Sticking ATC?

RamblingSid
RamblingSid Forum Participant Posts: 54
edited March 2016 in Caravans #1

We collected our caravan today after an unusually long winter storage, and encountered a few problems which I am inclined to blame on the ATC.  First, I couldn't get the green flashing mode to stop, so I drove home anyway with no apparent problems - the
LED was solid green when I arrived.  When I unhitched and tried to use the mover, there was a tremendous groaning from both brakes and very little movement when going forward, but it was OK going backwards.  So I reconnected to the car (flashing green again),
drove a few yards (solid green) and tried themover again.  Much to my surprise all was OK.

Can anyone suggest what was happening, or what I should do about it?

Comments

  • holmesonwheels24
    holmesonwheels24 Forum Participant Posts: 148
    edited March 2016 #2

    When you were towing did outfit move freely, ie no brake binding ?  Going in reverse should activate the auto reverse mechanism in the brake drum assembly,.

  • RamblingSid
    RamblingSid Forum Participant Posts: 54
    edited March 2016 #3

    Yes, no problem while towing, it bumbled along nicely

  • Tigi
    Tigi Forum Participant Posts: 1,038
    500 Comments
    edited March 2016 #4

    Can`t really see why you have a problem except the winter layup must have slowed things up a bit.

  • scarletsfan
    scarletsfan Forum Participant Posts: 292
    edited March 2016 #5

    The instructions for the ATC suggest that if the green light is flashing that you drive forward so that the unit can detect movement.  It should fully engage and turn to solid green.

    Mine was like this last week after the winter lay up.

  • andybe
    andybe Forum Participant Posts: 37
    edited March 2016 #6

    My ATC was flashing when I hooked up for the first trip out since last November. Moving forwards a few yards sorted it. It's been fine since then 

  • ocsid
    ocsid Forum Participant Posts: 1,395
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2016 #7

      When I unhitched and tried to use the mover, there was a tremendous groaning from both brakes and very little movement when going forward, but it was OK going backwards.  So I reconnected to the car (flashing green again), drove a few yards (solid green) and tried themover again.  Much to my surprise all was OK.

    Can anyone suggest what was happening, or what I should do about it?

    That reads like the brake was partly applied; assuming you had not left the handbrake on a tad, then one scenario that would produce that effect is as follows:

    The disconnection was not made “cleanly”; if the connection was broken and remade before being finally broken, as can happen if wiggling to free the plug, the ATC would have left the brakes applied to some extent.

    The ease in reversing relative to going forward is what here strongly hints at the brakes being applied; the handbrake is provided with a stored energy system to reset them; the ATC has not.

     

  • RamblingSid
    RamblingSid Forum Participant Posts: 54
    edited April 2016 #8

    Thanks, ocsid.  That certainly sounds likely, especially as I was having trouble with the 13 pin connector - the bit that is supposed to rotate was jammed until I gave it a squirt of lock oil (it was all I had with me!)  I guess it must have stuck when I
    was trying to release the plug.

    It seems to have been fine since then

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