Coleman AC unit not working...Help!

[sun4fun]

Hi!

Don here. Wife and I just bought a JayFlight 20 BH 2006 TT. We went to look at it a week ago and the AC was cool sometimes ,but not cold. I got the unit home and plugged in the AC and it still does the same. The couple that had the unit only took 2 trips in it since they bought it off the showroom floor in 2007. Last year and part of this year the trailer was in storage.

The fan comes on and then the AC tries to come on, but then cycles off with the fan still running. Then it repeats again and again. I had someone check
the load on the AC when it acted like the compressor wanted to come on and it read 39.8 volts on the meter, but never tripped the breaker. The fan was at 14.8 on the meter and still runs.

We thought maybe the compressor might be bad to cause this. I need some help with this problem. Let me know what it could be if you think the compressor is not the problem.

The AC is ducted inside the trailer and it is a Coleman Mach thermostat on the wall. The Coleman is a 13,500 BTU model# 8333C8714 and the part number is 0170470.

My wife and I are leaving for Oregon in two weeks and need all the help we can get to solve this AC problem before we go. Maybe it could be something simple, just don't know.

We appreciate all of you helping us!

Thank you kindly!

Don & Rhonda
Call me or email me if you want to.
316-835-3411
ddc9000@sbcglobal.net

[Mr_D]

I think you mean 39.8 amps not 39.8 volts.

[sun4fun]

Not sure what it was Mr_D. All I seen on the meter was 39.8 while I was watching the guy checking the load. Could have been amps. Is that a bad sign the compressor is bad or the start relay is bad or the capacitor?
The fan comes on,but the ac tries to come on ,but cycles off right away and repeats every 10 to 15 seconds. No cold air, only cool air from the fan and sometimes a little warm, but not much.

[sun4fun]

Just hope it's something simple since the trailer is not that old and only used twice since 2007. Most of the time the trailer was in storage. I would not think I had to replace the ac unit yet, since it's 5 years old, but you never know.

[cb1000rider]

40 amps is too many.. your coach has 30 amp service and there is a capacitor there to help "start" the compressor. You've got it right though, the compressor isn't running. No compressor = no cool air. Cause could be a number of things - including a freon leak, seized compressor, or some other failure.

Everything I've read about RV ACs indicates that the major compressor components aren't exactly serviceable, mainly due to cost to repair vs cost to replace.... Smaller things like the starting capacitors are.

[TXiceman]

When a unit starts, the inrush is about 5 times the running amps, so momentary 40 amps is not so bad. BUT, the compressor should start and immediately reduce amps.

Another is ....What is the voltage at the unit when trying to start?

Do you have at least a 20 amp service available to the RV? If you have the frig on electric and the water heater on electric, you probably cannot start the A/C when on 20 amp service.

It may be a bad capacitor at the compressor, which is not expensive or hard to replace.

If you had someone check the unit and he did not check voltage see that you had adequate service for the RV, I'd ask him for my money back and call someone else.

Ken

[sun4fun]

TXiceman...I never thought about the service from my house. Good point you brought up!

I just have the fridge on electric. I think my outside outlet is 30amp. With the fridge on electric, should the compressor still come on for my air conditioner?
It's to late to get my money back, the RV guy is 40 miles away. He told me that he was surprised that the breaker did not trip with a reading of 39.8. I think it was volts he was talking about ,but not sure. I watched it climb from 17.5 up to 39.8. The other reading was for the fan and watched it climb from 13.4 to 14.8 then to 15.6.
Another thing I notice was when I took it off of auto and put it on manual, it did the same thing. I moved the temp control slide up and down to see if I could hear the air kick in and nothing happened. It just keeps doing the same thing no matter what I do.

[JNCC920]

Sorry for digging up such and old thread, but this is the only discussion I've found describing EXACTLY what my Coleman Mach III 13.5K BTU AC (non-ducted) is doing in my 2011 Eclipse Milan 24' TT. The AC has NEVER been used since I purchased it brand new.

The OP never replied whether he found the problem or not and unfortunately doesn't accept PMs.

I'm looking for advice for further diagnosing.

So far, (Disclaimer-Used a Harbor Freight multimeter for testing)

1. I've tested the capacitor for resistance and it climbs to infinity.
2. I don't have a capacitance meter to check the capacitor for that.
3. I tested each lead on the compressor. C to S, S to R, R to C and got resistance for all.
4. I added the smaller numbers of the compressor readings and they didn't add up exactly to the larger number, but close.
5. I tested each compressor lead to ground with no reading (no continuity?).
6. I tested the Klixon overload protector between the capacitor and the compressor. And I believe is has continuity. (It reads the same as when I touched the multimeter probes together)

All of this would lead me to believe it's something internal in the compressor. I want to be wrong. I haven't tested for capacitance yet. Is it possible that a capacitor that has capacitance outside of its specs (no longer good) could cause the same symptoms?

Thanks

[rideandslide]

I would be sure of the how many amps service you have in that outside outlet. Unless you or someone else installed it, i don't see why there would be anything other than 15 amp outside. 15 amps may not be enough for the compressor to hard start. If you can, post a picture of the outlet you are plugging into ? Also, be sure all other ac appliances are off.

If nothing else, spend one night in a local campground with 30 amp service, would be a good shakedown also, before you spend $$$$ on repairs,

[charliez]

I would start with connections. One small loose connections can stop an ac. Unplug the rv and find every single connection related to the ac all the way back to the house breaker and make sure it's good. Make sure the plug prongs are good and clean too, that's a connection.

[JNCC920]

Thanks for the quick responses.

Rideandslide-I was at a campground this past weekend on 30 amp service. This is how I learned my AC didn't work. And temps in the high 90s low 100s. We were in the pool most of the day.

Charliez-I checked all of the connections when I tested its components except between the breaker and unit and they were all tight. But it gets power just fine so I don't know that I need to check whatever's prior to the unit.. The fan runs smooth. It's when you switch to cool that it makes a buzzing sound for a couple seconds, my volt meter (wall plugin style) needle drops and the fan slows down. Then it stops buzzing and the fan runs normally, Volts go back up all for about 10-15 then repeats.

Any other ideas?

[rideandslide]

You Sun4fun or JNCC920 ?

[JNCC920]

Jncc920