2001 JLG z45/25 control issues (only drives if boom joystick is moved)

[Topher247]

Hey guys.

I'm new here and also fairly new to working on heavy equipment so I could use a few pointers as to how these things work.

Here's the problem I just can't seem to fix.

The lift basket controls have been intermittent and unreliable. When we first bought the lift the turn-table would not rotate from the basket. We replaced all the boom wiring and the lift worked....better....but not great. Turn table operation was extremely slow and would only move if you also moved the joystick up or down.

We replaced the boom/turntable joystick and now the turntable seems to rotate reliably, but now the lift will only drive if you are also pushing the boom/turntable joystick out of center.....then the lift will start to drive.

Also, for a time the lift would only turn one direction while the lift was stopped....so you would have to cease forward movement, turn the tires, then drive again....what a pain?

Has anyone come across this kind of problem? I'm still not 100% sure how this system works and where the best place to start looking might be? I'm curious why the controls might need a second input in order to start functioning.....

Anyway, thanks in advance. I have three of these lifts and all three seem to be broken all the time! I have a lot to learn!

 

[OFF]

Welcome

You need to check voltages in your basket. I suspect your voltages are low, that's a good place to start.

 

[BigWrench55]

Go to the genie website and look for the service manual for your machine. Then look up the calibration procedure for the joysticks

 

[Topher247]

Welcome

You need to check voltages in your basket. I suspect your voltages are low, that's a good place to start.

Right! Good place to start. I'll see if I can find an explanation in the manual for how to do that. I did find the Genie Manual for this lift so I have that at my disposal.

To give you a little more information I have replaced both of the main wires from the basket to the lower control.

 

[Topher247]

Go to the genie website and look for the service manual for your machine. Then look up the calibration procedure for the joysticks

I have done that actually! That fixed a large amount of the control issues we were having. When we first got the lift it had quite a few intermittent control malfunctions....replacing the wiring and recalibrating the controls resolved 99% of them, they only issue that persists is that sometimes in order to get it to drive you have to bump one of the boom joysticks out of center.....then it will drive. At times the turn table has the same behavior, it wouldn't turn unless you moved the joystick out of center in the other axis....

OK. So I need to check voltages at the basket. I'm pretty certain I have read about that in the service manual so i will look that up and go from there.

Thanks for your help guys.