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06-19-2020, 03:55 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 8
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2002 Alpine Coach - Chassis A/C Help
I have a 2002 36' Mid-door Alpine Coach and I have a problem with the chassis A/C system.
I had the system serviced and my mechanic is telling me that I need to install and Electric Auxiliary Fan to the Radiator Stack to provide additional cooling to the A/C Condenser. The system is developing a very high pressure when idling or running at a slow speed which is causing stress on the components and will fail. He is telling me that the radiator fan will not operate at low speeds when the engine is cool and not calling for the fan to operate.
I am not sure if this is a design flaw with my coach or a part failure.
Has anyone else experienced this problem and have a suggestion for a fix?
Thanks
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06-19-2020, 07:46 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Olympia
Posts: 861
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This is a well known flaw with the wax-valve activated fan. Soon others will chime in with fixes. Just want t let you know you are by no means alone with this issue.
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Jeff
'99 Alpine Coach
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06-20-2020, 10:05 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Yavapai
Posts: 574
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f104 a/c search above (or other term attached to f104).
__________________
2007 Alpine SE 34FDDS + Cherokee Trailhawk
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06-22-2020, 10:42 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Brookfield,WI
Posts: 593
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May I please ask a few semi-related questions?
I have been wondering how the dash A/C works.
Are the pump, condenser and high/low pressure valves all back near the engine?
Can you charge it up like a car? My dash air is weak.
__________________
Brianna
2000 Alpine Coach 36 FDS
Wisconsin
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06-22-2020, 12:48 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Hoodsport Wa
Posts: 3,116
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brianna
May I please ask a few semi-related questions?
I have been wondering how the dash A/C works.
Are the pump, condenser and high/low pressure valves all back near the engine?
Can you charge it up like a car? My dash air is weak.
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Compressor is on the rear of the engine, condenser is mounted to the Charge Air Intercooler, evaporator, receiver dryer, valving and charge ports are all above the generator under the front cap. Ours worked marginal at best, even with a full charge. Do not overgharge your R134 system. Have it professionally evacuated, replace the receiver dryer, add the proper amount of oil and refrigerant for best results. Also insure the heater control valve is adjusted properly. Ours is dead (empty) again. Not real high on the priority list, since the roof airs both work great. Our condenser had a minor leak and was covering the CAC with oil and road gunk. I removed it to clean out the CAC and radiator.
I also removed the drive belt when I replaced the serpentine belt.
Have not reinstalled them yet, and probably won't because, reading thru the f104 forums, I'm not missing much but throwing a lot of money into a black hole. Oh, and here in Washington AC isn't really needed 11 months of the year. But that's just me...it is one of two things on the coach that doesn't work. The other, ironically, the ice maker. Lol
__________________
2000 Alpine 36 FDS #74058
04 Jeep Wrangler TJ
"On the road to find out..."
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06-23-2020, 04:02 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Brookfield,WI
Posts: 593
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Sorry for the hijack, tredder.
__________________
Brianna
2000 Alpine Coach 36 FDS
Wisconsin
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07-01-2020, 10:03 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Ontario, CA USA
Posts: 1,402
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I installed an external pusher electric fan on the A/C condenser which is powered through a relay. The relay is triggered by the A/C compressor whenever I run the dash air. I is most effective when I am at idle or in traffic and the A/C works fine. I saw this on another Alpine so I installed it on mine.
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07-02-2020, 10:50 AM
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#8
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Junior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 8
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2002 Alpine Coach - Chassis A/C Help
Why did you install a "pusher" style vs. a "Puller" style fan. I am in the process of doing the same and we are leaning towards a "Puller" fan thinking that when the engine fan activates they will work together moving air.. my assumption is that the radiator fan is a "Pusher" fan and the aux. fan will be a "Puller" fan so they should work together when both are running
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07-02-2020, 11:06 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 7,870
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NO. The hydraulic fans pull air from the outside of the coach and push it into the engine room (air outside a lot cooler than in the engine room).
The added pusher fan is therefore going in the same direction (outside to inside).
__________________
Brett Wolfe
Ex: 2003 Alpine 38FDDS. Ex: 1997 Safari Sahara. Ex: 1993 Foretravel U240
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07-02-2020, 06:17 PM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: STEVENSON RANCH, CA
Posts: 93
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Added two 2600 CFM fans on the inside of the radiator to help with air conditioner and high intake manifold temperature, that I control from the dash. I use these fans before the main fan comes on at 180 degrees and when I'm climbing hills.
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FRED 2001 40 FT ALPINE ISC 350
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07-06-2020, 10:13 AM
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#11
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Junior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 8
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Interesting to see the different opinions and not allot of good engineering with this problem. My mechanic thinks the engine fan is a pusher fan to minimize dirt buildup in the radiator fins. I do know one thing for certain, the chassis A/C system is not designed correctly from the start and an auxiliary fan should help the problem.
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07-06-2020, 10:17 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,396
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...think its time for a new "mechanic"...…..
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Old Scout
2015 IH45 Foretravel
2003 Alpine 40' MDTS [Sold]
New Braunfels, Texas
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07-06-2020, 11:27 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 7,870
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Scout
...think its time for a new "mechanic"...…..
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WOW-- this is the right answer. His "thinking" (or whatever it is) needs to be tempered with FACTS.
Not aware of a single side radiator DP that does not draw cool air from the OUTSIDE and pull it to the engine compartment.
Disclaimer-- we do not know that someone has not reengineered your fan system, but 100% from the factory are as we have posted. BTW, if yours is backwards, you need to address it, as the dash A/C condenser, then CAC need to be the first things in the air flow through the cooling package.
Go back to the grill with the engine warm and running at, say 1100 RPM and see if it is sucking air in.
__________________
Brett Wolfe
Ex: 2003 Alpine 38FDDS. Ex: 1997 Safari Sahara. Ex: 1993 Foretravel U240
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07-06-2020, 12:36 PM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: STEVENSON RANCH, CA
Posts: 93
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The hydraulic fan and the 2,12 volt
fans pull air from the outside.
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