oneway

Update as promised: thanks to all here who helped me properly diagnose the issue. I got thru the warm Yuma winter and the RV is going to the shop this morning for a new A/C. they will replace the unit for 1 hr labor, and I deranged my shoulder somehow and am in physical therapy so no choice there and cheap enough! next camping trip is in August so I'll be happy to have the 2nd A/C.

Tehachapi. Should be back in about 3 weeks or so.

Thanks for all the help. My A/C's are ducted. if I decide to tackle the job: I have a friend with a decking around his house and a walkout basement. We can drive the Motorhome next to his house and put gravity on our side. I think I'm gonna use the one A/C here until I get home to the cool mountains of California.

Yes, the test results show a bad compressor and so I see no need to smoke test my new start cap. I have had this thought: I could go to the front (good) A/C and put in the new start cap there, then move the used but good start cap from that A/C and smoke test it in the rear (bad) A/C. I wouldn't feel bad if that went up in smoke. the only thing keeping me from doing that is I don't want to take a chance on losing the good A/C for some reason until I can get home in about 3 weeks.

Well, first let me say Kaypsmith that you have been extraordinarily patient with me and I owe you particularly a beverage of your choice for helping me understand. my ole brain is trying to come along for the ride and I think I've finally got it with that last explanation...maybe. anyway, NO I didn't say...or mean to say that I FOUND red-black was =6 what I tried to say was that I thought I was supposed to FIND 6, but only FOUND 4 in the red to black wire measurement. That's why I provided the pictures of the meter readings. and earlier before your last explanation while my head was spinning a little faster I thought maybe you were trying to tell me I was looking for this formula: 4+1=5 Now I believe I understand that the sum of each of the wires (red + black) , each measured separately to common (white).. should equal the measuring of red to black.... therefore if red to white = 5, and black to white = 1, the red to black should equal 6 Yet I only found red to black =4. so I can go up again to make sure the red or black doesn't have a dead short to ground now, but with my findings isn't that futile? I hope anyone following this thread that doesn't have any electrical background is getting as much out of this as I am. i sincerely appreciate it.

So after more research with online videos and other sources here is where I think I am: 1.continuity test is good 2. In the Ohm check: Common to start and common to run should equal start to run, and start to run should be the highest number.( in my case the red-black) This is where I believe my test fails. agree?

I haven't put in the hard start kit yet to test it. I can do it in the morning but there is no sense in doing it just to watch it go up in smoke so more questions then. 1. Yes, I have continuity between all points. Red-white, black-white, and red -black.....I thought that was a BAD thing. Am I wrong? 2. I thought since white is common(which it shows on the schematic), then here is what I understood: If red-white =5 And white-black =1 then I was supposed to find that red-black would read 6. Yes?? I have to admit my head is spinning a bit as this is my first attempt to understand all this.

I am careful. I make sure all power is off. I wear rubber gloves. I try to discharge the capacitor I'm taking out, and I use insulated pliers. so test the new start cap with the intact PTCR is your recommendation?

Here is the schematic on the back of the AC. So........input? time for an A/C? Or smoke test the start cap with the PTCR???

So... continuity between all points. but white-red =5, white-black=1 the sum should be red-black =6..... correct???? And I've got basically 4.0 maybe 4.1. i disconnected the wires so I was reading only the compressor and no other capacitors online. now I just re-read the "if the resistance of 2 equals the highest ohm reading"..... so if I apply that....then: red-black=4 white-black =1 white-red=5 and that adds up.

White-red=5 White-bLack=1 Red-bLack = 4.1 W-r= cont W-b=cont R-b=cont here is what I found on the roof with my meter...

OK. this is just a thankyou picture for all the help. The story continues next....

Thanks for all the insight! there is a schematic inside the door that houses the capicitors. I will do a test and see what I find. May not be until Sunday. Tomorrrow I'm going to watch the Blue Angels fly in El Centro! I'll post my findings here as well so that others can learn from my experience. I'm learning as I go. Never done this before. My MANY THANKS to everyone who has helped me this far.

Ok. So the compressor has 3 wires: red, black, white. I understand white is supposed to be common. so so do I just test: red-black, black-white, white-red....and I'm done? And I'm not looking for continuity (the tone)? But measuring resistance and looking for 2 numbers to add up to the 3rd? I might as well try this part out and see what I get. I've lost all faith in the techs here. I'm close to putting that 2ndstart cap on with the PTC and just trying it. It would be a $37 experiment. No big deal at this point.

And now to the Hair Dryer Test results: I put the coach on generator power and let it stabilize. A few minutes later the front A/C was put online and was stabilized for about 5 minutes. I added the hair dryer on low setting. Next hair dryer on high setting. Then I added in the electric water heater. Each time a load was added there was a slightly (if at all) perceptible sound difference in the genset. It ran everything without bogging down at all. I guess all roads lead to the rear A/C again? With all loads online the line voltage monitor shows wavering and even dipped slightly below the green arc momentarily.(top picture) With only the front A/C on the line voltage monitor shows a slight wavering and remained within the green arc.(bottom picture). now...... input?