dash AC on an 04 alpine...

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MYRV2

MYRV2

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2015
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352
the dash ac on my alpine has not worked since I've own it... the dealer I bought it from added and let out freon.... no machine...

so beings I own an auto repair/ muffler shop that is worked and run by my sons, that and I paid about 4k for a machine to pull the old out, vacume the moisture out, and do a leak check...that and my boys went to school for auto air.....which is why they won't allow me to touch any of the equipment....:D


first thing that I find.... it only had .86 lbs of freon....next my son says, "I'm gonna vacume the system for 60 minutes to make darn sure there is no moisture in there

so that's done....he asked me how much freon it takes ....I read on line that the system takes 3.5 lbs....not gosable but all I know...

so it's vacumed down.... no leaks..... and time to charge......I say put the 3.5 that I read on the alpine section of a web site

would really like to know if that is right.... I will be expecting max performance from the system.... thanks for any and all replies
 
I just replaced my compressor. Flushed the system, replaced dryer/accumulator . My system takes 2.75 lbs freon and 9 ounces of PAG 100 oil in the compressor
 
rockin rockwood said:
I just replaced my compressor. Flushed the system, replaced dryer/accumulator . My system takes 2.75 lbs freon and 9 ounces of PAG 100 oil in the compressor
Click to expand...

my coach has the evap. 34' away from the compressor,.. what just happened was ,we put 35. and it blew the pop off on the compressor...

it's over 100 in vegas right now and it only took about 3 min. to get over 300 on the high side....

the other thing is the poor design.... there is no air going across the condinsor... the motor senses that it's not hot... so the fan don't work... my coach stays right at 200 or less ... so it is cooling... but  not engaugeing  because the motor is still cool...

does anyone know what head presure the pop off goes off?
 
ok, so here's where it's at....with the set up,... not gonna work... you have to have air... or water going across the condensor,,, or it can't get rid off the heat...the engine fan is not gonna come on till the motoer needs cooling...this stuff works in 90 degree weather... but not 120 degrees...

I welcome any and all comments...and yes....trading it in is thought of....

the only option I see is to add electric cooling fans... but that at a risk of over heat problems.... stumped...
 
here's what i'm gonna do.... vacume it back down....put in 3 lbs... and not use it unless i'm moving down the road.... the whole ststem looks hokey to me... the radiator should be in the front... or at least the condinsor so it gets forced air across the coils... that and put fans on it that come on when the ac comes on...
 
If you want the a/c to work you need fan/ fan's on the condenser to get rid of the heat. I don't know where your condenser is? In front of radiator? I used to use water and still do to watch the high side pressure. It should drop like a rock when hit it with a water hose. if it does not the condenser is plugged up. Sounds like maybe your fan control has a problem, fan should be on when a/c on. Assuming this is an electric fan. Where is condenser? is electrical fan? And yes at 60mph will work fine. When a customer told me works until I stop first thing I think of is fan.
 
There is a pop off valve on compressor so it does not crater abt 425psi some higher. We really need to know what kind of fans and where?Side radiator? Condenser in front? If so maybe the fans behind it?
 
William52 said:
If you want the a/c to work you need fan/ fan's on the condenser to get rid of the heat. I don't know where your condenser is? In front of radiator? I used to use water and still do to watch the high side pressure. It should drop like a rock when hit it with a water hose. if it does not the condenser is plugged up. Sounds like maybe your fan control has a problem, fan should be on when a/c on. Assuming this is an electric fan. Where is condenser? is electrical fan? And yes at 60mph will work fine. When a customer told me works until I stop first thing I think of is fan.
Click to expand...

Well, here's whats going on... design flaw... not designed for desert at all...

first, it's an alpine 2004 model..cummins 8.9..... the two will not work proper together..here's why..... the fan doesn't turn at all on the engine till the engines warms up.. when you turn on the ac..the fan doesn't come on...the motor, pulling the trailer.. ac on max coming up the grade to the noth west the temp got to 190.... by the time I got out opened the gate... the fan was off..I have a huge side radiator....the fan is thermo controlled hydraulic...this coach was built up north.... not in the desert...one thing I don't wanna do is add fans to the front of the radiator and cause it to block flow to the radiator...the options are,... only run the air when you get on the freeway, move the condinsor and add fans that come on when the ac is on..... or trade it in..
 
