Cruisair help please

[scott]

Dual unit Cruisair vintage 1968. Last weekend while I was crawling out of the engine room I smelled electrical smoke. Looking to my left I saw a wire from the electrical box on the dual unit Cruisair burning. After yelling to the Admiral to quickly turn off the AC the wire stopped burning. In reviewing the problem there are two nylon plugs that enter the box. The left one, the subject in question, has six wires two of which run to the water cooling pump for the compressors. It also has a yellow wire which is the one that started burning.

Question does anyone know why this would happen? Where to get parts for this ancient product? What should be my next step?

In calling the local dealer they would love to send two guys at $100 each to review the problem only to determine that they can't fix it and want to install 2-3 new AC units at some ungodly price.

[sformal]

I have 2 cruiseair compresser units for sale 220volt 7000 btu, 220 volt 24,000 btu . I will take $200. for both Gerry 954-478-3587 Fort Lauderdale

[scott]

Thansk for responding. These are 110V.

[DCMY #92]

Scott - I don't think you need to panic. I have seen this before on my boat. These old compressor units have a square multi-pin socket/plug arrangement in the side of the electrical box that the power and control wires pass through. After many years in the marine environment corroson can degrade the pin contact in the socket. The heavily loaded compressor wires then overheat, the plug melts and sometimes burns. I doubt you have any serious damage to the unit. There may be some other wires in the harness or box burned and the parts in the box may be damaged. There are only two parts in the box as I recall - a start relay and start capacitor. Neigher is expensive.

The fix is to cut the wires from the plug/socket, remove the socket and reconnect the wires with properly installed butt connectors. You can run the wires through the square hole the socket was in, but you will have to wrap them to protect them from chafing on the edge of the hole or you will repeat the fireworks. The box sees allot of vibration from the compressor. Alternatively you can punch a new round hole in the box for the wires and install a wire grip.

If you are not experienced in this kind of thing you should hire an AC mechanic or electrician. I doubt the service call will get out of hand if you get a good and honest one.

As a precaution I would direct-wire the other unit while I was at it.

I don't know about your 44, buy my '69 41 had a moulded rubber socket/plug that most of the wires from the main electrical panel ran through. It was located behind the bulkhead the panel is installed in. After 40 years it also developed bad connections. Fortunately I discovered it and replaced it with butt connectors before it started a fire.

Hope this is helpful.

[Trojan]

If its the old push together banana plugs in the multi port plug. It was a BAD connection causing the heat. You can drill a hole through the nylon plug and replace the old burnt wire with a soldered splice going direct and you should be good to go. Those plugs suck. I don't think they use them anymore. At least not on the new unit I have.

BILL

[scott]

Wow,

Many, many thanks for the great advice. Most helpful and takes me off the scared _____list. The Admiral will be most thankful also when she gets the news.