Help Needed Amp powersteps no longer work

[paulpe99]

I've had these AMP RESEARCH power steps on my superduty truck for a couple of years. Never any problems until last week. We came out to the East Coast and now the steps won't come down. We noticed an intermittent problem when we first drove through areas with very high humidity. Now, in Florida, the problem is constant: the steps refuse to come down. I sprayed wd-40 in the contector at the amp research power module and at each hinge point. Dome light still functions and the door ajar light on the instrument panel works fine. Any suggestions? Anyone else have these problems?

 

[Fine69]

Check the power connections at the battery, they probably need cleaned and tightened.

 

[paulpe99]

thanks for the suggestion. I first tried putting dialectric grease on the amp research connector at the power module. it made no difference. I then checked the inline fuse on the red power line connected to the battery. It was good. I then disconnected both positive and negative powerstep wires at the battery. I cleaned the positive connection and reattached them. I tested the steps by opening the passenger door, and the step came down!! But, it only worked for one cycle because when i shut the passenger door the step wouldn't go up. I checked the driver side door and the steps didn't move. I took a brief break, came back and removed the inline fuse for 30 seconds. I put the inline fuse back in and tested both doors. Now both steps cycle properly!! I hope it stays that way. Thanks

 

[JohnnyS]

is this because of the power connection ? My situation is same with what happened to your truck.

 

[paulpe99]

i'm not sure what eventually solved the problem. it has been 4 weeks now and the steps seem to be working fine. I don't think its a power step hardware problem. i think its an electrical problem on the truck side. I believe this cuz now i keep blowing a mini 20amp fuse that powers the cigar lighter and the Banks PDA, and I had to pull the fuse that allows 4x4 engaging on the fly. My truck tried to go into 4x4 mode while driving 55 mph on the highway!!

 

[Stroked68]

probably all the salt and moisture wrecking havoc on wiring. Diecltric compound is yer friend.

 

[paulpe99]

a post on another site mentioned:

"A while back some trucks and Excursions where having electrical/electronic problems when it rained. Turned out it was a leaky windshield.

The caulking was bad and water was getting in and running down the inside of the firewall and shorting out some of the computer stuff. Not enough water was leaking that you would notice puddles on the floor, just enough to get the electronics wet! "

i'm gonna poke my head under the dash and see if i can detect a window leak.

 

[paulpe99]

Well, the steps aren't cycling again. We just had another period of heavy rain. Someone mentioned that these trucks have a problem with a slight leak along the windshield, which caused some electrical shorts. I'm still investigating that possibility.

 

[DaveBen]

That does not apply to your truck. I would look again at underneath your truck for exposed wiring components. Water does nasty things when it gets into a wiring circuit. Look for crimp connectors that are exposed to the weather or spray. They can cause shorts to ground ( the frame of body).

Dave

 

[paulpe99]

i called amp research last month and they sent me out another controller, since it was still under warranty. i plugged it in, but nothing works. i even used dielectric grease on the controller plug and pulled the 30 amp fuse to try and reset the unit. nothing. Well, I just needed to give the computer a day to set i suppose. With the new controller in place, the steps have been working great for the last 4 weeks. Amp research tech support was awesome and very willing to help. Big praise goes to them.
thanks all!!