E P Levelling system - can we turn engine on?

[David and Sally]

Our HPC system does not retract with engine started. Only if handbrake taken off or by command on the control panel.

 

[stewartwebr]

All the E&P systems I have had have all allowed the engine to be started. The retract signal is fed from the handbrake, that is based on traditional handbrakes and pneumatic hand brakes.

 

[Steve devon]

I have e and p Leveler system , as long as the hand break is on you can start the engine with out the legs retracting

 

[GROMIT69]

The system will not retract unless you release the hand brake , just tried it E&P fitted by SAP

 

[Langtoftlad]

could do with turning the engine on at some point to charge the battery

I'd be more concerned about the wisdom & effectiveness of needing to do this .
...and does it matter if your van is on it's wheels for however long you're running the engine?

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[David and Sally]

I'd be more concerned about the wisdom & effectiveness of needing to do

Interesting. We are heading for a week in Topsham on Monday. Two hour run down towing a toad so engine will get a workout.
No ehu there so it is likely we may have to run the engine for a while. We have a genny but don’t plan on using it.
If we do start the van what is the likelihood of screwing the dpf? (Appreciate that running a Diesel engine is also antisocial)
Given that dealers and garages move vehicles around the yard quite frequently does the occasional startup really matter?

 

[peterc10]

The system will not retract unless you release the hand brake , just tried it E&P fitted by SAP

But that is not the only way it will retract. It will also retract if you have the ignition on and then press the retract button on the remote or panel. As a fail safe system, if you take off the handbrake it will automatically retract whether or not you have the ignition or engine on or not. Mick at S&P told us to use the button to retract rather than just taking off the handbrake because if that is done too often the electronic controls can get confused.

 

[peterc10]

Given that dealers and garages move vehicles around the yard quite frequently does the occasional startup really matter?

That's usually for a minute or two. You are going to need a lot longer than that at tickover to get anything worthwhile into the batteries, and even more if you don't have a B2B. And you also have to think about the fumes the people in the motorhome next to your exhaust side are going to have to put up with for all that time.

 

[funflair]

But that is not the only way it will retract. It will also retract if you have the ignition on and then press the retract button on the remote or panel. As a fail safe system, if you take off the handbrake it will automatically retract whether or not you have the ignition or engine on or not. Mick at S&P told us to use the button to retract rather than just taking off the handbrake because if that is done too often the electronic controls can get confused.

Not on our Flair, you could take the handbrake off with the ignition off without affecting the jacks.

 

[Two on Tour]

Not on our Flair, you could take the handbrake off with the ignition off without affecting the jacks.

Same here, are you sure about that on your van Peter ?

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[peterc10]

Same here, are you sure about that on your van Peter ?

I thought I was. I will check some time.

I will be up at S&P early next month getting our complimentary two year service, which was booked and cancelled twice last year because of you know what.

 

[Two on Tour]

Mick at S&P told us to use the button to retract rather than just taking off the handbrake because if that is done too often the electronic controls can get confused.

When I had our system fitted at SAP, I was told at the handover about the likely problem and warned about using the handbrake to retract the jacks, and as by chance a few days later I noticed a Dutch registered motorhome parked up on the verge at the end of our lane with the Dutch guy on his hands and knees by the hab door.
Being a nosey git I wandered over to see if he was ok.
It transpired that it was their second day of a 3 week trip around the UK and when they left their overnight stop his E&P jack stopped half up and half down and control panel showed an error and nothing would operate.
To cut a long story short he had the system on his van for 3 years and always released the handbrake to retract the jacks and had not been warned that it could confuse the system.
Mick had said that most problems and lockouts on the system could be rectified by removing the 20 amp fuse near the hydraulic pump, giving it half a minute and then placing the fuse back.
The Dutch guys pump unit was mounted by the back axle and a squeeze to get under with no jack to lift his van, but with the fuse out for half a minute and back in again the system was all up and running once more.
Now what were the chances of his stopping within 30 yards of someone knowing what his problem was and being able to rectify it. I did advise him to buy a lottery ticket.

