You really need the circuit diagram to be sure.

My limited experience of more modern car lifts suggests that the control design isn’t as simple as it might seem at first. Rather different to the relatively crude systems up’n down button devices used on old style Bradbury’s et al.

I used an Eaton DE1 “intelligent starter”, basically a VFD without all the external control bells and whistles, to convert my 3 phase lift to run off single phase. Although mine appeared to be variant on the “semi-standard” import lifts available in both three phase and single phase form I’m pretty certain that the control board couldn’t be simply re-configured from three phase to single phase. As I recall things it appeared to be a common board for both single / three phase and pneumatic / electric safety latching switching from one to the other would have needed on board component changes.

Getting on for 8 years ago since I put it in so my memory might not be correct. It’s quite possible that I misunderstood the system.

YMMD

Personally I’d want to be very sure that all is working as per design when I’m under the car. Had some interesting issues with the safety latching system on the one a friend installed due primarily to it having been installed improperly at the previous owners place. Replicating the installation in my friends workshop didn’t give the warm, fuzzy feeling of safety.

Clive

It may all come down to money ! IF as I suspect it is hydraulic then it might be possible to fit a single phase motor to the pump and depending on your knowledge of Hydraulics and electrics alter the system to safely work, interlocks Etc. What about a 3phase converter eg Transwave, static or rotary. A VFD might work set to 50Hz but would need knowledge of the electronic and control systems. Good luck. Noel.

On 5 September 2025 at 21:46 glynboy12 Said:

Would I able to add a single phase motor to this 3 phase car lift control box. It has got 220/240 380/415 dual motors on it but the 3 phase has a neutral so I’m sure you could put single phase motors and still use this control box with a bit ov wire swapping. Is that right or not.

 

Not enough detail provided but I think the answer is probably no, unless you understand what you’re doing.  Clive’s posts are informative.

As I see it, the controller is designed and configured to soft-start and manage 3-phase motors.  These work rather differently from single-phase types, so not simply  ‘a bit of wire swapping’.   Though a single-phase motor wired from one phase to neutral might run, it’s  unlikely to work acceptably.   Soft-start is matched to 3-phase motors, so a single-phase motor’s start up surge is likely to clamp the controller;  speed control by varying frequency (if used) won’t work;  the controller might burn out trying to drive an unbalanced motor it’s not designed for;  or – most likely – simply cut the power output to protect the electronics, leaving the lift too weedy to be useful.

Why do it?   3-phase motors outperform single-phase across the board.  The main reason for single-phase motors is for when a 3-phase supply isn’t available.  But in this case it seems the controller is providing 3-phase, so that’s not it.   Have the lift’s 3-phase motors failed when there are a few single-phase motors of about the right size knocking about, cheap, and the idea is to save dosh by bodging them on to a 3-phase controller? Personally, I wouldn’t, because there are too many unknowns.   The reliable answer is to replace 3-phase motors with like for like, which will definitely work.

Or is there another reason?

Entirely possible to work a lift with single-phase motors, but it needs a different controller.  Could be home-made.  The main issue is safety – the controller must turn motors on and off reliably at just the right time.   And if the system as a whole fails, it has to fail safely.  Dropping a car is painfully expensive, worse if it crushes the operator.

Dave

Hi  ,How can a screw lift drop a car if controller fails.
Please explain ,could be wrong.

Maurice

How do you keep 2 seemingly ordinary electric motor driving leadscrews in step all the time with out some clever electronics ? Noel.

On 7 September 2025 at 17:11 noel shelley Said:

How do you keep 2 seemingly ordinary electric motor driving leadscrews in step all the time with out some clever electronics ? Noel.

Typically by a synchronising shaft or drive.
A while ago I was helping another company that is part of the group I work for that maintain HGVs with an electronics problem. It wasn’t related to my visit but I was intrigued to see that they used a 4 post lift where th posts were mobile. It used a radio link to keep the 4 posts in sync. At first glance it seems very wrong..

On 8 September 2025 at 03:43 glynboy12 Said:

There’s nothing wrong with the 3 motors on it the only thing that is wrong is I haven’t 3 phase and I’ve bolted the lift down in my workshop because I was told I could use a rottory converter on it but the one I have wouldn’t work. It was under powered …

Ah ha, that’s the real problem!  Don’t give up yet because re-motoring the lift with single-phase isn’t the only way of getting it to work.  For the reasons given substituting single-phase motors isn’t straightforward, hence check out all the options.   They include:

• have the supplier install a 3-phase supply (Always works, usually difficult to obtain unless the premises are commercial)
• static converter (Plug and play, cheap, cheerful and may not work)
• rotary converter (Plug and play.  large, noisy, but mostly reliable)
• electronic converter (cheap, small, quiet, but the inexpensive versions are reliable with one motor only, and the lift has 3,  Not plug and play for this job unless an expensive converter is bought.  Though prices are dropping, still  at least £500.)
• 3-phase generator (Plug and play, large, noisy, expensive , but mostly reliable)  glynboy has a generator!

All these 3-phase power sources have to be man enough, and it sounds as if the existing rotary converter isn’t big enough.  Cure, replace with a bigger one.  But I’m guessing, which is never good in engineering!   How much power does the lift need?  It will be in the manual, probably on a label somewhere, and if all else fails, we can add up the motor plates.  Also possible the supply needs attention; a long extension cable from house to garage will drop a lot of volts.

In terms of power, I’d be amazed if a 30HP Lister can’t run a car-lift.   30HP is nearly 23kW, or 100A at 230V (my home has a 100A company fuse).   A start/stop load might stuff the generator up, but I think it unlikely.  Main disadvantage of Lister is noise, space, fumes, maintenance and having to keep the generator running when it’s only needed during lifts.

Not unusual for members to ask about their solution rather than explain the actual problem.  Unfortunately not explaining risks getting bad or incomplete answers from the forum.  I recommend explaining the objective because doing so opens the door to alternatives.

Beware decisions based on assumptions like ‘its a bloody good made lift not like those cheap crap you get from China’   Don’t shoot self in foot!  The old lift has failed to do the job and getting it to work is causing lots of grief. Being solidly made has no value unless it works and will be worked hard for years.  In contrast, an affordable new Chinese lift will work out-of-the box and they’re ‘good enough’ for most purposes…

Dave

One thing that SoD missed with 3 phase converters is that many lack a neutral connection. The OP’s lift requires this for the control circuit.

Robert.

You could hire a generator to try it before buying one.

Stuart