Had one do the same thing. Found the Relay Module was sticking causing the motor thermal overload to trip. Replaced relay module and all was back to normal.
dougrainer wrote: The awning motor is bad. Now to a previous statement that there are adjustments for in and out. Well, that comes from NOT knowing your subject and assuming ALL products are the same over the years. Your 2004 model probably does NOT have the In and Out limit adjustments as do the current production by Carefree. The quickest way to verify the motor is to wire the 2 wires to the motor from the switch direct to a 12 volt source and try to retract that way. Doubtful the switch is bad as the motors are usually what fail. The motor has an overload built in and if operating too many times in a row will kick out the overload and you have to wait a few minutes for it to cool down. Doug
You have shown you do NOT understand the written word. I said this "MAY" be for your unit. The OP never gave a model number. I also said the limit adjustments were for the model in the manual.
If the motor has severe voltage drop, and is trying to work at reduced voltage, it will draw much more current, causing it to overheat and trip the overload. Check that voltage first.
1998 Triple E F53 with 460 Ford
1995 Jeep Wrangler toad
Along the same lines, my over the door awning motor went south. The PLASTIC drive end broke causing the awning to fully extend. It's a Carefree Freedom but yours could be a Marquee. It's not an easy task to remove this motor as it has to come out the left side and my patio vertical strut is only a few inches away so the awning has to be slid forward enough to remove the motor. This motor goes inside the roller tube so when the drive end breaks the broken pieces remain inside the tube and are difficult to remove. I had the same problem with my awning as you so I adjusted how far the awning extended and that fixed that problem. My patio awning refuses to retract sometimes so I take the power plug apart and clean the pin slots and that fixes that. You can't buy anything from Carefree and they don't have any tech support so good luck. My motor has been on order for quite a while and cost me $106 retail plus shipping. The motors are made in France but they look like a Chinese product to me.
2008 Monaco Camelot 40PDQ, 4 slides, 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi Quadcab 4x4. Blue Ox, Garmin 7200 GPS, Doran Pressure pro on all 10, M&G Brake, 50 amp SurgeGuard, FMCA, Coachnet.
Gang,
OP here, again, I want to thank all of you for your patience, help, expertise and guidance here while I try and solve this problem. As stated in the original post, the awning works perfectly fine, in and out, as long as I don't go past the the "elbow straight" position (fully extended). If I do, it's at that point that the motor does not have the power to overcome the "Kinking" of the elbows to start the retraction sequence.
But, also as stated, if I apply outside power directly to that motor, via the two wires on it, I can run that awning in and out a zillion times, to the fully extended position, each and every time and it will pull itself right back in, every time, WITH OUTSIDE POWER.
But, let me ask you all something here. Just how long does it take for that little motor to develope an "over heated" issue if, I've only ran the awning out to the fully extended position one time, and then try and bring it back in? I mean, that takes all of about 3-4 seconds to run it out. And, when I try and bring it back in, it stops at the point where the elbows are trying to kink/fold. But, if I continue to push the toggle to retract the awning, I can actually hear the motor trying to operate.
Now to me, that's telling me that there's still power going to the motor and that there's nothing down stream that has tripped or failed. Am I thinking correctly here?
And, one more question, if, there's some sort of thermal protection, where is it, in the motor? I'll dig into that PDF manual that was sent to me and see what I can find. And, I'll also go out and apply some more voltage tests to give you boys some more ammo for your assault on this issue.
Many of you know that Freightliner wires just about everything with yellow wires. On the back side of that switch receptacle, there are six yellow wires. And, like stated earlier, no matter what combination I probe with my test light and or volt meter, I get no power into that receptacle. How in the world does that work? How can you send power to that motor, in two directions, for EXTEND and RETRACT, and have no power in the plug that the switch plugs into??????????
Scott
Scott and Karla SDFD RETIRED
2004 Itasca Horizon, 36GD Slate Blue 330 CAT
2011 White Honda CRV EX-L,4WD w/NAV Toad 2008 Caliente Red LVL II GL 1800 Goldwing KI60ND
Based on what you said I think your motor is good. It seems it may not be getting enought current. Someone mentioned a relay module. I would check that first as relays can tend to go bad. Also clean all contacts and if you can take the switch apart clean those contacts as well. You say you cannot see any voltage, what are you using for ground point on your volt meter, is that ground point a real good ground.
