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Flaps malfunctioning


stolarek

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During a preflight the flaps were functioning just fine (going down to max and back to 0 degrees). Just before the take-off I was trying to extend the flaps from zero to 15 degrees. The actuator indicator was showing 15 and two red LED's were blinking. There was no flaps movement. Then I followed the checklist to troubleshoot flaps malfunction - with no positive results.

 

Then I rotated the flaps switch to -6 degrees and the flaps moved up to the desired position. Then I tried to rotate the switch down - no flaps movement. Then I rotated the switch to "manual up" and flaps moved up slightly again.

 

In sum, it looks like flaps are functioning fine when instructed to move up but they don't work moving down.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

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Try this first, reset the flap positions with the 2 switches that should have come with the plane. This will hopefully reset the potentiometer. If this doesn't work it may need a new potentiometer. They are cheap to buy. Last, it could be the mother board.

Will they work in manual all the way up then down?

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Hi David,

 

They should have come with the plane unless the dealer took them out like they did many years ago in the US. One is a toggle switch with 3 wires attached. The other is a little micro switch with a little flat pin connector. They connect behind the flap switch behind the instrument panel. The toggle when connected can move the flaps up or down and the micro switch can set that position in the potentiometer / motherboard. This is how you set your flaps if or when they need to be set or reset. If you put a new potentiometer in you would need these to set the flap positions.

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Today I had tried to reprogram flaps positions and I had bumped into a problem. It looks like the manual is not up to date and the connectors are configured a bit differently. Behind the front panel I found 5 wires, which were labeled as: Down, Up , Ground, SW1, and SW2. I connected one switch to the first 3 and the other switch to the remaining ones. The flaps position adjustment worked – I was able to move flaps up or down. But as soon as I had released the switch to its neutral position the flaps would keep returning to the already pre-programmed position. I had tried depressing the second switch as well but with no success. I suspect that there's got to be a way to put the flaps control board into "program mode" but I don't know how to do it and I cannot find anything about the documentation.

 

Any ideas?

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The up, down and ground were correct. The other two were not, leave those two alone. The flat pin plug you want to use is on the motherboard itself. It is on the right underside of the motherboard. You will need to pull out the square reset button on the right side of the flap switch at least part way froward to expose the flat pin receptacle. You will then see the plug under the edge of the motherboard.

 

If you have any questions call me on my cell.

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Roger,

Thanks for a quick reply! I will try again tomorrow.

 

BTW, I have just reviewed all manuals that came with the airplane and I couldn't find any info pertaining to the new circuit board. Any chance you have it in a PDF format?

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Today I had tried to reprogram flaps positions and I had bumped into a problem. It looks like the manual is not up to date and the connectors are configured a bit differently. Behind the front panel I found 5 wires, which were labeled as: Down, Up , Ground, SW1, and SW2. I connected one switch to the first 3 and the other switch to the remaining ones. The flaps position adjustment worked – I was able to move flaps up or down. But as soon as I had released the switch to its neutral position the flaps would keep returning to the already pre-programmed position. I had tried depressing the second switch as well but with no success. I suspect that there's got to be a way to put the flaps control board into "program mode" but I don't know how to do it and I cannot find anything about the documentation.

 

Any ideas?

 

The micro switch connected to the sw1 and sw2 connection should be depressed when you turn on the battery master, this should put the board in program mode. Set the flap switch to the desired position to learn, use the other up/down/neutral switch to set the desired flap angle to match the flap switch, then press/release the sw1/sw2 micro switch to set the board to learn that new position. Repeat this for each position you want to adjust.

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  • 2 weeks later...

dear Roger,

do you have the photo of the toggle?.

can you please pass me the photo?.

 

i have same issue with my flap too.

 

quote name='Roger Lee' timestamp='1335192756' post='9351']

Hi David,

 

They should have come with the plane unless the dealer took them out like they did many years ago in the US. One is a toggle switch with 3 wires attached. The other is a little micro switch with a little flat pin connector. They connect behind the flap switch behind the instrument panel. The toggle when connected can move the flaps up or down and the micro switch can set that position in the potentiometer / motherboard. This is how you set your flaps if or when they need to be set or reset. If you put a new potentiometer in you would need these to set the flap positions.

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  • 1 year later...

I just took my CTsw for a flight after being earth bound for the past 3 years and it performed almost flawlessly. 

 

In flight the Flaps lowered to full (40 indicated) but on trying to bring them back up they  became stuck at 40 with any attempts to change or manually override them meeting with no success what so ever just the requested settings flashing in the window with no corresponding action.

 

Has anyone else experienced this condition ?

 

When back on the ground under no load and resetting the CB  there was no movement either- I suspect I might have to reprogram the Flap module once dissassembled and the flaps returned to there neutral position.

