Lube your Schwintek slide couplers!

**bryancass** · 09-02-2020, 03:17 PM

I just resolved a loud squeaking issue when our slide was moving in or out. After back and forth emails with Jay at GD and Ashten at Lippert, I finally found the problem and fixed it for $17.

Apparently the couplers and gibs for the slide motors had not been lubed in a long time, if ever. Water got in there and rusted them, and so when the motors turned the couplers, they rubbed against the block and squealed. I removed both motors and couplers, cleaned them up with solvent, then lubed with CRC Power Lube with PTFE (that's the $17) and the noise is gone and slide moves smoothly.

I'm sure a dealer would have loved to charge $200-300 for the same work, but I like learning and I can probably do a better and more thorough job than a dealer anyway.

If you have a Schwintek slide system (it has the two horizontal aluminum gear guides with the squiggly slots on each side), then Lippert has a video on this page on how to lube it, called "In-Wall® Lubricating Mechanisms".

https://support.lci1.com/in-wall-slide-out

**Drolaw** · 09-02-2020, 07:18 PM

Great info - thanks for sharing. I'm taking my rig out this weekend and plan to do some maintenance.

**Wicked ace** · 09-03-2020, 06:33 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KbVRFMo1Rg

**huntr70** · 09-03-2020, 06:38 AM

Yep, maintenance on these RV is still a thing.

**jmbopp** · 09-03-2020, 07:12 AM

So what's the procedure for removing the motors and couplers? I have 2 Schwintek slides.

**bryancass** · 09-03-2020, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by jmbopp

So what's the procedure for removing the motors and couplers? I have 2 Schwintek slides.

You don't have to remove the motors to lube them; in my case I removed them because I could not figure out where the squeaking sound was coming from -- the GD and Lippert techs thought it was from the wipe seals rubbing but it ended up being the couplers.

You'll need a phillips head screwdriver, flat head screwdriver, needle nose pliers, cleaning solvent like WD-40, steel wool or very fine sandpaper, double-sided foam tape, CRC Power Lube with PTFE

1) Extend slide out about 12". From this point, to keep the slide in sync, do not move the slide or power up the motors until they are back in place.
2) On the outside, slide the vertical bulb seals down about 12" to access a screw in the seal track near the top and remove it.
3) On the inside, pull back the top of the vertical wipe seal (it's attached with double-sided foam tape) about 12" to access the motor.
4) Locate the wire connector from the top of the motor and disconnect it.
5) I used a sharpie to make a mark on the motor so I could orient it back in the same position.
6) Use a flat blade screwdriver to lift the motor up off the coupler and tilt the bottom toward you to remove the motor.
7) Use needle-nose pliers to pull the coupler up and out of the block.

I used some 600 grit sandpaper or steel wool and WD-40 to get the rust off the couplers and the blocks where they sit. Then wiped them down and sprayed with the CRC Power Lube with PTFE.

When putting back together, I put the coupler onto the motor and lined up the mark on the motor in the way I had removed it. Then I removed the coupler from the motor and inserted it into the block so that it was in the same orientation that it was removed. If it doesn't drop all the way down into the block, you may have to jiggle the slide a bit to get the coupler to line up and drop onto the shaft. The rest of the install is the reverse of the removal. You'll need the foam tape to reattach the wipe seal to the H-channel on the inside.

The diagrams of the slide system on the Lippert site I linked to helped with visualizing where all the parts are and how they connect. It's a good idea to re-sync the motors when you're done -- the procedure is on the Lippert site and in your Lippert manual.

**jmbopp** · 09-04-2020, 07:14 AM

Thanks Bryan!

**terryriddle** · 09-09-2020, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by bryancass

I just resolved a loud squeaking issue when our slide was moving in or out. After back and forth emails with Jay at GD and Ashten at Lippert, I finally found the problem and fixed it for $17.

Apparently the couplers and gibs for the slide motors had not been lubed in a long time, if ever. Water got in there and rusted them, and so when the motors turned the couplers, they rubbed against the block and squealed. I removed both motors and couplers, cleaned them up with solvent, then lubed with CRC Power Lube with PTFE (that's the $17) and the noise is gone and slide moves smoothly.

I'm sure a dealer would have loved to charge $200-300 for the same work, but I like learning and I can probably do a better and more thorough job than a dealer anyway.

If you have a Schwintek slide system (it has the two horizontal aluminum gear guides with the squiggly slots on each side), then Lippert has a video on this page on how to lube it, called "In-Wall® Lubricating Mechanisms".

https://support.lci1.com/in-wall-slide-out

I thank you for the link.. A number of interesting videos. One video stated something that manuals do not state nor at a walk-thru with a dealer. Now I wonder which is correct, the video or manual/human instruction. The video states to move the slide out, you push the extend button until the motors stop and then....hold it three or five seconds more to permit any slide motor adjustment. Failure to do this can cause the motors to not be in sync..and then advised how to bring them back in sync. Manual and instruction say hold the button until the motors stop and then release. At the walk-thru, it was stated hold button until the motors stop and release. So..do you hold 3-5 seconds after the motors stop or not? The video implied we you do not..the motors can get out of sync. ??

**bryancass** · 09-09-2020, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by terryriddle

I thank you for the link.. A number of interesting videos. One video stated something that manuals do not state nor at a walk-thru with a dealer. Now I wonder which is correct, the video or manual/human instruction. The video states to move the slide out, you push the extend button until the motors stop and then....hold it three or five seconds more to permit any slide motor adjustment. Failure to do this can cause the motors to not be in sync..and then advised how to bring them back in sync. Manual and instruction say hold the button until the motors stop and then release. At the walk-thru, it was stated hold button until the motors stop and release. So..do you hold 3-5 seconds after the motors stop or not? The video implied we you do not..the motors can get out of sync. ??

I think the idea with the button and motors is to hold the button until they both stop. So the video saying 3-5 seconds is an exaggeration of that. Just hold it until they both have stopped - I don't think there's any point to holding it several seconds after both motors have shut off.

**Clanker24** · 09-09-2020, 04:41 PM

I was instructed by the service tech to hold the button for 3 sec after opening or closing slide. Have done it this way for the 2 1/2 years I’ve owned it