Freightliner Smart Wheel problems

[Gyrophoenix]

I'd like to shoot the moron who decided to put the controls for stuff like wipers on the steering wheel, using fairly complicated electronics. What was wrong with knobs or switches on the dashboard....

Anyway, here's the situation:
2008 Holiday Rambler Scepter
Freightliner Smart Steering Wheel connected to a
VIP Control Module Series II

When the buttons on the steering wheel are pushed, most of the time they do not work. Sometimes, after pressing a button 10 or 15 times the wipers may be activated, but not for the correct function indicated by the button. (Really odd: Sometimes the same button will activate the wipers to do different functions.)

So far I have:
1) Replaced the VIP Control Module Series II board. (Getting one of those was real story....)

That made no difference.

2) Replaced the Clock Spring. That also made no difference.

and

3) Replaced the whole Freightliner Smart Steering Wheel with a new one, identical to the one not functioning.

Believe it or not, that made it worse. Pressing the buttons on the new steering wheel produced absolutely no actions at all. None. The original steering wheel was at least producing some actions.

Next the buttons on the original steering wheel were all checked for continuity, and all were fine.

After much deliberation and consultation with some very experienced mechanics, the consensus seems to be that since we know the VIP Control Module Series II is new, and the Spring Clock is new, and the original Freightliner Smart Steering Wheel checks out fine electronically, then the solution has to be that the steering wheel and the control module have to be "synced", or taught to communicate with each other.

Does anyone have any experience in this area? Possibly know where a manual which has syncing instructions exists?

Thank you in advance for all input.

 

[RayIN]

This may or may not relate to your problem. Several years ago I was having some mechanical repairs performed at a local HDT repair shop that also works on MH's.
They had a newer CL A MH in a bay with the RF "fender" and wheel liner off the MH. I asked the owner what was being repaired. He walked me to the MH and showed me the wiring transition fitting through the firewall, (perhaps 20 pins in the round connection) just behind the RF tire. The outer connection was unscrewed and all the terminals were bright green with corrosion.
He said they had traced the smart wheel problems to this device, and were getting ready to clean away all corrosion so they could furthers assess the corrosion damage.

 

[Gyrophoenix]

This may or may not relate to your problem. Several years ago I was having some mechanical repairs performed at a local HDT repair shop that also works on MH's.
They had a newer CL A MH in a bay with the RF "fender" and wheel liner off the MH. I asked the owner what was being repaired. He walked me to the MH and showed me the wiring transition fitting through the firewall, (perhaps 20 pins in the round connection) just behind the RF tire. The outer connection was unscrewed and all the terminals were bright green with corrosion.
He said they had traced the smart wheel problems to this device, and were getting ready to clean away all corrosion so they could furthers assess the corrosion damage.

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately that wouldn't apply here. All the wiring involved is inside the coach. The VIP Control Module is attached to the inside wall, to the left of the driver.

 

[Larry N.]

I have an owner's manual, dated 1999, and a troubleshooting guide, dated 2001, for a Smart Wheel from when I had a 2007 Beaver. They're small enough to email if you want them. Fortunately (for me) I never had problems with mine though.

 

[Gyrophoenix]

I have an owner's manual, dated 1999, and a troubleshooting guide, dated 2001, for a Smart Wheel from when I had a 2007 Beaver. They're small enough to email if you want them. Fortunately (for me) I never had problems with mine though.

Thanks!! I'm already in possession of the latest versions of the owner's manual and troubleshooting guide.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Maybe irrelevant, but why do you call it a Freightliner Smart Steering Wheel? The Smart Wheel is a product of Vehicle Improvement Products (VIP) and is used on motorhome chassis from Spartan, Freightliner Customer Chassis, Monaco Roadmaster, and maybe others.

 

[Gyrophoenix]

Maybe irrelevant, but why do you call it a Freightliner Smart Steering Wheel? The Smart Wheel is a product of Vehicle Improvement Products (VIP) and is used on motorhome chassis from Spartan, Freightliner Customer Chassis, Monaco Roadmaster, and maybe others.

You're correct, Gary. I was lazy, and just copied and pasted off the item invoice.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Ah! So you bought the new parts thru Freightliner. I was just curious...

 

[gwinger]

Those are probably membrane switches. They consist of two conductive surfaces that complete a circuit when pressed. The contacts can get dirty, worn or actually break away form the substrate.

 

[Onyrlef]

Maybe irrelevant, but why do you call it a Freightliner Smart Steering Wheel? The Smart Wheel is a product of Vehicle Improvement Products (VIP) and is used on motorhome chassis from Spartan, Freightliner Customer Chassis, Monaco Roadmaster, and maybe others.

From the OP's description it would appear "Vehicle Improvement Products" is an oxymoron. Not entirely unlike the improvement where everything in the RV is routed through a tablet screen on the wall and when you call Scooter at tech support you only need a new interface which they'll overnight you for only $1200.00. +$300 shipping. Meantime you can't leave the campsite because the brain surgeons didn't provide for manual overrides on anything.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

From the OP's description it would appear "Vehicle Improvement Products" is an oxymoron. Not entirely unlike the improvement where everything in the RV is routed through a tablet screen on the wall and when you call Scooter at tech support you only need a new interface which they'll overnight you for only $1200.00. +$300 shipping. Meantime you can't leave the campsite because the brain surgeons didn't provide for manual overrides on anything.

