Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working (Read 1302 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Yahoo Message Number: 101240
Hi Gang,

We had both roof AC's running well off of the generator while driving in 105-108 temps near Fresno CA today. Got into the camp, outside of Coarsegold, and had both AC's running again on shore power.

I had the front unit temp turned up high at 86, and the rear down low to 72 with the rear vents closed. The front unit did shut off after I set it up to 86, and her rear ran well for about 45 mins. Pushing air out of the front ducts. The fans are so loud, is why we do it this way.

The rear seemed to stop, come on, stop, come on about three times in 45 seconds. Then the turned off. I figured it was just cooed down to 72 in the rear.

Well now none of the units will come on. When I look a the Dual Therm Comfort Control unit (Thermostat), it seems like the display is not working properly. I turned the Thermostat's to 'off', by the switch on the bottom. Waited 30 seconds, turned it back on. And i could cycle thru zone 1 and zone 2 settings. Turned off the rear AC, and turned on the front AC, and set the temp down to 78. Waited 5-10 mins, and nothing. Then looking at the Thermostat, it again seemed to not display the settings well, could not read them.

So far, I've checked:

-Main CB's back in the bedroom area - all OK, and front and rear CB's were not tripped -Went out to check fuses in the cabinet under the drivers seat, and nothing was marked roof AC. (Several mentioned Dash AC, assume a few zones involved and thus a few fuses  related to different areas of the dash?) -Went to the rear passenger side cabinet, with fuel filters, main BIG FUSES, and the smaller sub panel. And the only thing I noted with the word AC on it, was a 20A fuse that also controlled the front porch, and other areas. The front porch light works, so assume that fuse is not a problem.

What else should I check? Or, do I have a bad Dual Therm Comfort Control thermostat?

As hot as it is, I'll be awake, so feel free to post late as you like!!!

TIA,

Smitty

04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)

Re: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 101241
Should have mentioned that I have the 5 button Thermostat. And, of course, one of our two boxes of documentation is sitting at home... (A story here, but does not help now!).

I did find an online 5 Button Thermostat trouble shooting document posted by some nice gent to the internet. Did the reset, saw the "FF" code, and now the unit displays "EE". So no trouble shooting for, and always welcome input from those that have traveled this trail before, what and where EE may lead me!!

Searching via weak access on droid only, so please excuse the typo's as they come!

TIA - STILL HOT outside of Coarsegold!

Smitty

04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)

Re: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 101242
I just had the same issue. It was the DC fuse box by busman. My thermostat went blank, I wiggled the DC fuse and all worked well. I would try the same method. If you need to replace, call Kevin. He has a DIY replacement.

Leon

2005 Inspire

Re: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 101243
Thanks Leon - I found the two phone connectors (Female/Female) with rj-11's going into them in the front AC. And one phone connector (Female/Female) with rj-11's connecting to it in the rear. (And off itself, one rj-11 wire male plug not plugged into anything.).

I disconnected, reconnected these all multiple times. And tended a Thermostat reset. No EE after doing this. And, for about 45 seconds, the font AC kicked on. I then turned on the rear unit, and the front shut off.

So, I think I'm going to get some electrical cleaner, and some new phone connectors (Female/Female), and a can of air to dry things off.

Though the front seem ted to work, I did find moisture on one of the connectors. Speculate corrosion. And speculate the way I run the units with the front running, and the and the rear running too (With all rear vents closed to push air to the front zone.) maybe not the brightest thing to do. And causing more moire to come into this area.

(I recall a post I made probably two years ago, where I did not understand what the responder was saying (Can't remember who that was now.) said I should not do this, as I was causing an 'equalization problem'. So, maybe self inflicted.

I'll try these in the AM, and if no luck. Then look into tracing down the Busmman (Where ever the heck that is in the wiring:)!.

Appreciated the quick feed back. Windows open, fans on, and down to 85 inside now - so we'll survive...

(Walked up to the office with the laptop, still slow, but at least a keyboard to type on!!)

Please all, keep tips coming. And I will post as soon as I sort out, even it I have to take it to a shop, what I find out.

Best to all,

Smitty

04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)

Re: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 101244
The DC busman fuse box is located next to the A/C breaker box inside my coach. It is about a 3X8 black plastic box. It will give you intermittent issues. If your display went dead or dim, it is powered by your DC busman fuse box. They had a batch of defective boxes and I was told CC did not do a good job wiring the fuse box. I also had my fuses in the busman fuse box get very warm and burnt the wire insulation.

Leon

Re: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 101249
Smitty, if you choose to replace your connectors be careful that you get exactly the right kind in the right place. You may find that one of those female-female connectors actually reverses the wiring rather than straight through. As I understand it the difference between an everyday telephone wire and a cable that looks exactly the same is that the two ends of the telephone wire will look exactly the same but the cable reverses the wires from one end to the other. So, in some cases a reversing connector was used to change a telephone wire to a cable. I hope this makes sense.  I discovered this the hard way several years ago. Also, I found that the very fine wipers (contacts) inside the connector can get bent to a point where they no longer make contact when the male end is inserted.
Lyle Wetherholt
04 Intrigue 11740

Re: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 101251
Where is the Bussman fuse box that you referred to. My coach has a circuit breaker panel in the bedroom but I don't see any fuse box. Glen. 2003 intrigue

Re: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 101252
No more EE error code. Both units have now been running for 90 mins, and we're feeling pretty cool!!

