Troubleshooting Electric Tongue Jack That Lights Up But Won’t Extend or Retract
Question:
Electric jack won’t extend or retract but light works
asked by: Sue
Expert Reply:
Your power issue could be due to one or more of a number of potential causes. These could include loose/corroded battery cables, batteries that need a good long charge with an AC-powered charger like # CTEK56353 to top them off, batteries that can no longer take a full charge due to age or a bad ground at the jack mounting plate.
Very often the cause for this kind of issue is the ground between the jack mounting plate and the mating surface on the trailer. Water and dirt can find their way in there and cause corrosion that will block a good ground connection. Even a bad ground there will usually pass enough current to operate the jack's light even though the motor will not operate.
A powered tongue jack's built-in lights use very little power to operate, a tiny fraction of the power needed to operate the jack motor, especially when they are efficient LEDs as on your jack. This means that the battery (or batteries) on the trailer will almost always have enough power to make the jack's light work even if they can't deliver the current needed to operate the jack motor. Your particular Stromberg Carlson jack # JET-3555 needs a full 30-amps to operate under load.
The fix is to remove the jack and sand off both the bottom of the jack mounting plate and the top of the trailer mounting surface. You want to expose clean bare metal on both parts and apply dielectric grease # 11755 before you reinstall the jack. In many cases like yours this is all that is needed.
If that does not restore jack operation then I suggest having the batteries checked. Deep cycle batteries are usually good for up to 200 charging cycles but they must be re-charged as soon as possible. If your batteries were stored for the off-season in a depleted state (without first being fully charged) then their lifespan may be over and they'll need to be replaced.
Products Referenced in This Question
Dielectric Grease for Electrical Connectors, 2 oz.
- Accessories and Parts
- Trailer Wiring
- Wiring
- Dielectric Grease
- LubriMatic
more information >
CTEK MULTI US 7002 12-Volt Universal Battery Charger w/ Pulse Maintenance and Backup Power
- Battery Charger
- Battery Charger
- Car/Truck/SUV
- Motorcycle
- Trailer
- Lawn Mower
- Jet Ski
- 150 Ah
- Charges/Maintains
- 12V
- Wall Outlet to Vehicle Battery
- CTEK Power Inc
more information >
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Stromberg Carlson Electric Trailer Jack - Drop Leg - A-Frame - 24" Lift - 3,500 lbs - White
- Camper Jacks
- Pop Up Camper
- Teardrop Camper
- Travel Trailer
- A-Frame Jack
- Leveling Jacks
- Tongue Jack
- Steel
- 3001 - 4000 lbs
- Electric Jack
- 24 Inch Lift
- Bolt-On
- Weld-On
- 1 Jack
- Stromberg Carlson
more information >
Featured Help Information
Instructions
Continue Researching
- Shop: Handrail for Second Generation 4-Step MORryde Steps
- Shop: Handrail for First Generation 3-Step MORryde Steps
- Search Results: awning anchor
- Search Results: rv accessories
- Shop: Towing Mirrors
- Shop: Fastway e2 Weight Distribution Shank - 12" Long - 10-1/4" Rise, 5-1/2" Drop - 1.2K TW
- Q&A: Can a Shank with More Drop be Used with Fastway Weight Distribution System FA92-00-0450
- Shop: Bulldog Powered Drive Trailer Jack - Drop Leg - A-Frame - 22" Lift - 4,000 lbs - Black
- Shop: Bulldog Powered Drive Trailer Jack - Drop Leg - A-Frame - 22" Lift - 4,000 lbs - White
- Q&A: Troubleshooting Ultimate Trailer Jack 322-RDJ-2K That Wont Slide Up or Down
- Q&A: Troubleshooting Malfunctioning Bulldog Power Jack # BD500199
- Q&A: Troubleshooting Bulldog Powered A-Frame Jack that Stopped Working
- Q&A: Replacement Manual Override Lever for the Bulldog Powered Drive Trailer Jack
- Q&A: Troubleshooting Bulldog Jack that The Switch Has to Be Pressed a Few Times Before it will Activate
- Q&A: Landing Gear Stop Extending When They Hit the Ground but Motor Still Runs
- Video: K Source Universal Clip-On Towing Mirror Review
- Shop: K-Source Universal Towing Mirrors - Clip On - Convex Mirror - Qty 2
- Shop: Erickson E-Chock Wheel Chocks for E Track - Powder Coated Steel - Qty 2
- Video: Race Ramps Trailer Loading Assist Ramps Review
- Shop: Trailer Hitch
- Shop: Brake Controller
- Article: Towing a Trailer? Let's Talk About Brake Controllers
- Shop: Trailer Wiring
- Search Results: 44649
- Video: Choosing the Right Trailer Wiring
- Article: How to Choose the Right Trailer Hitch Class
- Search Results: 68149
- Video: Choosing the Right Brake Controller
- Article: Trailer Wiring Diagrams
- Video: etrailer Class III Trailer Hitch Installation - 2016 Jeep Cherokee