What's wrong with my jack?

[theaxe]

Hope you can help, I recently purchased a new jack but I don't think it's working properly.

The first few strokes work as you'd expect, but then it comes to a point where the handle wants to pull back up bringing the car back down.

Sometimes a few attempts will get it to 'stick' and the car will remain up but then on the next stroke I'll have the same problem. It's as if whatever the ratchet mechanism is inside is not working.

I tried to bleed the jack and I did get quite a bit of air out of it. That improved the general feel of the handle but didn't solve the problem.

Any ideas?

[buzzer]

there is a problem with the hydraulic one way valve by the sound of it... given the potential for a nasty accident if it were to fail just as you were putting the axle stand under, I would return it.

[shoehorn]

Did the jack come with a small bolt or plug in the box which you missed,discarded or disregarded?
Sometimes the filler plug on hydraulic units are sealed for transportation and you then remove and replace it with a similar plug but one which will have a small hole in it to allow the unit to breathe.
Try using the jack with the filler bung/screw removed and see if it then works properly.

[theaxe]

shoehorn said:

Did the jack come with a small bolt or plug in the box which you missed,discarded or disregarded?
Sometimes the filler plug on hydraulic units are sealed for transportation and you then remove and replace it with a similar plug but one which will have a small hole in it to allow the unit to breathe.
Try using the jack with the filler bung/screw removed and see if it then works properly.

Interesting, I'll give this a try, thanks.

[theaxe]

Tried but no luck.. Thanks anyway.

[littleredrooster]

buzzer said:

there is a problem with the hydraulic one way valve by the sound of it... given the potential for a nasty accident if it were to fail just as you were putting the axle stand under, I would return it.

This ^ ^

Sounds like a broken spring in the non-return valve or a foreign object floating around keeping the valve open.

[theaxe]

littleredrooster said:

This ^ ^

Sounds like a broken spring in the non-return valve or a foreign object floating around keeping the valve open.

Thanks, sounds like it'll have to go back. :-(

[Quinten]

Out of interest, what make/brand is it?

[theaxe]

Quinten said:

Out of interest, what make/brand is it?

Liftmaster aluminum 2.5t.