Hydraulic scissor lift won't go down.

[Yander]

I bought this BendPak lift back in November and finally got the ambition and a reason to put it together. Went together smoothly, lifted fine but now it won't go down.

Any ideas here? It was when I was giving it a test run with no car on it.

Here is a pic of the buttons to raise and lower. I have the steel stop out but it will not go down at all. Frustrating, I have a break job to do this weekend.

Thanks

 

[George2615]

In the middle, between the 2 cylinders is a safety lock. It must be released to let it come down. The directions should show you how to release the safety lock. You may have to raise it a bit more to release the latch.

 

[Yander]

Thanks, yes the safety lock is out.

 

[Peter 315]

Try putting some weight on it when trying to lower it..

 

[Yander]

I just found this. This could be my problem. We didn't know if we should check the level with the dipstick screwed in or not (Nothing in the manual). I may have under filled it.

 

[Yander]

In the middle, between the 2 cylinders is a safety lock. It must be released to let it come down. The directions should show you how to release the safety lock. You may have to raise it a bit more to release the latch.

It turns out that I'm an idiot and it was the mechanical lock. I thought the little thing that flips out was the lock when it was really what allows the actual lock to ride over the lock points.

It took me a lot of steps to figure it out. To the point I had hydraulic lines off and it still wouldn't go down. Which caused me to say, it has to be mechanical and looked closer.

I will say, the manual is absolute crap. It does not explain this whatsoever. Anyway, mystery solved thanks George and others who commented.

 

[oldnslo]

I just found this. This could be my problem. We didn't know if we should check the level with the dipstick screwed in or not (Nothing in the manual). I may have under filled it.

View attachment 808927

No oil would prevent lift from raising.

 

[sandman2234]

Glad you got it fixed! I was reading the first comment, and thought to myself, the lock isn't releasing!
I found a used lift in a friends shop that I was helping him clean out, and all it needed was a cylinder rebuilt. With the lock on the cylinder, that turned out to be an expensive "freebie" because I had to have a new cylinder fabricated!
They are handy little things, I use mine mostly for a work bench!
David from jax

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

No oil would prevent lift from raising.

Which would prevent it from lifting off the safety pawl enough for it to release.