Compressor starts and runs for 15 seconds and stops. tested capacitor 15 mfd .i can hear the start relay open on start up and compressor stops . can it be the relay.

sounds like bad start relay. you can test compresser with meter.



Fridge not starting? CLICKING? FIRST ALWAYSCHECK FORpower at the outlet,checkfor 120 volts.



MAY HAVE A BAD START RELAY OR CAPACITOR ON THE COMPRESSOR , CAN BUY A INEXSPENSIVE 3 IN 1 HARDSTART KIT AND BY PASS THEM , NOT THAT HARD TO DO, COMES WITH INSTRUCTIONS> BY THE WAY DO U HEAR ANY CLICKING SOUNDS FROM COMPRESSOR? BUT U MAY ALSO WANT TO CHECK UR COLD CONTROL THERMOSTAT IF IT GOES BAD U MAY GET A NON START ALSO HAVE IT CHECKED FOR PROPER VOLTAGE AND OHMS RESISTANCE WHEN IN THE ON POSITION

A BAD DEFROST TIMER though seldom CAN SHUT DOWN COMPRESSOR HAVE IT CHECKED WITH MULTI METER.



to check the defrost timer, u can get by and test manually by placing a small screw driver into the tiny slot or hole underneath the timer and turn slowly clockwise till u hear 1 click. this will engage ur defrost cycle in about 15 minutes u should be able to come back and feel the heat in freezer as it melts the ice providing ur terminator is not bad?

Another way to test it is with a multi meter. Remove timer it from fridge and you will see 4 prongs numbered 2,1,4,3 in that order. Place ur meter prong on prong 1 & 3 (if your fridge has a capacitor wired in series with the windings, then u check for micro fares rather than OHMS) If u cannot confirm this test, still try the next.



Take ur meter prong and connect to prong 1 & 4, it should read resistance or ohms ( closed) now remove prongs and place on prong 1 & 2, this should now read infinity or open (no ohms) now take a small screwdriver place it in the tiny hole or slot under the timer. Turn it clockwise slowly till u hear 1 click.



Now ur 1& 2 should read closed ( showing ohms or resistance) now place meter prongs on 1 & 4 and you it should now show open ( or no resistance - no ohms) this is how u know ur timer is good, Remember when testing for ohms ADJUST meter to use a high ohms rating in the thousands as the resistance is very high in OHMS.

And adjusting to low ohms rating may give a false reading or not show the proper resistance..



Some fridges are now using ADC boards.



Designers are using microprocessors (on solid state circuit boards) to adapt defrost intervals and durations to compensate for differences and changes in operating conditions. Such techniques are calledAdaptive Defrost Control, commonly abbreviated as ADC. They are normally found in same locations as the timer would be but look somewhat different in appearance. It is more difficult to test these units without the appliance schematic.

Some ADC / control boards control other functions of the refrigerator, too, such as icemaking and electrical air damper door opening and closing.The defrost frequency may also be shortened under certain circumstances.





AT TIMES YOU MAY HEAR THE COMPRESSOR CLICK OFF AND ON OVER AND OVER. Signs of a bad start relay or capacitor. Check with an OHMS meter for continuity (ohms) and voltage, capacitor can be checked for Microfares. ( if in series with the windings)



If you hear your compressor "short-cycling" (starting and stopping at short intervals) try jumping across the two leads of the cold control thermostat ( in the fridge compartment) with an alligator jumper. You can also check both for live voltage current and ohms- If there is a greenthirdlead, ignore it for this test; it is the ground wire. If the fridge starts running constantly, the cold control is bad. Replace it.



To check ur compressor with multi meter:

Disconnect and remove the relay and capacitor from compressor, sometimes located next to compressor in a casing.



You wills see 3 prongs coming out of compressor. 1 goes to ur start winding, 1 goes to ur run winding and the center goes to ur ground or COM



Place ur meter connector or prong on the start prong and the other on the ground (center prong) take note of the reading in OHMS for example 5 ohms.

