Quote:
Originally Posted by Pahaska
That is a magnetic switch that is closed by a magnet when the door is closed. You can see it depicted on page 9-18 of your 2017 user's manual. It appears to be sticking actuated, in the "door closed" state. When you press on it, it releases and allows the step to operate.
It may require a new switch, or it may free up with use. I would check the attachments and make sure it has not been clamped down too tightly and distorted.
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I don't know when they added this reed switch, but I found out why the other day when my 2011 model crushed my wife's toes and foot and could have caused even more severe injury.
On the 2011, the step will retract if the van is started, even if the door is open. This has been only annoying up to this event. But this time I was in a hurry to leave and entered the driver's side door. My wife opened the sliding door and I started the van at the exact moment she placed her foot on the step. It retracted, pulling her open toe sandle into the small opening until the step jammed. The step kept pulling on her foot until I turned off the ignition. I had to push hard down on the step to release her foot since the opening of the step was pressed hard against the top and front of her foot.
Fortunately, while temporarily painful, and even more frightening, no lasting damage was done.
I was going to give Airstream the benefit of a doubt and contact them about it. The fact they added a magnetic switch indicates they are already aware of this defect but don't care enough about their customers to either issue a recall or even a warning. I do plan on notifying them so they cannot say they were not aware if someone is injured, and hopefully others can be made aware of this hazard by this post.
The seriousness of this defect cannot be emphasized enough. My wife was fortunate in that she had a thick sole on her sandle. A bare foot, particularly a child's foot, could easily tear off toes or even the entire foot of a child causing permanent injury.
I plan on eliminating the engine sensing switch, so the door will only retract with the door closed. There is no reason to have it retract simply because the ignition is turned on. I never plan on driving down the road with the door open-who ever would? The dash light will alert me if the door is not fully closed which would also advise me the step is not retracted.
So, no thanks to you, Airstream, for failing to issue a recall when you become aware of a defect that can cause serious injury, or even simply issue a warning.
That lack of concern is inexcusable.
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