There should be two wires that go to the motor.
There should be 12 volts DC and 12 volts ground on the switch. The motor runs one way to extend then the switch reverses the power to run the motor in reverse to retract.
Have you located a control box for the awning?
Do you have an anemometer to automatically retract the awning?
Have you located the make and model?
I would still be looking for a corroded connection.
Since you say that with "external power" (I presume this is 12vdc applied directly to the motor) you can move the awning in and out with no problems, the issue lays with the electrical connections between the coach battery and the awning's motor. I would also be looking for corroded connections. You seem to be at a standstill with this... perhaps it's time to get a technician working on it.
I still do my awnings manually, and I do not know anything about solving your problem.
But I would hazard a guess that your retrieval problem is mechanical, not electrical based on your last post.
I haven't had a chance to get to it today just yet, I'll check out all the mechanical portions to see if there's possibly a bind.
Based on what you said I think your motor is good. It seems it may not be getting enought current. Someone mentioned a relay module. I would check that first as relays can tend to go bad. Also clean all contacts and if you can take the switch apart clean those contacts as well. You say you cannot see any voltage, what are you using for ground point on your volt meter, is that ground point a real good ground.
I'll have to look for that relay module. It may be on the other side of the coach, along with one of the many circuit breaker panels and reset-able circuit breakers. That switch, is sealed. I'm not sure if it's possible to take it apart or not, I'd done things like that in the past so, I'll try and see if I can do it or not. If I ruin it, oh well, it will be off to the local RV supply store for another. But, being new, it might eliminate it from the equasion.
As for a ground point, as I understand that operation, that motor is "not" grounded. The wires switch duties. On extention, one of them is ground and one is hot. On retraction, the other is ground and one is hot. I know this because in jumping the motor leads with an external battery, all I do is switch the leads from positive to negative and the motor reverses direction. It's the same exact situation with the step cover for the passenger. I found out the same exact operation is there too. When I connect external power to that little motor, the step cover slides out and, when I reverse the leads, the step cover slides right back in again.
There should be two wires that go to the motor.
There should be 12 volts DC and 12 volts ground on the switch. The motor runs one way to extend then the switch reverses the power to run the motor in reverse to retract.
Have you located a control box for the awning?
Do you have an anemometer to automatically retract the awning?
Have you located the make and model?
I would still be looking for a corroded connection.
Yes, there are two wires on the motor. And, as explained above, that's exactly how it works, by reversing the power and ground. And, I know that the switch does this but, like stated, I cannot find any power in that receptacle for that switch. But, somehow it gets power through that receptacle, sends to the motor for extend and, reverses it for retract. I'm not sure what an "anemometer" is unless it's a winds sensor. And if so, I have one on the patio awning but not the door awning. All I have to do is shake that patio awning just a tiny bit and in it goes, all by itself. But, the door one won't do that.
And sorry but, no I haven't located the make and modle just yet. I will and report in the next post. As for corroded connections, you all see them in the pictures. There is, and I've looked at them very close, no corrosion on those contacts between the switch tangs and the female receptors in the receptacle.
Since you say that with "external power" (I presume this is 12vdc applied directly to the motor) you can move the awning in and out with no problems, the issue lays with the electrical connections between the coach battery and the awning's motor. I would also be looking for corroded connections. You seem to be at a standstill with this... perhaps it's time to get a technician working on it.
Craig
Craig,
Yes, you are correct, 12V DC directly applied to the motor leads is how I make the motor work the awning. By doing it that way, it works flawless. But, I'm determined to figure this out. If that "Wind Pro" box in the foward compartment also handles the duities of opening and closing the door awning, then I'll have to figure out how.
And yes, I'm at a bit of a stand still but, not totally stumpped just yet.
Again, I certainly appreciate all of your time and help here. It's great to know there's folks on here willing to help. I'll keep all in formed as I find out more info. Thanks again.
Scott
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