Same with power windows and numerous other convenience features. Really nice to have as long as they work.

 

[RayIN]

I agree Gary; and in an RV which likely sits more than being used those membrane contacts have time to corrode between uses.

 

[chadwheels]

I'd like to shoot the moron who decided to put the controls for stuff like wipers on the steering wheel, using fairly complicated electronics. What was wrong with knobs or switches on the dashboard....

Anyway, here's the situation:
2008 Holiday Rambler Scepter
Freightliner Smart Steering Wheel connected to a
VIP Control Module Series II

When the buttons on the steering wheel are pushed, most of the time they do not work. Sometimes, after pressing a button 10 or 15 times the wipers may be activated, but not for the correct function indicated by the button. (Really odd: Sometimes the same button will activate the wipers to do different functions.)

So far I have:
1) Replaced the VIP Control Module Series II board. (Getting one of those was real story....)

That made no difference.

2) Replaced the Clock Spring. That also made no difference.

and

3) Replaced the whole Freightliner Smart Steering Wheel with a new one, identical to the one not functioning.

Believe it or not, that made it worse. Pressing the buttons on the new steering wheel produced absolutely no actions at all. None. The original steering wheel was at least producing some actions.

Next the buttons on the original steering wheel were all checked for continuity, and all were fine.

After much deliberation and consultation with some very experienced mechanics, the consensus seems to be that since we know the VIP Control Module Series II is new, and the Spring Clock is new, and the original Freightliner Smart Steering Wheel checks out fine electronically, then the solution has to be that the steering wheel and the control module have to be "synced", or taught to communicate with each other.

Does anyone have any experience in this area? Possibly know where a manual which has syncing instructions exists?

Thank you in advance for all input.

I have to laugh with you not at you.... I have the same exact RV as you. I have been researching this for years. My problem is everything works; I just cannot get my cruise control to set. I know first world problems. I've looked into replacing the wheel, module, and clock spring. The reason I have not, because everything else works but one button possible two. My next move is to attempt to trace and test each wire relating to the smart wheel.

The reason I'm leaning towards this because a few years ago I was having issues of my RV just shut down on the highway at freeway speeds and random other times... FML. Come to found out there was a loose wire in the electrical bin in the passenger rear where the main power wires are all connected. After fixing that and $$$ later not a problem since.

Please post on anything you may find.

Thank you,
Chad

 

[Gyrophoenix]

It's been a while, but everything was finally fixed today, and I thought I'd provide a wrap-up for all of you kind enough to provide feed back.

To quickly review:
- When purchased (from previous owner), some of the buttons on the right pod worked (controlling the windshield wiper functions), some didn't.When the Cruise Control button on the left pod was pressed, the Cruise light on the dash did not light up, and the CC didn't work.
- A replacement SM 211 Control Module was purchased from VIP. After installation some of the buttons on the right pod worked, nothing different on the left pod.
- Installed a new Clock Spring. No change in the functionality of the buttons, and it got even weirder because some of the buttons caused actions to happen that were assigned to other buttons.
- I purchased new pods, both left and right, from VIP, and installed them. No change in button functionality.
- I called practically every RV repair shop in the Mid Atlantic area, and none of them would work on the problem.
- Finally I found a truck repair service center that would take it on. I ordered another SM 211 Control Module from VIP, just to be on the safe side.
- The repairman (in reality an electrical engineer I later found out, who is revered by everyone who knows him), studied all the literature and manuals about the system, and analyzed the schematics. He then tested the new pods and Clock Spring to be sure they were 100%. They were. That narrowed it down to the Control Module.
- He then tested, socket by socket, the new one I ordered. Of course it was fine. He then tested the one that was installed after the original was replaced. It too checked out fine. Yet the buttons did not work. Then.... he took a can of electric contact cleaner and cleaned the **** out of the plugs and sockets, and, low and behold, all the buttons now work. (The light for the Cruise Control on the dash still doesn't go on, but we're sure that's because it's blown out. The buttons for the CC do indeed function.)

So life is now good, and I have a spare new Control Module which I hope to never need.

I asked the electrician if he would allow me to post his contact information, since he obviously has the wherewithal to troubleshoot and fix these Smart Wheels, a task no one else seems to want to touch. He asked that I not post his contact information, as he can't keep up with the work he has now.

 

[Larry N.]

Glad you found that solution- they can sure be a nightmare.

 

[tlmgcamp1]

A potential silver lining to the tariffs...maybe the electronics for all this fancy stuff (that breaks often and is a nightmare to fix) will become too expensive to put in an RV and there will be a swing back to basics.

 

[Gyrophoenix]

These electronics are US made.

 

[tlmgcamp1]

These electronics are US made.

Well that opens a whole different conversation.