QuickJack - new owner, help needed

I recently bought a QJ after seeing a thread on the forum about some closeout pricing. With some time off from work this week, I finally got around to unboxing everything and getting the system set up. I've run into an issue and am hoping others have gone through this and can offer me advice.

After getting all of the hoses hooked up and filling the fluid reservoir, I started to raise the platforms. After ~10 seconds, one side started going up but not the other. I lowered the raised side back to level and tried again. Same result. Lowered again, tried again - same result.

At this point, I decided that maybe the cylinder on the non-functioning side needed to be bleed. So I put both platforms up on the jack blocks as instructed. Tried raising them again - just the 1 functional side went up. Raise, lower, raise, lower - no difference. At this point, I unhooked the functional side hose from the power unit, figuring I needed to force more fluid into the cylinder on the non-functional side. Cracked the bleeder screw but no air escaped. Tightened it back down, held the up button again for ~30 seconds, cracked the bleeder screw - still no air escaping (or fluid for that matter).

I gave up at this point, worried that I was going to damage the power unit or something else. Any advice? Keep holding the up button for longer and then try cracking the bleeder screw again? Is it possible that something is defective? Help!

In reply to dyintorace :

Have you tried switching the hoses to see if it is a hose or cylinder problem?

Are you trying to lift it without weight in on it? I vaguely recall that the instructions on mine said not to do that. Not to mention that they don't go down very well without weight on them.

Mine tends to come up faster on one side first until it hits some car-shaped resistance, then the other one starts catching up. Hasn't bothered me too much, although it's a bit annoying when I try to lift the Maxton.

Update: I switched hoses with no results. I then switched from one quick connect on the power unit to the other quick connect. That got the non-functional side to raise. I then tried the previously functional side with each hose on the quick connect on the power unit. That platform will now not respond. Could it be the quick connect on the power unit!

I'd second Tim's comment about trying it with weight. Mine don't rise evenly but level out once they are lifting the car. I think I remember reading that there is an equalizing valve in the power unit.

Are you raising the QuickJack empty or loaded?

And just sharing this here in case it helps anyone: 

NEVER raise your QuickJack frames without a vehicle on them!

I had an issue with my quick connects leaking a tad but that kinda resolved itself.

did you set the air pressure on the rams? 

David S. Wallens said:

Are you raising the QuickJack empty or loaded?

And just sharing this here in case it helps anyone: 

NEVER raise your QuickJack frames without a vehicle on them!

 

I'm raising them slightly without a car on them. One, because you have to raise them unloaded in order to get them in contact with the car, and, two, the owners manual instructs you to raise them unloaded in order to bleed the hydraulic cylinders.

And yes, I added air to both rams to get to 40-50 psi. 

Update: I finally convinced QJ to send me a replacement power unit. Filled it up with fluid and 10 minutes later:

You have a nice flat driveway to use it too. I love my QJ but my driveway is too angled to lift on it, i think..  

being able to use it outside where you can pull the wheels off and pressure wash easily is awesome.

I'm excited to have it finally functional and using it to help ease some work!

Glad you got it sorted, I like using mine so much better than jackstands.

Good-looking BMW, too. 

BoxheadTim said:

Mine tends to come up faster on one side first until it hits some car-shaped resistance, then the other one starts catching up. Hasn't bothered me too much, although it's a bit annoying when I try to lift the Maxton.

This is my experience too.  Mine's been working great for 7 or 8 years now but if you lift it without any weight, one side will go up much more than the other.

Looks like something was actually wrong with OP's unit but that behaviour isn't immediately concerning.

dyintorace said:

David S. Wallens said:

Are you raising the QuickJack empty or loaded?

And just sharing this here in case it helps anyone: 

NEVER raise your QuickJack frames without a vehicle on them!

 

I'm raising them slightly without a car on them. One, because you have to raise them unloaded in order to get them in contact with the car, and, two, the owners manual instructs you to raise them unloaded in order to bleed the hydraulic cylinders.

And yes, I added air to both rams to get to 40-50 psi. 

This.  I'm raising mine about 6" unloaded before they contact my wife's RAV4 lift points.  I've never had an issue but I always have to stand on them while simultaneously holding the down button to get them back down again.