# Steps down warning buzzer failed. Is there a fuse?



## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Embarrassing, I was pulled over and breathalysed by plod tonight. Admittedly I had been a danger on the road, the electrically operated steps where down and sticking out!!! Being a left hooker it was even more of a hazard. Apparently a motorist behind had alerted them. 

Now up until now I had not used an aid memoir. Turning the ignition normally sounds a buzzer if the steps are down, it’s now not working. Steps operate fine up and down, down and up. But no buzzer. 

Is it the fuse gone where do I look? Or is it the buzzer itself? Anyone familiar with the Hymer system?

Dick


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## Fatalhud (Mar 3, 2006)

My UK built van has a fuse and gets the signal from the split charge relay
Alan H


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

I had a similar problem on mine but not sure if you have the same set up (double omnistep), drove off with the step down and didn't realise until gesticulations from onlookers alerted me to the problem.

Removed rubber cover from where the microswitch meets the step mechanism and sprayed wd40 all over it working it all in and has worked fine ever since fingers crossed.

Pete


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## Ozzyjohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Dick,

Different van so te following may not be relevant - but it is easy to check if it is.

We had this problem a couple of years ago. Step moved in and out ok but the buzzer and automatic retraction didn't happen when the ignition was switched on. I traced the problem (eventually) to a switch that is operated by the step itself under the van. This switch had become a bit gunged up during a winter trip to Scotland - the result was that it had become stuck in the position appropriate for the step being fully retracted. This in turn meant that the automatic closure circuit always thought the step was closed. 

A quick once over with a paint brush to remove the gunge followed by a few squirts of water then WD40 to remove the rest, then a final application of a dry lubricant has seen it trouble free ever since.

Maybe worth a quick check if your problem may be caused by something similar.

Good luck with finding the problem.


Regards,
John


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## bjandlin (Sep 15, 2009)

*step buzzer*

Good morning,
Have had a similar problem on my 2005 584.
There are lots about it on this site in various threads.
But my findings were :-
The buzzer is sited behind the 201 panel above the door.
can be turned on & off here.
The limit switch mounted on the motor housing was the main cause of the problem.The earth connection is via a ring terminal connected to the switch retaining rivet which is alloy & corrodes, hence a bad earth.
The fix was a good clean, a new ring terminal & a screw & nut in place of the rivet. Grease helps to keep the wet out but if you don't have mud flaps it's worth fitting them to keep the wet & muck away.
PM me if I can help further.
Barrie.


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

Lucky You.

We had to move away from a stray herd of cows and our buzzer failed. We caught our step on a sand pile on the side of the track and bent it back. The fields we were in had had a new outer fence put in but an internal fence was broken down so the cows had been able to enter the field through that, although we had shut the gate to the section our group has used for the last 40 years.

Looks like we will have to fit a new omnistep double at about £370 plus fitting.

The step still is useable but it has ground out the link arm from the motor to the step. We have tried repairing the hole in the drive link that has gone from square to round.

I am waiting at present for a quote for a new link from John Rose at Rose Awnings who has contacted Omnistep to see if they can supply the part.

Check that the earth on the buzzer is making good contact. That is where our problem was.

John


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

We contacted John Rose at Rose Awnings in Poole. The Omnistore importer. Tel: 01202 620427

I sent him photos of the damaged part, as we couldn't identify it from the parts diagram online he sent my email to Thule in Belgium.

He has now got a new link to replace the damaged piece at £19.88 including postage. Ordered and paid for it today.

I will see how it goes when we fit it. We tried repairing the old one with plastic metal that was claimed to be as strong as steel and the step went out and in once. In the process it had ground all the plastic metal out.

If this link meets the same fate we will have to get a new step.

John


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## ardgour (Mar 22, 2008)

You may have alreay found the problem but this happene on our Hymer step last year. The problem was the sensing switch has a rivet connection to the chassis and this had rusted so was no longer making contact and the circuit was permanently open (no buzzer). Solution was to drill out the rivet (it is in a box under the back of the step so gets gunged) and replace with a new crimped terminal on the wire and new rivet

Chris


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

Our fault this time was the earth on the buzzer itself. It was intermittent. 

I had the buzzer fitted by the dealer that fitted the new step after I left it out on day one after buying the van in Dortmund and clipped a car in Aachen. I was in a bit of a flap as I was very light on the back end and had lost traction on wet cobbles in rain and missed the internal warning light after we had popped out to check the grip situation and the road ahead. 

We had a single step then, but got the double to replace it.

John


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Got it fixed today by Dave Newel in Telford as he did my hab service. He told me before he looked at it that it was most likely a poor earth connection. He was spot on!

Dick


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