Power side steps in snow

[Punteh]

Has anyone who lives in a place that gets snow figured out a way to get the power side steps to function properly once they get snowy?

Last winter I had them stowed anytime the roads had any snow on them. But that doesn’t really work well with young kids who aren’t big enough to step in without the steps or older parents who have a much easier time getting in with the steps. So this year I put Weathertech mud flaps on hoping they would help. They help keep snow off the rocker panel but that’s it. Snow still builds up on the hinges of the steps. They’ll go up when they’re supposed to but not enough to stay stowed. We’ve had snow for a little over a week and I’d throw them in the garbage already if I could. It’s frustrating as hell that these things that cost me $2000 aren’t designed to function in a market that they’re sold in.

Any help would be appreciated

 

[KMeloney]

Wait --even stowed, your steps get covered with snow? Or, they get covered with snow when they're out and then won't stow with snow on them?

I don't think you should expect the steps to stow completely if there's snow obstructing them. And if they gather snow while out, then I'd imagine you'd want to clear them anyway if you don't want to risk slipping while using the steps.

Maybe I'm missing something...

 

[Punteh]

Wait --even stowed, your steps get covered with snow? Or, they get covered with snow when they're out and then won't stow with snow on them?

I don't think you should expect the steps to stow completely if there's snow obstructing them. And if they gather snow while out, then I'd imagine you'd want to clear them anyway if you don't want to risk slipping while using the steps.

Maybe I'm missing something...

When the steps are stowed snow builds up on them so they won’t close after they’ve been deployed by a door opening. I know, it doesn’t make much sense to me either. You would think that if the snow builds up on the stowed steps that they would still be able to close after deploying. The problem seems to be the brackets/hinges for the steps getting snow in them and that somehow affecting them re-closing. There’s never been an issue with them deploying

 

[KMeloney]

I know, it doesn’t make much sense to me either. You would think that if the snow builds up on the stowed steps that they would still be able to close after deploying.

Sorry, but no, I do NOT think you should expect the steps to stow completely if snow builds up on them. I think you need to clear the snow, just like if snow had gotten packed into any of your door jambs or under your wiper blades. But maybe that’s just me.

 

[Punteh]

Sorry, but no, I do NOT think you should expect the steps to stow completely if snow builds up on them. I think you need to clear the snow, just like if snow had gotten packed into any of your door jambs or under your wiper blades. But maybe that’s just me.

I would understand that if the steps were down when driving and snow was building up between the step and the vehicle. That would make sense with snow causing interference with the steps closing. But the steps are stowed when driving and snow builds up around them.

 

[WalleyeMikeIII]

I live in Minnesota. We have snow, I have not had this issue. That said, last year we didn't get much snow...so that could be part of it.
I have the weathertechs..it definitely helps keep snow off them, but you can get buildup.
2 Things I do...when they are down, I try to stomp on them to have some of the snow fall off...
I usually kick the buildup off them in the garage or a parking lot too...

One other option, get some silicone lube (spray), and when the vehicle is dry, spray the areas that build up...to try and prevent some of the sticking...(suggest testing in an inconspicuous spot), but silicone should not damage any paint or coating...so you should be fine. (I have not tried this, but I do do it on my snow blower chute a few times a winter, especially when we have a wet snow).

 

[Vladimir2306]

I live in Russia, we have a lot of snow, in order for the thresholds to work normally, you need to install front mudguards, they greatly reduce the amount of snow and dirt that flies on the mechanisms. I don't like mudguards, so I just replaced them with fixed ones)

 

[KMeloney]

I would understand that if the steps were down when driving and snow was building up between the step and the vehicle. That would make sense with snow causing interference with the steps closing. But the steps are stowed when driving and snow builds up around them.

like WalleyeMike, I guess we didn't get enough snow last winter to recognize this as a problem. We'll see what happens this winter, I guess.

 

[GMCChevy]

I just replaced my motors, they weren't working last winter so hopefully everything stays working.
I bought mud flaps to try to cut down on the crap being thrown up at them.

 

[Punteh]

I live in Minnesota. We have snow, I have not had this issue. That said, last year we didn't get much snow...so that could be part of it.
I have the weathertechs..it definitely helps keep snow off them, but you can get buildup.
2 Things I do...when they are down, I try to stomp on them to have some of the snow fall off...
I usually kick the buildup off them in the garage or a parking lot too...

One other option, get some silicone lube (spray), and when the vehicle is dry, spray the areas that build up...to try and prevent some of the sticking...(suggest testing in an inconspicuous spot), but silicone should not damage any paint or coating...so you should be fine. (I have not tried this, but I do do it on my snow blower chute a few times a winter, especially when we have a wet snow).

We didn’t get a lot of snow last year either but enough to cause me enough problems with the steps that I turned them off anytime we had snow on the roads. I didn’t have the mud guards last year so snow would build up on the rockers right behind the front tires and I thought that was the main problem with the steps which I why I got the mud guard before this winter. Now I have little to no snow buildup on the rockers like it did last winter. The problem seems to be more with the hinge/bracket assembly. I’ll try the silicone spray idea and see if that helps keep some snow from sticking. On the underside of the brackets there’s a little bit of a pocket that the snow seems to collect in. I’m guessing that it causes just enough of an increase in force to close them that the steps then think there’s a foot or hand or something in the way and the safety kicks in. Assuming there is a safety for that on these steps

 

[huck572]

Has anyone who lives in a place that gets snow figured out a way to get the power side steps to function properly once they get snowy?

Last winter I had them stowed anytime the roads had any snow on them. But that doesn’t really work well with young kids who aren’t big enough to step in without the steps or older parents who have a much easier time getting in with the steps. So this year I put Weathertech mud flaps on hoping they would help. They help keep snow off the rocker panel but that’s it. Snow still builds up on the hinges of the steps. They’ll go up when they’re supposed to but not enough to stay stowed. We’ve had snow for a little over a week and I’d throw them in the garbage already if I could. It’s frustrating as hell that these things that cost me $2000 aren’t designed to function in a market that they’re sold in.

Any help would be appreciated

I have a 2022 Yukon XL and mine do the same thing in winter. Mine go up and then back down but it happens not just from snow. Salt and this anti-skid (stones) they put down get in the hinges so when I get them up I have to go around in winter when I need them most retracted most of the time. I tried the silicone but it didn't work too well. When I get a decent day I hose them out real well and spray them and they'll work until the next snow arrives then it's back to no running boards. Frustrating.

 

[dusttur]

I have a 22 AT4 and live on a dirt road that gets extremely muddy when it rains or snows. There have been a few times where the side steps wouldn't go up and just kept going up and back down. The problem is the hinge is directly in line with the tires and they get caked even when stowed. Unless you can come up with a way to cover the hinges so they don't get caked in mud/snow, I think the only thing you can do at this point is just clean them off when you can...

 

[AOK]

This problem drove me so insane that I eventually ordered a pair of the running boards meant for the Suburban z71 (prefer their look to the at4). Between those and the gator mudflaps, my running boards are almost always snow free, and I live in a really snowy part of Montana.

I personally think it helps the vehicle look a little more rugged as well, if you are in to that aesthetic.