Need help wiring overhead limit switch on BendPak lift

[jbird1974]

Hello..... I have just installed a BendPak XPR-10A-168 (2 post lift).
Everything is all wired up but I am puzzled on how to wire the overhead limit switch up top. My issue is that in looking at the switch, there are no holes to slide the wire into. There is a black plastic cap and very small screws underneath once the cap is removed. It looks like these screws are to wrap the wire around and tighten. However, the space and screws are so small!
Does anyone have any experience with this? I called BendPak and they said the recommended gauge of wire is 12 or 10 gauge. I don't see any way one can fit this size wire into the switch.
Any help or pictures would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

BTW... I looked through the whole manual. No info on this whatsoever.

 

[nehog]

Post a picture of the switch. I suspect there are holes you insert your wire into and you tighten the screws to clamp the wire.

 

[pattenp]

PM JSK. He can answer your question. He works for Bendpak
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/member.php?u=17538

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Is there a knockout on the box?

 

[JSK]

For 208-230V, 1-phase hook-up, you will typiclly have two hots wires and one ground. If there was no top switch I think you could figure it out. You would simply connect the two hot wires to the two lead wires on the motor. The power unit shold be pre-wired - two short lead wires should be there. Of course the ground wire would get connected to the ground screw.

To add the top switch to the circuit, simply take any one of the incoming hot wires and first flow through the top micro switch then to the motor. The other hot wire would get connected to any one of the two motor leads.

The top switch should be wired for Normally Closed (NC) circuit during normal operation, so the two terminals on the switch being used would be the COMMON TERMINAL (C) and NORMALLY CLOSED TERMINAL (NC)

Connect one of your hot wires to any one of the top switch wires. The other top switch wire would then get wired to the other remaining motor lead.

The top switch simply breaks one of the 220V hots to kill the circuit.

 

[pattenp]

jbird is saying there are no wire leads on the overhead limit switch and is asking how/where are the wires to be hooked to the microswitch. Did not Bendpak supply the wire that runs from the motor to the overhaed limit switch? I would think that the supplied wire would not be too large to fit in the connection terminals of the overhead limit microswitch.

 

[jbird1974]

Yes....
The microswitch is basically a small black box. There were no leads pre-wired into the switch. From what I recall.... the only wire supplied may have been a length of 12/4 SO cable. But to be honest, I also received a 4 post lift at the same time from BendPak so it might have been supplied with that.
It would be easy if the mico limit switch was pre-wired with leads.
I will have to wait to get home from work and pull the switch to take some pics.
BTW.... the switch sits in a metal box which does have a hole to allow the cable in. My problem is how in the heck to I get 12 or 10g wires tied in? There is barley enough room for the tiny screw.... no way to get wire under it. It would make sense for there to be a hole under the screw where I would loosen the screw, slide my wire in and tighten the screw down to make the connection. Do you think the switch was supposed to be pre-wired?! ughh

 

[pattenp]

In the instructions the wire is referenced as the "microswitch wire" and the diagram shows it as being 2 conductors. I think it would have been a length of SO 12/2 cord; that's what's used on my 2 post Challenger lift. My switch is different though.

 

[justsam]

Sounds like the issue is not how to wire it electrically, but rather how to do it physically with what has been provided by BendPak.

If the 4 conductor was for this unit, is it a 240V application and perhaps it is a double pole single throw microswitch and both sides of the line are switched?

Perhaps there has been a switch vendor change and this has been overlooked?

 

[JSK]

 

[Blk88GT]

I had the same problem with my XPR10A. Bend Pak sent me a new switch with a really long metal bar intended to contact the crash bar on the hoist as the one they supplied initially didn't touch it.

It had appropriate sized terminals. There was NO way in hell you could get the supplied wire under the terminals on the original switch.

You also only switch one leg of the source power.

 

[pattenp]

jbird, JSK is definitely showing you where to hook the wires to the switch but not what size wire and how to hook them to the small terminal screws on the switch.
It will be nice if someone posts up a picture of the switch showing the wire connected to the terminals and what type and size wire is used.

 

[Blk88GT]

I can take a few pictures when I get home but it sounds like you got the wrong switch just like I did.

 

[jbird1974]

Well.... here are some pics I took of the switch installed and removed in detail...
As you can see....
The screws which I would imagine that where the wires tie into, are on the top side under the black cover (cap).
The only holes available are the two straight through ones which the bolts slide through to secure the switch to the lift.
Also once the black protective cap is installed, there is no way to get the wires in.
If someone has a pic of their switch "wired", that would be great!
Thanks for all of your help!

 

[nehog]

Use pigtails of stranded wire, with terminals sized for that screw terminal size.

 

[Blk88GT]

That's the same switch they sent me initially. The new one fits the wire perfectly.

 

[pattenp]

I don't think that cover cap is needed since the switch is in an enclosure. Get some crimp on terminal ends that fit the screws as nehog suggested.
Also did you find the correct cord/wire that came with the lift for wiring the microswitch?

Edit: It looks like the cover cap has places that can be knocked out for the wire to enter. See the square indention on the edge centered between the screw slots. But I really don't think the cap is needed.

 

[jbird1974]

I dont know.... I would think the black cap would be needed being that the exposed screws and wire would be at the top pretty close to the metal box housing. Also..... the indentations in the cap are not knock outs. Its thick plastic that is just part of the design or cast process. I was thinking about just drilling my own hole in the cap and trying to feed the wires through.
It turns out that I dont believe the two post lift was supplied with any wires. I called BendPak and they said to use stranded 12g. Still too large to fit as far as I can see. I will try what BLK said and call BendPak about a new switch.
At least for now the lift works perfectly.... I just have to pay attention not to crush the roof of my cars lol.

