Cavalier 72 Cooling Issues

[SodaShopNick]

collecture,

So that is interesting as I don't hear it actually kick on.  What I mean by this is when it is trying to get it to temperature you can hear a distinct difference in sounds then when just the fans are running.    I never hear that.  Also, when it was running yesterday I noticed there was not as much quantity of air circulating through the interrior of the machine then when it is cooling properly. 

[kbareit]

Your relay might be bad if the compressor is hot to the touch. What might be happening is the relay is not closing for the start winding to get the compressor running. Or the compressor could be locked up in which case the compressor would have to be replaced. To find out either way is to get a 1/3 hp 3 in 1 start relay and overload kit and install it to see if the compressor will start and run. If it does run the relay was bad if it doesn't the compressor is locked. Funtronics has the 3 in 1's or I can hook you up with one.

[SodaShopNick]

PM sent to kbareit

[MoonDawg]

         I have a machine that had a locked up compressor when it came in.    Tried a 3 in 1 and of course didn't help.

         Hit it a few times with a big hammer, works fine for now. 

[SodaShopNick]

Spoke with Ken and he has giving me a few things to check.  Will report back. 

MoonDawg - The old hammer trick....nice   

[jholmgren]

         I have a machine that had a locked up compressor when it came in.    Tried a 3 in 1 and of course didn't help.

         Hit it a few times with a big hammer, works fine for now. 

No substitute for a little "percussive maintenance".   

[kbareit]

         I have a machine that had a locked up compressor when it came in.    Tried a 3 in 1 and of course didn't help.

         Hit it a few times with a big hammer, works fine for now. 

I had a tech support guy ask me if I tried whacking a compressor with a hammer because it was locked up. I asked him if he was nuts and asked for another tech. The cooler was 3 weeks old and the last thing I wanted the customer to see is me beating the hell out his new cooler.

[Yarochrehc]

I've had the hammer trick work more than once as long as you're carefull.

[johnieG]

Quite frankly, I'd stop beating around the "hammer trick" & replace the freakin' compressor already.   

(poorly paraphrased from Star trek ) Bones...It's dead Jim.

[Larry]

By any chance do you have an amp meter?  It sounds like the compressor is definately locked up.  The meter will show a constant high locked rotor amps, LRA, instead of high amps and then it would drop to low amps, your running amps, RLA or FLA. 

Is a 3-1 the same as a hard start kit?  I used one on a stubourn compressor once and it ran fine, but I would also agree that it may be time for a new compressor.  It sounds like it is dead or dying.

By the way I never used the hammer trick, but I do remember one teacher talking about it to free up a compressor.  I always thought that sounded crazy, but it makes sense.