Troubleshooting Powered Trailer Jack That Does Not Raise or Lower Although Light Works

Question:

My Husky 4500R stopped! Lights work but the motor will not lift or retract the leg. It is not binding or attempting to raise or lower. Since I have power to the lights i assume the in line breaker is not bad. Please advise and thanks

asked by: Oatman F

Expert Reply:

Thank you for clearly describing the problem with your Husky powered tongue jack not lifting or lowering even though the jack lights work. Your issue is almost surely due to one of two things, both power-related. You are correct that since the light works the breaker cannot be tripped.

The first potential candidate is a weak ground connection. Since the small lights on jacks draw very little power a bad ground connection can allow enough power for the lights to work without a problem but not pass enough to drive the motor. Sometimes a weak ground will let a jack lower but not raise. Since lowering draws less power than lifting, a jack may sometimes operate in one direction but not the other. Check that the jack mounting plate and the mating surface on the trailer are making bare metal-to-metal contact. Sanding both of these surfaces often helps since it will remove paint, primer, rust, oxidation and any trapped contaminants. Once those surfaces are cleaned you can re-join them after applying dielectric grease such as # 11755. This will help keep those new clean surfaces free of corrosion by blocking entry of moisture and dirt. You can also check that the power cables to your trailer battery are solidly attached.

The other likely issue is a battery that is not fully charged. The 12V power feed on a typical 7-way trailer socket does deliver a maintenance-level charge that will keep a charged battery topped off while you travel, but this power feed cannot deliver enough juice to re-charge a depleted battery. For that you will need a shore-power charger like one of the CTEK units shown on the linked page.

I have owned charger # CTEK56353 for close to four years and I can attest from personal experience that this item has worked flawlessly for me on a continuous basis, at all times charging either a motorcycle, lawn mower or auto battery. Charging your battery before a trip should help ensure normal jack operation.

expert reply by: Adam R