Leveling jacks did not retract. Well at least for a hour.

[climberbob]

We have a LCI (Lippert Components )automatic leveling system. When we leveled, one or two of the jacks maxed out. It did run for about 8 more seconds before stopping. When I pushed the retract button the motor would turn but nothing happened. We then tried a manual retract. Turned the 4 screws to open the valves. Put a drill motor on the pump and nothing happened. I went into manual mode. I extended a different jack to see if it would do it and it went up. The jacks would not retract. After driving around and making phone calls to find someone to help. We got back and I tried it one more time and they retracted. We have used the jacks about ten times after that and they have worked every time. The oil level is good. It has maxed out the jacks in the past. The RV is 6 years old and I haven't change the fluid. Every year I think of doing that. Any thoughts of what happened and how to prevent it in the future?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Lippert makes several models of leveling system, so more details on which one you have would help. Do the jack legs (rams) have springs on them? If so, it is a single-acting, spring return system. If no springs, then its a double-acting system that pumps the rams both up and down.

In either case, a valve has to change position to retract the jack rams. A sticky valve could produce the results you saw. So could a faulty control circuit board.

 

[climberbob]

Lippert makes several models of leveling system, so more details on which one you have would help. Do the jack legs (rams) have springs on them? If so, it is a single-acting, spring return system. If no springs, then its a double-acting system that pumps the rams both up and down.

In either case, a valve has to change position to retract the jack rams. A sticky valve could produce the results you saw. So could a faulty control circuit board.

I don't know which system I have. There are no springs on the jacks.

 

[climberbob]

When I did a manual retract and turned the valves by hand I thought that would put the valves in the right position.