Hi All,

Like many of you, I've been battling an intermittent steering wheel positioning ability (telescoping / extension). This is a tough one, but I wanted to try to bounce it off you, I'm always surprised at what you can uncover with our collective experience.

I have a spare telescoping motor (and a spare extension motor), using them I have identified the two wires that move each motor in the corisponding connector, this question is about moving the telescoping motor in and out. Right now, my darn wheel is all the way in, which creates this predicament. I want to extend it, for comfort (will store it in memory) and to install the Real Guage with ease.

I've read many stories about folks with stripped plastic threads (apparently this motor drives a plastic strip for telescoping from what I've read). With the steering wheel and instrument pannel in place, the telescoping motor is hidden from sight, but the connector is easily accessed.

I don't want to just take a 50/50 chance of connecting these wires in the right polarity to extend the steering wheel if it will imediately strip the threads should I get the polarity backwards. The telescoping motor seems surprisingly agressive when connected, especially compared to the up /down motor. Here's my question:

Does anyone have any experience/knowledge regarding how much time it might take to strip the plastic peice's thread that the motor uses to move the wheel in and out?

Even the fastest on/off make break connection I can create on the bench causes the motor to rotate aggressively. I don't want to take the chance that I may connect the motor and strip the piece that causes the telescope action even with the fastest connection blip I can muster.

FYI, so far I have used as low as a 10 ohm reisitor in series with the connection with the hopes of creating a slow turn for safety - no luck the motor doesn't move.

Do you think that even with all the protective circuitry in the motor it reaches the end in normal operation, but it takes a second or two to destroy the plastic peice?

Please share your thoughts if you like.

Future FYI - these two motors each have 2 terminals on them, one is + one is ground. The applied polarity causes the motor to move in one direction or the other. (figured someone may someday wonder if it is grounded through the mounting screws and applied 12 volts to one terminal or the other determines direction, it is not). The two wires that connect to these motor terminals are on opposite diagnol sides of the connector).

Thanks for looking,

John

 

Friends, I did some research and found this post from Motorcarman in June 2010:

"Contact me via email and I can walk you through the reach motor/position sensor setup. The reason Jaguar did not recommend that we replace the reach motors (column replacement only) was because the sensor is usually the problem with the flex cable failure. The sensor will stop the motor before the limits are reached if it functions correctly and when it fails the motor continues to run and the short cable fails. If you operate the motor manually, you know to stop when the lower or upper limit is reached, but when AUTO is selected, then the relay does not stop if it never gets the 'limit reached' message. The motor runs until the cable fails and then you know you have a problem. I have boxes and boxes of steering columns for XJ and XK for the same fault. We trashed dozens (hundreds???) of columns for 'REACH' faults and I rescued a few from the trash dumpster. You need to run the motor to each limit with an ohm meter to get a 'MIDDLE' reading and then clip the motor to the column on the plastic mount.

bob gauff"

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This sounds like a short motor running at the limit will not trash the plastic cable. If I'm reading this correctly: the part about manual movement "when you reach the limit..." says one will hit the point where no movement is possible, and then release the motor without permanent damage. If that's true, then I will not trash the cable by connecting 12 volts to the motor even if the motor trys to move retract the steering wheel.

Bob or anyone who knows, if you see this, a confirmation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, John

 

I'm sure repeated motor 'on' applications in the fully extended or retracted position will weaken the plastic gears to the point when something will fail. Has that point already been reached???? I don't know.

You can briefly apply power and if the column doesn't move, reverse the polarity.

bob gauff

 

Thanks Bob, this helps a lot. To all I will post the wire colors for future reference for others after I do this tomorrow.

A lot of us have been battling this tilt / reach motor problems, some may want to do what i do - move the steering wheel all the up position and to the all the way in postition, program this into memory 1; move the wheel out to where you like it and then all the way down, program this into memory 2. The memory buttons then can be used to move the wheel where you like it.

Notice I didn't say all the way out for #2 - the motors work sequentially: first the reach motor moves to the memorized position then the tilt motor takes over as you hold down the memory 1 or 2 button. If you programed all the way out into memory 2 for example, any choice to stop movement of less than all the way out in this case would block the memory from moving to the up/down tilt motor sequence. Regarding a chosen up/down position: Since this sequence occurs after the reach motor sequence completes you have free reign to just lift your finger off the memory 2 button when you like the tilt postion.

Sounds complicated but that's the way it is and hey let's face it - the memory buttons can then provide positioning which is better than nothing at all.

 

As promised for future reference: The tilt motor can be seen as soon as you take the lower valance off. It's connector is on the outside (near the door) of the steering wheel. The Reach motor has a yellow connector, but it is not the one next to the tilt connector. The reach motor connector is in the inside side of the steering wheel (steering wheel side near transmission selector). The wires are Grey and Lt Green Gray - they are opposite each other row and side (different row, opposite side) on the male connector that goes to the motor.

G x x x x x x
x x x x x x Lt G

My good (working) motor measures 200 ohms between these two wires.

John