My NS step was stuck out for some time. The usual seized hinges. That prompted me to buy a load of them and the motors, and put them in stock (apparently, you often need to change the motor with the hinge as it can get damaged when you are removing the hinge).

So I put the car in the indy, they replaced both hinges and the motor. I collected it, they said it was now fine. I trundled out to test it, unlocked the car, it popped out all the way and immediately went back in again.

It did come out and stay out more successfully when the back door was opened, but not the passenger door.

I went back in and questioned this, and they said they had had much difficulty calibrating them, and they thought they'd managed it as it worked fine when they tested it. But it ain't working properly now.

I asked what might be done, and they all stood about saying "erm" and speculating about the software on whatever they use to do this. So that was that, really.

Is it true they need calibrating after a hinge/motor swap? Is it something that needs to be done with the computer or does a hard reset do it? They suggested a trip to the main dealer to have it done. Which kind of defeats the object of using an indy, doesn't it?

Does anyone have any experience of this? 2017 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography in black
2018 D300 SE Velar in champagne
1982 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit in green

Hi Stuart, let me know if the trip to Sytner manged to resolve this, other than what you have mentioned haven't found anything about calibration for the steps. Thank fingers crossed it resolves it for you.

I've had both mine done and fitted with OEM motors and hinges. I've just contacted my garage and he said they are just fit and plug in, no calibration.

The motors came with new hinges, just had to fit the old existing step back on.
Hope this helps.

Stuart did you ever manage to resolve the issue?

It's booked into Sytner to have it done. I'll update when done.

I know the Gap IID tool has this function (I don't have one of those, though). I did pick up this code reader, which does many many things, but not step calibration.  2017 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography in black
2018 D300 SE Velar in champagne
1982 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit in green

Mine left step was stuck open. I thought of carbon brushes of motor stuck. Opened motor and replaced jammed bearing 6003zz of gear, driven by motor. I separated motor and hinge. Also operated without hinge for testing. What I did was....There is millinig on the motor shaft while motor is not filtted door is open and step is fully deployed fit the motor and put the tapered piece in between motor and hinge and tighten the LN key bolt. Standard 2000 (Rover Sd1) 1989 - 1992
Tata Sierra 1994 - 2000
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Daewoo cielo
Peugeot 309
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L322 October 2024

Mine is L322. I don't think it needs calibration by any software. Standard 2000 (Rover Sd1) 1989 - 1992
Tata Sierra 1994 - 2000
Ford Escort 1.6
Daewoo cielo
Peugeot 309
Nissan X trail t30 2005 still there
Rexton 2.7xdi still there
L322 October 2024

There's a chance they assembled them wrong and the wedge that locks the shaft in isn't seated correctly. I swapped the motor on mine with no calibration required, they work on resistance to detect when the step is at the end of it travel

So trying a couple of things and just come to the conclusion that the old motor and the new ones are about quarter of a rotation from where they need to be.

when I get it to deploy it hits the bump stop thinking that's an obstruction so jumps back the car thinks it failed to deploy, by using the motor not attached to the step it will spin and thinks it has fully deployed but the shaft is out of line so cannot go back in. I did manage to get it to retract but then it did the same saying as it full retracted it hit an obstruction and jumped back out part the way(thinking it was then deployed out) afterwards.

I spoke to a friendly land rover engineer about the issue and he said their is no calibration, they basically force the step back and forth until it works out where it is. so interest Stuart what Synder are going to do.

I am thinking i need to make the car think the step has fully deployed successfully and then use a battery to wind the motor on a bit so it is at full deployment position and then see if that makes the difference, Does anyone know which pin on the motor to use to rotate the motor?

Quick update, used a 12v drill battry on the motor and moved it to fully deployed and then switch the wires and retracted the step so that works perfectly, plugged it back into the car and still reacting to instructions that are not their its like the moto sensor it out and no way to reset it if what I have been told is correct.

I have changed the motor and the same issue with both so my assumption it is something in the control module that is remembering. But seems no way to reset, I reach out to GAP to query if you can access the module and perform a calibration and they advised:

Quote:

Such a function does not exist. I would assume there's a mechanical or electrical issue to address

Just a quick update to this.

So it's been into the main dealer. They charged me two hours' labour and said they had initially struggled to calibrate them, but told me it was all sorted. However, it still does the same thing: the step deploys when the door is opened, then retracts almost immediately unless wedged.

The step is moving freely with no stiffness. From what I have since found out, the motors have Hall sensors inside them that tell the control module (DSCM) the position of the step. If the feedback from that is wrong, it triggers a retraction as a safety precaution.

Wiring and connectors appear fine, and the behaviour now points towards either the new motor being faulty, or the DSCM itself having a fault. It seems unlikely to be wiring on a 2017 car that has only done 65,000 miles.

I am planning to swap the motor again to eliminate that before looking at the module. If it ends up being the module, my understanding is the correct part for a 2017 car is VPLGT0204.

There seems to be some debate whether there is actually a calibration process for these steps. The dealer and the indy told me they had issues calibrating them, but others above have said calibration is not really a thing with deployable steps and it's a manual re-learn. I suspect if I raise it with the dealer (which I have done anyway), they will push back because the parts are non-genuine and were not fitted by them, so I am a bit stuck between a rock and a hard place on that front.

If anyone has had a similar fault, or has any tips on encouraging the system to relearn after a motor swap without dealer tools, or any other advice here, I am all ears. 2017 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography in black
2018 D300 SE Velar in champagne
1982 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit in green

Does it work correctly every time when the back door is opened? If so the problem may be the microswitch in the door latch.

Not on its own, no.

If I wedge my foot in it before it retracts, it stops, as it should. They will then work properly until the car is next locked and goes to sleep. When it wakes up again, the step comes out and straight back in again each time unless that is repeated.

The dealer took the car back FOC and tried to fix it. They think now the new motor is faulty. As it is one of my motors, their involvement stops there.

I pushed on the details of calibration. They said they are usually plug-and-play, but when they are not, they rerun the process of telling the car it has them (as you would with a new install), which they have done several times. They seem convinced it's the new motor. The fact it can be made to work by jamming your foot in it suggests the module is OK and the hall sensor in the motor may be iffy. Although I have never had any issues with any I have sold.

I have some of the motors due in the next week or so, so I'll swap it and see. 2017 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography in black
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There is no calibration involved. I just installed Chinese deployable steps on a L460 that look just like the real thing, $1000 USD shipped before the tariffs went into effect.

It came with a Chinese knockoff module that you plug into a supplied wiring harness. All it does is get a signal when a door on a side is opened or closed and acts appropriately. There is no magic involved.

If I want to integrate it in Pivi then I can buy a Land Rover module and plug it in, but I'm not seeing a need for that to keep the steps retracted, which is all that it does when it's integrated is provide that option.

I followed these instructions to the letter, note the installation of the brackets loose at first, then install the side step on the brackets, then a specific tightening sequence and torque. You may have it bound and it's twisted when it extends causing it to go back in. Just a theory. Something easy you can do yourself as well.

https://topix.landrover.jlrext.com/topix/s...d=G3316862 2023 L460 Range Rover SE P400
2019 L405 Range Rover ATB LWB

The main dealer thought this, they had the steps off and reinstalled them, and it still does it. 2017 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography in black
2018 D300 SE Velar in champagne
1982 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit in green