Troubleshooting A Lippert 18 Volt Power RV Awning

Question:

we have just installed a set of 18volt power arms, the awning does not want to come in or out, we connected the charger and the charger light is green and the awning still does not move, how long does it need to charge and if the light on the charger is green already is there something wrong with the product?

asked by: JOHN A

Expert Reply:

I spoke with someone from Lippert and I was told that you need to let the power arms charge for a full 24 hours. They also sent me trouble shooting steps, which I have included below.

From Lippert

If your battery is not charging properly:

1. If you plug the 18-volt battery directly into the charger, the charger will always show a green light but will not charge. The reason for this is the charger plug is reverse polarity from the plug on the battery. In order to get a battery to fully charge the battery needs to be plugged into the arm correctly as if you were going to operate it from the switch and then pull the plug down from the bottom of the switch and plug the charger directly into that. This will correct the polarity, have the charge go through the switch all the way through the lines up to the battery.

2. Plug the designated charger into the bottom of the extend/retract drive arm harness and outlet. A red light will appear on the charger. For a full charge, leave it plugged in for 24 hours. The red light will turn green when the awning is fully charged. The green light will be illuminated if the charger is plugged into the wall and NOT plugged into the awning battery harness. Make sure the charger cable is securely connected to the bottom of the extend/retract drive arm battery harness. Charging the awning batteries any other way could cause damage.

3.If a blinking light appears, try the following: Push the switch in the down position and connect the battery as indicated above. The light should blink green. Disconnect the charger and plug again, turn the switch in the up position and then reconnect properly. The light should blink red for 15 seconds, and then turn a solid red. The battery should charge and the light should turn a solid green after 24 hours.

In the instance these steps do not correct your problem, Lippert has created a customer service case for you, to make it easier for me to follow up with them.

expert reply by: Mark Smith