Foretravel Owners' Forum

Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: GleamB on December 06, 2021, 05:59:36 pm

Title: EssexRelay on aux A/C
Post by: GleamB on December 06, 2021, 05:59:36 pm
I have spent a small fortune at MOT and HWH trying to get my aux A/C to function properly. I will spare you the details of what was done and replaced, and will just say that it runs and doesn't shut off, or doesn't come on, when it should. A good friend and fellow FT owner and I have been trying to figure out what is going on. I have very recently spent another small fortune at MOT to repair various leaks to the system, so I don't think it is related to leaks.
What this good friend did was the following:
He tested to see if I was getting 12v to the top of the 12 volt Essex Relay. Positive
He then dumped air in my system to have the control box send the message to turn on the A/C.
He tested to see if the lower terminal of the Essex switch had power to the motor. NEGATIVE.
He jumpered from the top of the switch to the motor and it fired up. Leveled the coach. Turned the motor off.
ADDITIONALLY, if you touched this black switch you would get burned. Badly. It was VERY HOT.
Soooooo.......
Our consensus is that the Essex Switch is suspect.
MY QUESTION IS:
Does this sound reasonable??? If so, I am in Mexico. I could probably figure out how to get the part here
IF I knew what it is
AND
Where I can get one
OK team.....Let's solve this one
Title: Re: EssexRelay on aux A/C
Post by: Jim Frerichs on December 06, 2021, 06:37:04 pm
Glenn,

It might be faulty push button switches on the 4 button thermostat which can scramble the thermostat brain for the systems..presuming you have a 4 button and not a 5 button thermostat. If you have a 5 button thermostat it still could be a bad temperature sensor in the thermostat. That too is repariable.

Jim Frerichs
2002 U320 42"
Title: Re: EssexRelay on aux A/C
Post by: craneman on December 06, 2021, 06:40:48 pm
Glenn,

It might be faulty push button switches on the 4 button thermostat which can scramble the thermostat brain for the systems..presuming you have a 4 button and not a 5 button thermostat. If you have a 5 button thermostat it still could be a bad temperature sensor in the thermostat. That too is repariable.

Jim Frerichs
2002 U320 42"

He is talking about his aux air compressor
Title: Re: EssexRelay on aux A/C
Post by: GleamB on December 06, 2021, 06:57:46 pm
Sorry about that.
Yes, I am talking about the aux air compressor. I could have bought three of them with the money I have spent.
NOT too happy about this. But I am SURE we can fix it.
Title: Re: EssexRelay on aux A/C
Post by: Roger & Susan in Home2 on December 07, 2021, 09:33:35 am
Glenn, I redid my compressor and parts.

A new Essex relay came from here https://www.supplyhouse.com/sh/control/product/~product_id=120-107112

I replaced the small compressor with the bigger one used in later years. A reasonable alternative (and much cheaper) would be an ARB compressor ARB 12V Twin Compressor | CKMTA12|Northridge4x4 (https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/compressors/ckmta12-arb-twin-compressor)

I moved everything but the compressor and the relay to a panel on the rear sidewall of the main bay in my coach. It is easier to access and service. It is configured more like that on a 2003 coach.