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Minivator 950 Power Swivel Problem
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I am having problems with my wifes Minivator 950, When the lift reaches the top of the stairs RHS it bleeps and shows code 3, however the seat does not swivel at all.
I have checked the power swivel PCB and there is 12v between the comms and Negative connections but I cant seem to get anything at the M1 M2 connectors to the swivel motor.
Any help will be much appreciated! -
Firstly switch off lift ( the black on/off switch ) on the carriage for 30 seconds and then turn back on and check again. You will be amazed how many times this works
Could be the swivel pcb but it’s rare. Can you hear the relay click which indicates voltage going to the motor?
Wire a 12 v battery direct to the swivel motor to make sure it swivels ok, if it tries to swivel the wrong way just swap the wires over
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Code 3 is end limit switch activated, pull the motor connections off the board and apply 12volts to them and see if the motor kicks into life? If yes then it’s a board issue, if you have a powered footrest? Swap the boards over, the dip switches on the boards are set different so log the settings before you swap the boards
1,2,4 off 3 on powered seat
1,2 on 3,4off powered footrest -
Hi Guys, many thanks for your input, I have done as suggested and spent the day trying to resolve the issue, unfortunately without success!
The stairlift does have a powered footrest, so I swapped the boards as fredt suggested, I double checked the dip switch settings and made sure that I powered the stairlift on and off to register the changes, the fault persisted.
There is 11.33v between the grey and black cables at the swivel board, there is no change when the lift reaches the end limit. The display changes to 3 and nothing happens.
I cannot hear the relays click at all. Unfortunately I do not have a 12v battery to hand to connect it directly to the swivel motor.
One thing that I did notice that may shed some light on the matter is that about a year ago the powered footrest stopped working because the nylon cog wheel has worn and the motor kept turning, so I disconnected the motor lead and left it like that.
Today I reconnected the motor lead at the footrest to try it and noticed that there was no response from the footrest motor too!
I know that both the swivel and footrest circuits are interlinked to some extent but I don’t know what or how to trace the circuit, clearly there is a common fault preventing both motors from kicking in, can anyone help and shed some light -
Lost the coms link? Grey wire to both boards comes off the main board also iirc 5amp fuse 24v that is linked across the main board powers the coms
if your up for it you have two 12v battery’s in the battery tray in the power pack, will need to pull the battery’s to check the connections on the board -
I will attempt to have another go at repairing the stairlift today, if time permits!
Thanks for your input fredt, you are suggesting that the comms link could be lost, would the fact that I am reading 11.33 volts between the grey cable and the black cable at the swivel board not indicate that the comms circuit is functioning?
I replaced the batteries on the lift a couple of years ago as the existing ones were over 5 years old and the lift was running slow and indicating n (half speed).
I also changed the main pcb around that time with one that was kindly given to me by a member of this site, it wasn’t new but I have not had any problems with the lift since then up until now.
Is there a definitive way that I can test and prove the functionality of the comms circuit? Could this be a main board problem?
I have noticed that sometimes during the night that the display instead of showing a steady “-” flashes intermittently with code U (no float indication) but eventually this reverts back to a steady “-” charging indication.. -
What’s the full spec of the lift? Hinge, sliding rail?
coms link is also needed for these and is supplied via a pick up on the rail, check the charge strip/coms strip and pick ups, if you have one? Try cleaning the copper strip and check the condition of the brushes
if this link is lost at the point where the power swivel needs the signal it won’t work, check for the coms voltage at the top of the rail with the chair loaded
if I was attending site I’d start by checking the motor runs? Then move onto the p/s board by swapping it out with a known working board, then the trigger system for the relative systems, in this case the coms system, the supply to it and finally the main board, start with the cheap options before throwing the big bucks item at it -
Hi again!
I’ve spent the last few hours stripping the lift down, I removed the batteries and connected them to the footrest motor and the swivel motor and the good news is that both motors kicked over no problem.
I removed the main board and checked out all the connections. Everything seems ok. I checked the continuity from the spade terminal of the grey (comms) wire from the main board right to the bullet connector that then goes to the relevant footrest/swivel boards , that checked out alright.
So now I am stuck again as I am reading 11.33v at the grey wire and the black (common negative). The powered footrest motor does not operate when I operate the arm rest switch and the swivel motor does not operate when the end limit has been reached. When operational the lift used to beep 3 times at the top of the stairs and then the swivel would activate but now it just beeps once and stops. I can’t hear any signs of the relays clicking on either board, I have swapped the two boards around but it made no difference. I’m really pulling my hair out with this one!, Any suggestions? -
hours! I’m glad I’m not paying the call out charges on this job 🙂
so we have proved the motors and the coms signal wire, that just leaves the boards and as you’ve swapped them over and tried them both, I’d be looking at replacing them first -
Is it really likely that both boards would go faulty at the same time? Does the comms signal wire carry a constant voltage,
I am uncertain of the exact function of the comms wire, as if it just has a constant +12v when measured against the black negative, which as far as I can see is just bonded to the chassis, then the comms wire would simply be a constant positive and its purpose redundant because you could simply take a connection directly from any of the positive connections on the main board, if you catch my meaning? i.e what makes the grey “comms” wire different from a regular +12v ? -
The coms link is the feed to the ancillary boards, as you say you have 12v there, I’m still favouring dead boards, try disconnecting the motors from the p/s board and see if you get the three beeps? Fingers crossed it’s the boards otherwise it’s the main board!
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the grey coms wire should have between 8v – 12v when the lift reaches the top it should jump to 24v when swivel kicks in and drop back down. you say you have a powered footplate did that work ?? if both are not work inside the pack there is a 5amp fuse check this if that is all fine then the issue will start from the main pcb the change over relay is jammed and will need replaced if it has shorted it my have took out the 126pcb as well
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An update on the stairlift swivel/footrest problem.
I sent away for a used main board for the stairlift, it arrived this morning and have now fitted it.
The good news is that the footrest motor is now turning over when the armrest switch is pressed.
The bad news is that the footrest is not moving because the nylon gear is worn and its just slipping when the motor turns.
I have spent the last hour trying to find a replacement part but I can only find one website that seems to stock it.
I believe it is part number 0974-2, and apparently they have replaced the nylon version with a metal one, so obviously they must be aware that there is a problem with this part wearing down.
The website I found wants £17.56 inc VAT plus £8.34 for delivery,totalling £25.90 for a small gear wheel, which is a bit steep!!
I was wondering if anyone on here knows where I could pick up this part cheaper or if they have one that perhaps I could buy from them?
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Excellent news :),
I had a look at the swivel motor pcb today, checked the dip switches and the terminal connections, powered down the stairlift and switched it back on again and everything is now working perfectly, except the footplate as the gear is worn :mad:!So it would appear that the main problem was with a faulty main pcb, all along!
Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to lend their support and knowledge;).
On a final note, could I reiterate my request from my previous post and ask you all if you know anyone who has a 15 tooth gear for the powered footplate that you are willing to sell me in order to get the stairlift fully functional, I would be very grateful.
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Would try any local stair lift Company around your area that may be able to help, the reason for the change was the Plastic one would snap if the footplate was lifted manually.
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