                        Kota the dog and KC the Kitty Cat

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by d2reid View Post

                          More good info Jim. I'll watch my Victon meter next time I slide, forgot about that. I built an amp draw chart when I first installed the Victon meter. After the new motor was installed the slide would stop halfway about 1 out 4 slides, both in and out. When we got to our next destination it slid out without stopping. I think we are good for a while.
                          d2reid Dallas,

                          It would not hurt to lube the gib and bearing blocks with CRC w PTFE. Attached is a troubleshooting guide that is very helpful.


                          Jim
                          Attached Files

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            d2reid Dallas,

                            How did this all work out?

                            Jim

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by MidwestCamper View Post
                              d2reid Dallas,

                              How did this all work out?

                              Jim
                              Replaced the motor. Cleaned some caulking off of the rail. Lubed. Slide works, not well, but it works. There is still a little drag, mostly you wouldn't notice it, but I do. It's not enough to make the synch count on the controller stop it, so it's within operational design.
                              2017 Momentum 376, 2019 Ford F450
                              2022 Triumph Scrambler Motorcycle
                              E-bikes, Hobi Pedal Kayaks
                              Kota the dog and KC the Kitty Cat

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X