 

[David and Sally]

Not on our Flair, you could take the handbrake off with the ignition off without affecting the jacks.

Same as our HPC.

 

[Wellington]

I thought I was. I will check some time.

I will be up at S&P early next month getting our complimentary two year service, which was booked and cancelled twice last year because of you know what.

Is that standard? The dealer organised getting mine fitted, and I don’t recall them mentioning it.

(For the record, mine also don’t retract until the handbrake is taken off, and I usually do them with the engine running, as I leave the controls on the electric step button. Which starts screaming as soon as you start the engine. It’s impossible to drive straight off, because it takes about four hours to sort out all the bloody beeps and whistles and remember what each one is reminding you about)

 

[peterc10]

Is that standard? The dealer organised getting mine fitted, and I don’t recall them mentioning it.

AFAIK it is standard if SAP fit them, not sure about any other dealer.

Is that standard? The dealer organised getting mine fitted, and I don’t recall them mentioning it.

(For the record, mine also don’t retract until the handbrake is taken off, and I usually do them with the engine running, as I leave the controls on the electric step button. Which starts screaming as soon as you start the engine. It’s impossible to drive straight off, because it takes about four hours to sort out all the bloody beeps and whistles and remember what each one is reminding you about)

I thought you women were good at multitasking

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[Wellington]

AFAIK it is standard if SAP fit them, not sure about any other dealer.


I thought you women were good at multitasking

SAP fitted it, but the dealer I bought if from took it in and dealt with them. I just paid. I’ll ask them, they are lovely.

AFAIK it is standard if SAP fit them, not sure about any other dealer.


I thought you women were good at multitasking

I believe the research shows that men are better at true multi-tasking - actually doing two things at once, like following directions while driving, say, but women are better at combining tasks, so using the gaps in one task to get on with another, like cleaning the kitchen alongside cooking dinner. Mostly, it’s just more expected of women so they get more practice. (This is old research, though. It might have moved on since I last looked!) I, personally, am awful at it. Which is a shame, because parenting requires it ALL the time!!!

 

[BillandHelen]

We just had e and p levellers fitted by Mick to our Mercedes. Because it has an electronic handbrake wired through the canbus, the levellers can’t be wired to handbrake.
We therefore have ignition on to lower/retract, must say I much preferred having the engine on!!

 

[poppycamper]

but women are better at combining tasks, so using the gaps in one task to get on with another, like cleaning the kitchen alongside cooking dinner.

Aaaahhhh...So that's why yoos put your lippy on while waiting at traffic lights and mascara on while waiting in queue at road works.

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

We were told by Mick at SAP to operate the system only while the engine was running and that if you release the hand brake with the engine on, the rams will retract automatically as a safety feature, but NOT to do this out of habit as it will damage the system.
We had our van up on the levellers all winter to prevent flat spots on the tyres and we had the hand brake off to prevent it jamming on. After 6 months (we've got a Battery Master fitted) we started the engine (after putting on the handbrake) then using the remote control lowered the van.
You can operate the handbrake as often as you like while the van is up on the levelers as long as the engine isn't running, the levelers will stay put

 

[GWAYGWAY]

If you start the engine the levellers will retract

Well on mine I can run the engine with the handbrake on but handbrake off lifts the legs straight off with a buzzer going

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[DavidG58]

Esperelda

what did you find out?

did they go up on ignition only ?

 

[cmcardle75]

Regardless of the state of the jacks, running the engine to charge your battery is likely to be pretty ineffective and also cause damage to your engine. At idle revs, your alternator will produce a much reduced output that would take hours to get any significant charge to your batteries. At the same time, a modern Euro 4+ diesel engine so used is likely to cause excessive fouling of the DPF which could cost hundreds or thousands of pounds to sort out. I would advise you find a completely different way of charging your batteries.

 

[Badknee]

While wintering in Spain I don’t want the handbrake on for six months but I do want to run the engine.
Mick said the way to do this is park up on the foot brake and pull the handbrake on just enough to bring the handbrake warning light on. Deploy the jacks and all will be fine, the handbrake won’t be on enough to end up with it sticking on.