HELP Please need HELP immediately

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ruthandken CDN

ruthandken CDN

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Posts
831
Location
Ontario, Canada
We are on our way to Florida, and we just left this morning.  Everything was fine at home, slides were out AOK.  Now we are in Monroe MI and when we put on the parking brake it works fine, BUT the light does not work and the system doesn't know it's on consequently, we can't put our jacks down and we can't put our slides out.  We're stuck here with 2 big dogs and don't know what to do.  We have a Workhorse chassis.  There is no parking brake lighting up on the console.  Any ideas at all.  It's a foot push brake not an automatic one.

Ruth
 
Ruth, did you turn off the engine?  Sometimes there's a failsafe built in whereby you can't put down levelers or jacks or extend a slide unless the engine is turned off.

We stayed briefly at the "Lord Willing" campground in Monroe last summer.  Quiet and nice place.

ArdraF
 
Hopefully someone with more direct experience chimes in, but I'd start by finding the e-brake switch.  Not sure where it is, but would start at the pedal and trace any linkages/cables back to whereever the braking action happens.  There's got to be  a switch somewhere!  That's likely where the problem is and you should be able to do a temporary bypass by either lifting a wire (NC switch) or jumping the switch (NO switch).  Sorry I don't have any specific knowlege to share!!  I know how you feel!!

Gordon
 
This is a situation where it would be nice to have CoachNet.
 
You might try to rotate the key to the Acc position... usually one notch CCW from the off position or one notch CW from the lock position.  After that probably want to check fuses and breaker boxes; then failed switches from the hand brake switch to the dash light; then start calling the road service folks if you have that, or the MH company, then the jacks company; after all that, you will likely need to get a service call or limp into a RV service dealer.  Oh, I almost forgot, check the manual too.  Sometimes they have a pearl of wisdom or two.  Any neighbors you could ask?
 
Oh dear, we've done all that was suggested.  We have Coach-Net they were no help other than to give us the phone number of a Workhouse place in Toledo Ohio which I already phoned and are on our way there tomorrow. 
 
Some MH mfg'ers make it so the slides cannot be extended if any of the outside bay doors are NOT fully closed.  Also, I would guess that it is because of a wire (bad connection) between the emergency brake and the slide out control box.

JerryF
 
I think there must be a bad connection because the parking brake light comes on ever so briefing when I depress it..just ever so briefly
 
I'm doing as much guessing as the other folks here. but maybe it's an adjustment issue.  Try depressing the brake pedal very slowly just before the light comes "briefly on", then stopping, hopefully with the light on.  Maybe it's traveling too far and breaking the connection again.  Just a thought.
 
Thanks everyone for your suggestions, personally, I think there's a loose wire somewhere.  Both my husband and myself compacted ourselves to get under the drivers seat but there are a kazillion wires under there.  Did a little wiggle here and there but still nothing.  Hopefully the guys can fix it tomorrow.
 
I truly hope so!  We want you to get back on the road and start having fun!

ArdraF
 
Ruth,
          Keep us updated if you can as who knows, someone else may end up with this problem down the road.


Bill
 
Push the park brake on.  Then try a scrap piece of wire between the metal part of the park brake you can see and touch and connect it somewhere else to metal on the door or frame as a second ground wire.  Maybe it will work if it's a faulty ground wire.  You'll know if the light comes on.

JerryF
 
If you can see the entire foot brake lever you should be able to see a switch near the top. You didn't mention what chassis you have but in many situations the brake pedal assy. is the ground. Depressing the pedal completes the ground circuit thus lighting the light and signalling the jacks, slides, etc.
  Try to locate the switch and let us know.
 
well Coachnet on the way, that is good.  Likely the switch others have mentioned.  If you run your hand there with the parking brake on, you should find a push type switch.  Push it in and let it out a number of times.  Sounds like no connection, on the back of the switch you hshould feel the wire.  If no wire, you found the problem, if you find it connected and brake on and still no light, might be a bad switch.  Usually the exercising of ti works.  On my coach sometimes the switch does not engage, I can usually get it on with a quick push and release. 

That reminds me, maybe I should replace it before my trip this year!
 
Well Coach Net wasn't really much help, they just gave me the phone number of a mechanic in the area that works on Work Horses.  Do you need to crawl under the dash again to find that switch?  Cause I don't think I want to go under there again, thought they were going to have to call the fire department to get me out the last time....LOL
 
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