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You may need to re-program them again for the potentiometer, but manual should have worked. Lube the two rods in the back and in the console behind the flap switch push and twist all the bullet connectors to the flap board. It could be a loose connection since nothing worked after that.

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Wing Nut,

You can do manual up-down flap movement in an emergency. Rotate the knob 180 deg away from

15deg setting. The up (cw) for flap up, and down (ccw) for flap down. Do not exceed limit stops.

See AOI manual, pg 7-2

 

Be very sure the battery breaker is OFF before putting you hands in the actuator, you might

fix the problem and have the motor start.

 

I would check the limit micro-switches in the flap actuator. They are small rectangular black plastic,

with a metal arm. They are mounted on the flap actuator, near the round metal shaft. Clicking the

arms gently will exercise the switch. If you are unfamiliar, get a mechanic to help.

 

I also had the connector into the motor slide out once, there are 2 push-on connectors

going into the motor.

 

I've not had to re-program the flap angles (yet), and I have one of the planes where the

distributor kept the switches.

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The micro switch connected to the sw1 and sw2 connection should be depressed when you turn on the battery master, this should put the board in program mode. Set the flap switch to the desired position to learn, use the other up/down/neutral switch to set the desired flap angle to match the flap switch, then press/release the sw1/sw2 micro switch to set the board to learn that new position. Repeat this for each position you want to adjust.

Just to put this out there: the new boards coming from FD do not program per the instructions. Dave at FDUSA and I fought this problem, and i started experimenting to figure out the new programming process. The new boards detect that you have switches attached to the board, and are in program mode automatically when you power up. When you push the programming switch, it says PRG. There is no indication on the display telling you programming has completed, just hold it for a second and go to the next position for programming.

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Thanks Guys ,

 

This is a replacement chip chip for my 2005 original which failed in 2009.

 

So I did have to install and calibrate this one initially and fortunately I didn't have to reprogram it again.

 

The Flashing of the 30/15/0/-12 etc was just the chip waiting for the Actuator to move and change the resistance in the pot to match the pre programmed value but since the Actuator was stuck at full flap the Chip just kept flashing away. 

 

"You can do manual up-down flap movement in an emergency. Rotate the knob 180 deg away from

15deg setting. The up (cw) for flap up, and down (ccw) for flap down. Do not exceed limit stops.

See AOI manual, pg 7-2"  Thanks Bill -This is something I was totally unaware of I will try it next time I go out - Sorry But I am not sure of your reference to  AOI Manual pg7-2.

 

By tripping or cycling the Upper Micro Switch the Actuator started moving again and found the 30 degree position and all was right again I pushed and tried to give the spring tab on the micro switch a little more of a bend to ensure it depresses fully  and cycled the flaps many times without any repeat of the problem BUT it never faltered before on the ground in the hangar or in run ups.

 

As I said it has been 3 years since I last flew my pride and joy and it is now time to sell her so I certainly don't want any problems for its new owner  Especially when he is flying it from the East coast of Australia back to the West coast.

 

Thanks Guys,

 

Pete

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MrMorden: if you are asking how you do that, yeah you set up a protractor. Instructions for calibration are in the maintenance manual, towards the end.

 

I recommend digital protractors with a sticky pad, because you can put them on and zero them out. That avoids having to do any math, just aim for the degrees you need.

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Thanks Guys ,

 

This is a replacement chip chip for my 2005 original which failed in 2009.

 

So I did have to install and calibrate this one initially and fortunately I didn't have to reprogram it again.

 

The Flashing of the 30/15/0/-12 etc was just the chip waiting for the Actuator to move and change the resistance in the pot to match the pre programmed value but since the Actuator was stuck at full flap the Chip just kept flashing away. 

 

"You can do manual up-down flap movement in an emergency. Rotate the knob 180 deg away from

15deg setting. The up (cw) for flap up, and down (ccw) for flap down. Do not exceed limit stops.

See AOI manual, pg 7-2"  Thanks Bill -This is something I was totally unaware of I will try it next time I go out - Sorry But I am not sure of your reference to  AOI Manual pg7-2.

 

By tripping or cycling the Upper Micro Switch the Actuator started moving again and found the 30 degree position and all was right again I pushed and tried to give the spring tab on the micro switch a little more of a bend to ensure it depresses fully  and cycled the flaps many times without any repeat of the problem BUT it never faltered before on the ground in the hangar or in run ups.

 

As I said it has been 3 years since I last flew my pride and joy and it is now time to sell her so I certainly don't want any problems for its new owner  Especially when he is flying it from the East coast of Australia back to the West coast.

 

Thanks Guys,

 

Pete

Pete,

Sorry to be so terse with my abbreviations.  By AOI I meant the airplane operationg instructions, ie the pilot's manual.

I'm glad exercising the limit switch fixed it.

 

Bill

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