Thanks for the input, and private PM's from a few too.

I did do the short 30 min drive into the local True Value. New female/female 'straight thru' phone connecters (Lyle - Yep, I had caught that warning from a Google search and a nice thread on the 5 button EE condition from a 2001 U320 Foretravel owner.). Some air in a can (Will not complain about water in a bottle costing so much. $11 for 'canned air'.). Then a stop at O'Riely to get Electronic Cleaner (True Value did not have this.)

Cleaned up the male RJ-11 male plugs, blew dry, hooked everything back up. No more EE after reset.

Looking at one of the two phone connecters in the front AC (Rear only has one.), I could see black moldy looking gunk.

So before I zip tie things back up, let me ask. Does anyone see any downside to adding some Dielectric Grease to the RJ-11 male and female connectors? Dabbed on with a Q-tip? (I have not done this, but figured it might help avoid this in the future. And then when I get back home, I thought I might get a heat shrink wrap over the full connection unit. Anyone see any downside to this too? (Figured the condensation and moisture over ten years caused this, so not something that would happen again overnight. But, why not try these two preventative steps too?)

Feel lucky that CC placed these with easy access just inside from lower vent. One gent sent me a PM that his are up on the outside, and he has to remove the AC shroud to get to it. And Google searching, showed one guy that had to remove his AC unit from the roof, to get access to the RJ-11's!

Best to all, and guys, thanks again for the help!

Now excuse me, since I'm now 'so cool' - I need to go get my shades...

Smitty

04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)

Re: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 101253
Smitty, I've been thinking about your two questions: the dielectric grease might collect dust since they are in the path of a lot of air flow and the ports are not exactly air tight. As for the heat shrink, I can't think of a down side except the size difference between the connectors and the wires might present a challenge to find material that will fit and still shrink enough. Glad you got things up and running.
Lyle Wetherholt
04 Intrigue 11740

Re: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 101255
I would fill the female connector with the grease and then insert the male.  It will not hurt and that would keep everything out, moisture, etc. Heat shrink  would probably not be as good.

Mikee

Re: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 101257
Yes on the grease just wipe away what oozes out. The  heatshrink will never seal up tight and will do nothing to keep corrosion out.  It could also press on the catch and cause it to release from  vibration.

Ray

They say wine improves  with age! As I enter my golden years, I say age improves with wine!  The Born  Loser

Re: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 101259
Sorry, 50 years in Telecommunications and I have never used a dielectric grease on a telephone connector. Also. I have never shrink wrapped a connector. As soon as I can get to the wiring diagram of various flavors, I will post them. From what I can see Category  3 cable was used, instead of Category 5, do not understand this unless I am looking in the wrong place.

Wally & Elta Mae

2007Allure 470 #31535

Re: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 101303
I also had an email on this from veteran CC owner Don Seager. He too pointed out the dissimilar size between the thin wire and the female/female connectors, would be tough to get a heat shrink to work with. He commented that he felt it might also be more of problem, as he found that accessing the connectors for periodic maintenance was prudent:)! Appreciated him, and you guys, pointing out that heat shrink is not a good idea.

Wally - Do you see any downside to trying the dielectric grease? Understand it is not the norm, and assume in that 50 years you've seen some harsh environments for phone connectors:)!

I had never realized these were even in the loop of the communication path to the thermostat. I have not problem adding this to a yearly maintenance of unplugging, cleaning, and replugging. We usually travel in Southwest with drier less humid climate. But starting the cycle of getting out to see more of this country now. (Really beginning to enjoy these 365 day weekends!!) So, i'm wondering if diametric grease would help prevent the moisture/mold/black gunk build up I found in one of the female connectors?

Lyle's comment about dust accumulation is valid, but was thinking of wrapping the male/female contact points with a bit of blue painters tape. (Figure the glue tape is easier to get off then electrical tape, for periodic maintenance. But would then protect against dust getting into the fittings(?)

Sure is nice to have these units running, they're forecasting several days of high temperatures here on the Western side of the entrance to Yosemite!

Best to all,

Smitty

04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)
 

Re: 04 Allure - AC Units stopped working

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 101306
Smitty, you are correct the harshest environments where usually created by people. I cant see any reason not to use a dielectric grease, however as you can see that when you plug a line cord into a jack that it is a pretty tight connection. I know its not waterproof but pretty darn close. I would think that the termination of flat cable would come loose much quicker than the contacts going bad. Never a big user or one that liked flat cable and also working for Ma Bell we always had quality product. Even the offshore product, I can't remember getting bad jacks. Next time the Coach goes on a lift would like someone to show me the wiring, if I can find a good reason I would replace the wiring.

Another thing that floats in the back of my mind, isn't there a more advanced thermostat? I like the idea of replace the thermostat with something that would equal the Nest, with time functions. This is what happens when you start life listening to Radio and then they give you a TV.

Wally & Elta Mae

2007Allure 470 #31535