Next place meter prong on run prong and the center ground prong agin. Take note of the reading in OHMS. Example 4 ohms



Next place meter prong on the start prong and the other on the run prong, now take note of the reading example 9 ohms. Now match the total of this ohms test with the total of ur two separate test. 9 ohms, if they match ur ok give or take 5 percent plus or minus. One more test to make to test of there is a short in compressor attach meter prong to ground prong and rub the other end of meter prong to metal ( scrape the metal clean of paint and test on metal surface not painted surface. If it shows continuity or ohms, u have a short in ur compressor. It should show infinity

God is so good: so this is why I give free advice so please thank him not me.





TO REPLACE RELAY AND CAPACITOR WITH A HARDSTART KIT YOU CAN USE



A 3 in 1 start kit for compressors sizes 1/4 through 1/3 HP. And a 5 in 1 for higher H.P. (BE SURE TO MATCH WITH UR COMPRESSOR MODEL NUMBER AND TYPE) The kit includes relay, capacitor, and overload device, pre-wired. The kit will replace all 3 electrical components on capillary refrigeration systems. For newer systems with a run capacitor use proper kit. For smaller horsepower compressors useTJ90RCO810.



The wire set up is as follows the red wire goes to the right side of compressor prong, the white wire to the left side prong, the black wire to the center prong, and the 2 other black wires go to the power and the ground connection





http://www.appliancerepair.net/refrigerator-repair-1.html





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L80Fk5had4 defrost timer

AT TIMES YOU MAY HEAR THE COMPRESSOR CLICK OFF AND ON OVER AND OVER. Signs of a bad start relay or capacitor. Check with an OHMS meter for continuity (ohms) and voltage, capacitor can be checked for Microfares. ( if in series with the windings)
To check ur compressor with multi meter:
Disconnect and remove the relay and capacitor from compressor, somes located next to compressor in a casing.

You wills see 3 prongs coming out of compressor. 1 goes to ur start winding, 1 goes to ur run winding and the center goes to ur ground or COM

Place ur meter connector or prong on the start prong and the other on the ground (center prong) take note of the reading in OHMS for example 5 ohms.
Next place meter prong on run prong and the center ground prong agin. Take note of the reading in OHMS. Example 4 ohms

Next place meter prong on the start prong and the other on the run prong, now take note of the reading example 9 ohms. Now match the total of this ohms test with the total of ur two separate test. 9 ohms, if they match ur ok give or take 5 percent plus or minus. One more test to make to test of there is a short in compressor attach meter prong to ground prong and rub the other end of meter prong to metal ( scrape the metal clean of paint and test on metal surface not painted surface. If it shows continuity or ohms , u have a short in ur compressor. It should show infinity
God is so good: so this is why I give free advice so please thank him not me.

Motor is faulty and needs to be changed.

Never ohmed a capacitor. But, your compressor should not need the start cap. Take it off completely and run machine. Not sure of your problem either but to ohm a compressor, common to start + common to run should = start to run. To test a capacitor without the capabilities of mfd on your meter measure the amps on the herm wire × 2650 = ?? Divide that by the volts across common and herm. This will give you the mfd rating. Same with fan amps × 2650 =?? ÷ volts = mfds. Remember, not the amps off the contactor...the amp reading on the cap wire. Good luck!!

If you need further help, reach me via phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/thomas_092728000e6acb79

Is the compressor actually starting or is it humming? If it is humming, then it is probably your capacitor, which would end up costing about $20 for the part, much cheaper than a new refrigerator. I feel that this is most likely your problem. If the compressor has a starting relay, this could also not being operating correctly. If you carefully disconnect the capacitor, you can check the mfd rating with a multimeter. You can also check the starting relay (if applicable) with the multimeter set to measure continuity. Hope this helps. BTW... A new starting relay, called a CCR, or Current Coil Relay, will probably run you about the same, $20.

Either the start relay on the compressor is bad OR the compressor is bad.
Replace the start relay and find out which it is.
When you remove the relay you may see a burned spot on one or more of the relay terminals.
If so,it is definitely bad.

1. The filter could be dirty This is the most probable cause and, of course, the easiest to check and correct.
2. The evaporator coil face could be coated with lint,dirt, etc.Dirt or lint on the coil will restrict the flow of air through the coil and the unit must be removed from the recreational vehicle and the soil must be thoroughly cleaned with strong detergent (Coil X,Calclean, etc.) and water. Be sure to protect the fan motor and electrical controls during cleaning by covering them with polyethylene sheet. After the system is cleaned, allow it to thoroughly dry for several hours (before turning it on) to prevent electrical shorts.Before system is put back into operation, be sure the filter is properly installed to prevent recurrence of dirty coil.
   