Its just a switch! It would have been a good idea to have wires already installed like it is with the motor.

 

[pattenp]

If Bendpak didn't supply the wire that goes from the motor to the overhead limit switch that really *****. The install manual refers to the connection of the microswitch wire which to me implies the wire is supplied. I looked at the cord to my overhead switch and it is 14/2 STOW 105 deg C cord. That is what you can use.

 

[Blk88GT]

Bend Pak supplies the wire and there's no way you could install it on this switch.

 

[mm08822]

Please provide the ratings on the microswitch.
Typically a switch of that size/rating goes in a control circuit and not in a power circuit. They must have sent the wrong switch and /or trip unit.
Contact Bendpak and send pics of what you have.

 

[jbird1974]

BLK is right.....
I called BendPak AGAIN and they are sending me a new switch. Not only will this have a longer trigger lever but also 2 side post screws that they say are much bigger to fit the wire. They claim with this switch, no black protective cap is needed either being that the terminals are on the side.
I will post pics of the new switch when it arrives and pics of the wiring setup.
Thanks BLK and everyone!

 

[justsam]

Sounds like a consistent error on the part of BendPak.

Does not answer the question of why the 4 conductor cord was provided, but perhaps that was an unpacking mix-up.

As stated above I too would double check the current rating of the switch contacts, especially if this is to be operated on 120 VAC where current will be higher than with 240VAC. As a limit switch I would not expect on/off arcing but the switch should be rated for the current.

 

[Blk88GT]

The new switch (as well as the old one) are rated at 15a, which is sufficient to switch one hot leg of your hoist circuit. I'm glad you got squared away. I scratched my head for a few days before I finally called them.

 

[jbird1974]

Well..... I received the new switch from BendPak. It comes with a 5 1/2" contact arm as well as much bigger terminals and no protective cap. I will wire up later on.
FYI: anyone who receives the wrong switch wants to contact BendPak and ask for PN: 5346819 Micro switch. Pics are posted below of the old one and new one. Big difference.

 

[Blk88GT]

I'm glad you got it straightened out.

 

[Notch1988]

Glad I saw this thread. I had the same issues with my switch and will be calling Babco on Monday.

 

[Notch1988]

Thanks again. They're sending me the new switch under warranty.

 

[Notch1988]

What a difference... But as is my life with everything I do, nothing is that easy. The bolt holes in the new switch are too small for the original bolts supplied for the smaller switch so you'll need to get smaller bolts. I had some 1.5" #6 bolts and they fit perfectly.

 

[HAP]

This switch has been a problem for many in more than one way. Here is my post which includes feedback from JSK as well.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=136949

I ended up machining a new bracket form aluminum for the safety switch after seeing what BP propossed as the final solution.

As for the wiring, I used small ring terminals and ran the wires in pairs to each side of the contacts.

R,
HAP

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Sounds like BP needs better quality control!!

 

[HAP]

Sounds like BP needs better quality control!!

I agree, for a well known problem like this, I would think that BP would simply add the updated safety switch to all shipments. Also, they should sent out whatever final version of the switch to all registered owners of the affected style lift just to maintain configuration control and to ensure that the safety feature is capable of actually working...

R,
HAP

 

[djvette]

Great information. I just received my Bend Pak lift also a XPR-10A, same issue, I will make the call on Monday, thank you for the info.

djvette

 

[northwestpat79]

I didn't even know this was an issue, but my electrician is here now wiring up my brand new XPR-10A, and darned if we don't have the wrong switch. I did a quick search on here and voila, found this discussion.

He's apparently making it work somehow, it's going to cost me at least an extra hour in electrician labor, and the damned switch itself is wrong and might not handle the load? Is that what I'm reading here?

I haven't even put a car up in the air yet and I'm already a VERY UNSATISFIED Bend Pak customer. Continuing to send out lifts with incorrect parts MONTHS OR YEARS after the company became aware of the problem is absolutely inexcusable.

 

[pattenp]

It's not a load issue. It's an issue of the connection terminal screws being too small to get the wires connected.

 

[northwestpat79]

The electrician figured it out, but that switch cost me an extra hour of him fiddling with it. Pretty poor for a $2800 lift, in my opinion.

 

[EarlyBroncoGuy]

I have an XPR-10A, it came with the small switch, with the 6 small brass screws. Since I installed the power unit on the post far away from the overhead switch location, the supplied wire was too short to reach. I ended up using a 16 ft long piece of Romex, formed the ends of the wire into tight loops using needle nose pliers, and slightly longer screws to connect it to the switch - it was a little tight, but it fit. I zip-tied the wire to the hydraulic hose that runs across the upper bar and down the inside of the post, then out through the grommet and into a junction box on the side of the post.

 

[pattenp]

I'm glad this worked for you but you shouldn't use Romex in place of flexible cord. Romex is not approved for that type of use.

I have an XPR-10A, it came with the small switch, with the 6 small brass screws. Since I installed the power unit on the post far away from the overhead switch location, the supplied wire was too short to reach. I ended up using a 16 ft long piece of Romex, formed the ends of the wire into tight loops using needle nose pliers, and slightly longer screws to connect it to the switch - it was a little tight, but it fit. I zip-tied the wire to the hydraulic hose that runs across the upper bar and down the inside of the post, then out through the grommet and into a junction box on the side of the post.

 

[roadrunner255]

Hello all,

The limit switch issue was only related to the older lifts, does not apply to mine.

Anyway I found this post that explains switch/motor wiring install.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=190118

Cheers!