AUTO SLEEPER HABITATION ELECTRIC STEP

I have a 2011 AS Worcestershire  model on a Mercedes Benz chassis. The electric step comes down OK manually but when I press the button to retract - it only does so in fits and starts with a final shove by hand. So far, it always  retracts when I start the engine. Any suggestions. The fuse is fine.
Dave.

Morning Dave,hopefully one of the experts will be up soon to help you out,early Sunday here.  
Boaby

Could well be the settings on the Sargent control panel. There has been previous posts on this topic

Have you tired giving the mechanism a good clean.  Not a pleasant job but lying on your back with proper full face protection and a brush give it a good workout to remove the crud from the road - avoid the cabling though.  
Rich..

There are several links and pivots on the step mechanism, so First thing to do is  go round all of these with an oil can or some WD40 Spray and as RLM says, give it a good clean, maybe even remove the pivot bolts one at a time and dig out any road grit/salt deposits.
If you can disconnect the actuator and move the step by hand you will be able to feel how free / tight the movement is. I don’t know if the actuator shaft needs any lubrication, but it might be worth checking with your AS dealer what service requirements it needs.
Cheers,
Boggie.

The the step-earthing point for my Warwick duo is adjacent to the step, and exposed.  In a ten year old vehicle it is conceivable that some corrosion is present at this point.  The engine voltage is higher than the battery voltage and may be sufficient to overcome the resistance.
It's worth checking.
Keith

I had this problem and put it down to low leisure battery voltage. The step takes quite a bit of current which is why it works OK when the engine is running. Of course, if the mechanism is dirty and sticking this will contribute to the problem as the battery may be insufficient to overcome the additional friction.