Rear AC stopped cooloing -2015 Dutch Star

[Magredvet]

Anyone have any idea why the rear AC on my DS has just stopped cooling ?
Fan blows, and I can hear the compressor kick in, but it doesn't produce any cooled air. Is there a chance that the reversing valve has stuck ? any way for a layman to diagnose, or should I just call a service tech ?
Thanks in advance

[shaman52]

You can check the solenoid on the reversing valve, it can be removed if like mine. Ohms and voltage. Light tap with a brass hammer?

Also Dometic offers a 2 year Protection Plus warranty. Is yours still in effect?

"The ohms resistance of the reversing valve solenoid coil is approximately
465 ohms (Coil With Two Pin Connector) or 265
ohms (Coil With Wires Attached) plus or minus (±) 10%.
If ohm reading is within this range, the solenoid coil is
good. If an ohm reading is outside this range, replace the
solenoid coil. If the coil test OK and there is voltage at the
reversing valve, but the unit is heating the inside coil, the
reversing valve is stuck."

Good Luck!

[twinknkate]

It might be DOA. We had our rear a/c quit cooling earlier this summer. Troubleshooting determined the compressor was shot and the unit needed replaced. Out of warranty, and only 3 years old.

I've read that others have had the same experience with the Dometic units. It's quite disconcerting to have to replace an a/c after 3 years, and not used excessively. Our old a/c on our '97 MA was still chugging after 12 years when we felt we needed to replace it due to it's age. Something tells me these new units are junk and this may be the norm rather than the exception. I sure hope yours is still under warranty.

[Sidewinder4]

Originally Posted by Magredvet

Anyone have any idea why the rear AC on my DS has just stopped cooling ?
Fan blows, and I can hear the compressor kick in, but it doesn't produce any cooled air. Is there a chance that the reversing valve has stuck ? any way for a layman to diagnose, or should I just call a service tech ?
Thanks in advance

Not sure on a diagnosis that can save you a replacement. Last May I changed out two 15000 BTU low profile AC's out of three. A guy on E-Bay was the best price I found, and then I spent another $300.00 to have two technicians come over and moon-lite the installs for me. Cost me $2600.00 altogether. Seems like nobody wants to work on the RV AC's anymore, seems like the attitude is replace before fixing or even trouble shooting. I understand it a little since companies want $100.00 plus to just pull in your driveway anymore.

Best of Luck!

[Vanslam]

Had the same thing happen to my rear and front 13500 AC/Heat pumps. From what I have learned 2015 was a bad year for the Chinese Dometic ACs. When they fail they can not be fixed and must be tossed. First unit was under warranty second was on me. There is another Newmar owner that had to replace the both 4 times. All under warranty. My new ones are working fine.

[Magredvet]

Ok thanks for the info guy's.............i'll get someone out to see what they can do..............

[BPoland]

As a side note, be aware that the warranty any Dometic A/C that you have replaced under warranty, is only good until the end of the original warranty. Dometic A/C carry a two year warranty, so if you have to have one replaced after 23 months, the new one will only have a 30 day guarantee.

I was hoping for at least a 90 day warranty on the new one. Wrong! Luckily, the new one has worked ok.

[bruceisla]

I think (and I could be wrong) failures were related to a large batch of low profile Penquin II units. As far as I know, the Brisk Air II (taller) units have a good reputation.

[JDenPA]

We have replaced the forward unit twice under warranty. The first replacement lasted two weeks. Now the rear unit will occasionally make a loud humming noise. Restart and it dissapeares. Hard for a technician to diagnose an lntermittent problem. Warranty runs out real soon.

[Magredvet]

Upate, the unit is toast......at 18 months old!
It was drawing so much current, that it melted a wire on top of the compressor, so a new unit is on the way. Hope this one lasts a bit longer, and hopefully my extended warranty picks up the tab.
Less than 2 years on a $1300 item.....wow!

[Magredvet]

Continuing saga. Rear AC was replaced last night, and was cooling fine. Today it will run for a while, then stop cooling, although the fan is still running. When it does this, a check of the inside temp at the thermostat will show a temp of 10 degrees below the set temp. Continue pressing the inside temp button, and the indicated inside temp will continue to drop til it hits 32 deg f.
So coincidence that the thermistor has also gone bad, or did the installation techs hook something up wrong?

[bruceisla]

Originally Posted by Magredvet

Continuing saga. Rear AC was replaced last night, and was cooling fine. Today it will run for a while, then stop cooling, although the fan is still running. When it does this, a check of the inside temp at the thermostat will show a temp of 10 degrees below the set temp. Continue pressing the inside temp button, and the indicated inside temp will continue to drop til it hits 32 deg f.
So coincidence that the thermistor has also gone bad, or did the installation techs hook something up wrong?

Try this:

http://bryantrv.com/docs2/docs/ccc2diagnostics.pdf

Note: last paragraph "reset".

System Configuration & Initialization
The installer of the system will set the required system DIP switches to the ON position.
Reset; make sure the CCC 2 thermostat is in the OFF condition.
Simultaneously press and hold the MODE and ZONE
buttons.
The LCD will display “IniT” and all available zones. Release
the MODE and ZONE buttons.
Press the ON/OFF button to exit system set up.

[Magredvet]

Thanks for the reply, tried the system reset...no dice. Called the co, and they had me do another reset. Hmmm.....this time all appears to be ok.
Time will tell, can't wait to try the heatpump in the winter.......what could possibly go wrong!

[rewillia]

Had same issue 2-months ago while we were on the road in FL with the 15k Dometic Penguin II Heat Pump in master bedroom in my 2017 Essex. Tried turning heat on for a few minutes and the off, switching back to AC to see if the reversing valve was the culprit. End result was a bad unit (we found oil on the surface of the roof top compressor and components once the cover was pulled).

As we were still in warranty, I called Newmar CS who telecom'd with Dometic and they authorized a new replacement (complete unit). Newmar expedited shipping of a replacement unit to a local third-party RV tech who did the change out for us. We were down for 4-days (but fortunately some-what maintained interior cooling with the forward and midship units)

Was not aware of the Dometic policy on warranty date of a new replacement unit being the same as the original unit. That's just plain wrong and to me speaks to a manufacturer's low confidence in it's own product.