William52 said:
There is a pop off valve on compressor so it does not crater abt 425psi some higher. We really need to know what kind of fans and where?Side radiator? Condenser in front? If so maybe the fans behind it?
Click to expand...

the pop off valve went off when they were sitting at idle
 
one of  the problems with DP's is not very good dash air or even dash heat...... ( they put dash fans up there for a reason )
I think it's the engine is too far away.

most people just fire up the generator and run the house a/c units, I always run both of my roof a/cs going through the desert.
 
MYRV2 said:
yes front of the side radiator,,..rear of the coach
Click to expand...
Fans are electric ?
I'm not a DP guy but you have to have air flow to remove the heat from the condenser. I just went an looked at Alpine coach and I see a condenser in front of the radiator so maybe there's a problem with the fan? Is it hydraulic, check fluid? Just because it not getting hot you may have a problem with the fan? There should some kind of input from a/c control head to condenser fans .
 
William52 said:
Fans are electric ?
I'm not a DP guy but you have to have air flow to remove the heat from the condenser. I just went an looked at Alpine coach and I see a condenser in front of the radiator so maybe there's a problem with the fan? Is it hydraulic, check fluid? Just because it not getting hot you may have a problem with the fan? There should some kind of input from a/c control head to condenser fans .
Click to expand...

dp are in a different world...they have more of a problem of running too cool than the gas motor... the gas motor will get hot quicker.... the radiator is huge on my coach, probley why they get 8 grand for a new one...I can start my coach and let it idle...10 minutes later , the fan is not on and the motor is still cool.... that's why you see pushers start up when they start to leave , then load their stuff up...

when I say doesn't come on..... I mean doesn't move at all.... you can look at it and it is setting still ....for the ac condinsor to work with the motor set ..it would have to have a condenser the same size as the radiator... c the size of  condenser requires help to disapate heat..which it doesn't get from the diesel motor because the fan doesn't move till the temp reaches s the temp that requires more from the radiator..

so.... the dash air will never work as designed from alpine..
 
I understand that, But for the a/c to work sitting still you must have air flow across the condenser so when you hit the a/c button the fan should come on. regardless elect. Hyd.  So is it Hyd? If so that's where I would be looking.
 
William52 said:
There should be a switch/ pressure sensor that starts the Hyd. pump to run fan regardless of temp. You got a shop and no one can fix this?
Click to expand...
you are right, there should be...
it works as designed... to not work.... there is no switch to turn the fan on when the ac is on.....the real fix is to move the condenser, as others have done and put electric fans on the condenser.... people up north don't think like desert people

I just have a hard time believing that the condenser has no fans.... my other dp's had the condenser up front that the fans came on when the ac did...setting still ,.. they cooled....I got it fixed today to factory specs...which isn't right... but I don't turn it on till on the freeway... in town shut it off..
the two roof airs struggle when it's 120 in the shade and won't cool the coach down if it's been outside all day...

as far as fixing it proper..and moving the condenser...not till it cools down out side
 
another thing, I have talked to others that have said that their ac doesn't blow cold like their car,, wonder if the same thing is going on on many of the alpines where they get too high of head pressure and blow off the pop off.. then their ac still works... and works ok in cooler weather... but has lost 1/2 the Freon....????
 
MYRV2 said:
another thing, I have talked to others that have said that their ac doesn't blow cold like their car,, wonder if the same thing is going on on many of the alpines where they get too high of head pressure and blow off the pop off.. then their ac still works... and works ok in cooler weather... but has lost 1/2 the Freon....????
Click to expand...
  I guess you could put an aux. fan/fans with a relay in series with the compressor circuit on the condenser. Comparing it to your car, well it will never work as well. A temp/differential  more then 30 degrees is about all you expect when its that hot so 100 outside 70 feels better. You are removing heat from inside and shedding it outside.  You never told me what kind of FAN you have so i'm still assuming its Hyd.?  Most cars/truck with a fan clutch get some air flow cold. A wiring diagram would help and if its a Freight liner chassis maybe you can call them for some feedback. Good luck
 
I think Alpine uses a Peak chassis so Freightliner may not have any answers for you.

but .....Western RV Alpine is one of the few that are still in business.......so, call 'em....(update...it appears they closed down)

you may find some help here...http://www.alpinecoachassociation.com/tech/tech.html#Electrical
 
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