Curious as to what you guys with the power steps are doing in the winter months?

I'm currently working in Quebec (Canada) and it gets good and cold, and they use lots of salt on the roads.

Thinking I'm gonna turn them off for the winter to avoid the potential for problems when it's -40c with windchill.

Thoughts?

 

I live in Calgary and although we don't get as much snow as you, I can say I never had any issues with the power steps and snow/ slush build up. I wouldn't leave them in the off position as the movement in and out knocks off the crap that builds up between the step and the truck.

 

Thats the nice thing. You can leave them down if you want, and they're just like any other step. My trucks on order, so no first hand info.

 

I would leave them in the down position in cold winter days as the retraction cycle could bend something when there clogged with hard ice, Are the Ford oem ones made by Amp research?

 

Yea that's one of the things I thought about. Do they have a safety built in I wonder if they are frozen and you open a door and it quits instead of burning up motors or breaking stuff lol

At the end of the day they're covered under warranty.

 

I get my truck washed several times per week and my unlimited wash package includes underbody wash. Before I go through, I put the steps DOWN and ask them to spray them off by hand (using the wand). Before the truck goes through, I put them back up. Never had an issue with my '15 F150 Platinum, so I expect the same from my '17 F350 Platinum.

 

You can't leave them out. Even when set to out, they will retract above a few MPH. They do have a protection mechanism that will kill the motor if it's stuck.

I didn't have any issues with mine last winter, but I may be a bad example as I park it in a heated garage so everything melts off every night.

 

I noticed that they won't stay out, few times i left them down to avoid door dings in tight parking area at work and they go up as you drive away.

Good to hear they have a safety, guess i will have to see how it goes this winter.

 

They work great. I'm in Central NY and about all we had last year was slush, ice, and salt. NOTHING builds up on these steps when driving. But I do have 14" wide, extra long Duraflaps on my truck...so that may help over the standard flaps.

The safety on the steps works both ways. I've had them bump my shin while lowering, and barely feel it before they retract. Same when they're trying to raise.. it takes almost nothing to keep them down. I don' think there is any chance of them causing any damage due to an ice chunk.

 

Appreciate the feedback guys!