Oministor electric step

[Jim Smith]

Hi all
Just had my van back from Mot and electric step not working ,it won’t come out at all .
I have checked the fuse ok ,and replaced it also .
The internal switch by the door is the bottom of a bank of 3 ,the two above have power ok .
I have removed the switch and the wiring is intact ,but not sure if power is coming to the switch .
I have also dropped the step and opened the motor cover all wires are intact and connected .
I used an electrical test probe to test for power but could not get a response ,not sure if this was right .
Last year I dropped the step and split and cleaned and greased the motor assembly and it’s worked perfect until now ,the only issue the garage reported for the mot was handbrake needed adjusting which they did so I cannot understand what’s happened .
Has anyone any ideas ?
Switch seems ok but suppose it could have developed a fault ,not sure if there is a relay or another fuse ?
Jim

Topic

[Jim Smith]

Hi Dave
Went out to have a look at the wiring last night .
Opened the door switched lights on ,pressed the step switch without thinking …. Out came the step
!!!!!!! . Tried it again ,no problem so disgusted turn the lights off shut the door and came inside . Will investigate later .
Thanks for the info will keep you updated .jim

[David Lawson]

The switch priced at £6.39 with a printable PDF wiring diagram can be found here.
http://www.marcleleisure.co.uk/store/switch-step-position-grey-p-3184.html
The wiring diagram shows a rear view of the 5 terminal switch, not 6 terminal as suggested and the common terminals look to be numbers 1 and 4 which are on the outside edges and not in the centre as would normally be on a six terminal switch.
If you need to purchase a switch, do check the colour matches the original surround frame. I think they are available in black, dark grey and light grey. Some suppliers refer to the colours as charcoal, graphite and light grey (silver)

[Jim Smith]

Hi Dave
Thanks for the quick reply ,that helps a lot .
I was not sure which wire was the positive ,so will go and check again for power .
If none I will rig something temporary to give me a positive feed.
If I find a positive to the switch and it still does not operate ,I suppose I would replace the switch as a first swipe at it ?.
I will have a look and come back to you .
Jim

[Christine Lawson]

Hi Jim,
If it is a rocker switch with centre off at rest which I am nearly sure it is there will be power on the centre contact(s) (spade connectors)
If it has 3 connections then the centre contact will be +ve
If it has 6 connections then the centre pair of contacts will be +ve and -ve.
Negative -ve is normally identified on a European vehicle by a white cable. The positive could be any colour, even black, which can be confusing.
I am confused how you can identify power on the upper switches but not this one. It is either there or not. Was it the number of cables that put you off ? Be assured, the incoming power would be on the centre contact(s) of such a switch.
The power to the switch is permanent and is from the habitation battery, regardless of whether the control panel is on or off.
Yes there is a relay which is inside the bottom fridge vent, the power to that relay is applied to both the relay and the fridge when the engine starts, which has the effect of retracting the step automatically and also powers the fridge for 12 volt operation if and when required.
If you can identify positive +ve at the centre of the switch, it would be OK to apply a temporary +ve to check the operation of the step. If that works, you have lost the positive feed, either by fuse or loose / broken connection.
I very much doubt if handbrake adjustment could interfere with the wiring as it will almost definitely be between the two floors, although the output from the rocker switch to the step does go through the lower floor but nowhere near the handbrake adjustment.
I may be able to dig out the wiring diagram which shows the cable colours and where the +ve feed comes from if necessary.
If all else fails, use an upturned milk crate till you get to Prestatyn.

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