So my next modification I'm planning is to put in switch to modify the front air step. I know how to do it, I've read the forums on it. and I was just curious where people that have done it put their switch to control it? I have space beneath the transmission retarder joystick. thought about putting it there. But then I have to run a long wire from there all the way over to the door. I thought there might be a better way maybe putting it in the door that opens into the self resetting breakers in front of the passenger seat. But before I do anything, and this will be several weeks out before I attempt it, I was wondering where other people had put theirs.
Thanks
Bob
By modify do you mean have a switch that keeps the steps in or out to suit your needs?
If so here's where I put mine so it's accessible from outside through the slider in the screen door.
Mine is on the panel in front of the passenger seat. The door open overrides the switch to open the step while the door is open. Close the door and the step retracts with the key off. Good for parking lots etc.
I put mine between the passengers heater control switches.
Mine is to the left of the steering wheel.
Mark
Think I will put it right on the panel in front of the passenger seat. Easy to install, easy to activate coming in or out.
Thanks for your input.
Where might I read about how to do it?
For safety reasons, my memory is not always perfect, and it only takes one error. I prefer to keep it wired as FT wired originally.
If you want to wire in a new switch, make shure you know what you have bypassed, and make sure it is passed on to future owners.
This is a great comment. Also, I find that I have to refer to past notes to recall exactly what I did! (first the hair, then the memory).
jor
Do a search.
Beam alarm has the info. Basically you bypass the wire coming from the self resetting breaker C11 wire and supply 12 volts through the switch to the door sensor.
Step will go up then without the keys in.
Something to consider is if your air tanks leak down over time while your sitting some where for an extended time this feature will stop working. It's easy to wire up per the beam alarm instructions, I wired mine up but didn't mount the switch just left it hanging in the panel to test it out. My coach will leak down after a couple of days so it wouldn't work so I put it back to normal. Works great IF you have air pressure on your gauges.
Just my .02
Keith
I will try to explain how I wired mine, unforturnately I didn't take photos.
Run 3 wires from the 12V circuit breaker panel in front of the passenger seat over to the dash panel where I installed the switch above the javelina monitor.
1 orange - 1 blue - 1 red
Used a double pole single throw switch. (On-on, with no center off)
Removed the orange #60 wire that goes to the step switch by the door from its 10 amp circuit breaker. And joined it with lugs to the orange wire going to my new switch. Land it on the "common" center post.
Install the blue wire to the 10 amp breaker where the orange #60 was terminated. Then terminate the other end on one of the other terminals on the new switch.
Land the red wire on the last unused terminal on the same side of the double pole switch as the orange and blue. In the breaker panel terminate the red on wire on one of the bus bars that is always hot to a spare 10 amp breaker if you have one. (I did). Or install a inline fuse if you don't.
Mount switch in the position where "down" connects the orange and blue and step will operate as it always has with no risk or operational difference.
When switch is "up" the step switch will be powered as if the ignition is on.
As stated above if the air pressure leaks down, the step will not work so be careful when stepping out the door that the last step isn't a big one!
Edit:
This is for a 95 U280, you need to verify what wire # feeds the step switch in your application.
Typing this on my phone as we are in Virginia now and no laptop so forgive any misspellings.
You can get your steps to work all the time despite being low on air in the air brake tanks if you have the slide-out room. You can tap into the auxiliary compressor tank and tee this new line into the airline going to the step solenoid. You will need to add two check valves to keep the two different systems separate: one to the new line coming from the auxiliary tank and one added to the original airline going to the step solenoid before the new tee you just added into the old step air line. This will allow the steps to be powered by the engine compressor or the auxiliary compressor, but they won't back-feed each other. (You could even add a pressure protection valve to the new airline, if you wanted, to insure the air-bladder would be the top priority for air if your new airline were to develop a large leak down the road someday.) With this setup you would also have air for the step-well-cover if you wanted to use it, since the airlines for the step-well-cover solenoid and the step solenoid are in series.
Excellent info. Thanks