3. No compressor (Does not try to start).The compressor does not run and it does not hum.
   1.The selector switch may be open.
   2. Thermostat may be open.
   3. Overload switch may be open.
   4. Compressor winding may be open.
   
4. Selector Switch
5. Thermostat
6. Low Voltage
7. Overload
8. Compressor
9. Wiring (Mis-wired)
10. PTCR or Potential Relay
11. Start Capacitor
12. Run Capacitor

To check the selector switch, remove wires from the terminals
and rotate the switch to the proper position and read
continuity as follows:
Terminals Switch Position
L-1-3 Lo Heat
L-1 Lo Fan
L-2 Hi Fan
L-1-4 Lo Cool
L-2-4 Hi Cool


Compressor Motor
The compressor motor is located inside the hermetic
compressor housing and therefore not accessible for service or
visual observation in the field. However, the motor winding
condition can be analyzed by using an ohm meter. Be sure to
remove all the leads from the compressor terminals before
making this check.
1) If the resistance between any two terminals is 0
ohms, the motor windings are shorted.
2) If the resistance between any terminal and the
compressor housing is anything but infinity, the
winding is grounded.
3) If the resistance between any two terminals is
infinity, the winding is open.
On a good compressor, the highest resistance will be between
the R (run) and S (start) terminals. The lowest resistance will
be between the C (common) and R (run) terminals. The
intermediate resistance will be between the C (common) and
S (start) terminals. Notice that compressors have the
identification of the terminals marked on either the terminal
cover or on the compressor housing.

Capacitor Check
There are several capacitor test devices available. The ohm
meter is one of them. The ohm meter cannot verify a
capacitors MFD (microfarrad) value. However, the following
procedures will show you how to use an ohm meter to
determine if the capacitor is good, open, shorted or grounded.
Before testing any capacitor, always perform the following
procedure:
* This test must be done with a analog type meter.
a) Disconnect all electrical power to the air conditioner.
b) Discharge the capacitor with a 20,000 ohm (approx.
3 watt) resistor or larger.
c) You may discharge capacitors with a standard volt
meter if you use a scale over 500 volts and touch the
leads (one lead to each side of the capacitor). The
volt meter will discharge the capacitor.
d) Identify and disconnect the wiring from the
capacitor.
e) Set and zero the ohm meter on the “highest” scale.
When testing for a good, open or shorted capacitor,
perform the following checks: Place the ohm meter
leads across the capacitor terminals (one lead on
each terminal) and perform a continuity test. Then
observe the action of the meter needle or indicator.
Reverse the leads and test again. The result should
be the same. Note: If the capacitor had not been
properly discharged, a false reading could be
indicated on the first test. Always test several times
(reversing the leads with each test). This will verify
the capacitors condition.
Good Capacitor
If the capacitor is good, the indicator will move from infinity
(the left side), towards zero ohms and slowly return back to
infinity. Reverse the leads and test again. The result should
be the same.

Start Capacitor
Most models use a start capacitor and a start relay to give the
compressor high starting torque. The compressor will,
therefore, start against normal pressure difference (head
pressure minus suction pressure) even when shut down for a
short period of time. The start relay will disconnect the start
capacitor when the motor reaches approximately 75%
running speed.
Start (Potential) Relay
The start relay consists of –
1) Normally closed contacts internally between
terminals #1 and #2 which switch in the start
capacitor in parallel to the run capacitor during shut
down and then switch out the start capacitor when
the motor reaches approximately 75% normal
running speed.
2) A high voltage coil internally between terminals #5
and #2 to actuate the contacts. The coil is too weak
on line voltage to actuate the contacts, but it is
connected in series with the start winding and it gets
the generated voltage of the start winding portion of
the compressor motor. This generated voltage is
much higher than line voltage and varies with the
speed of the motor. Therefore, since the relay is
designed to open the contacts at 75% of normal
running voltage (measured between terminals #5 and
#2), the contacts will open (thus disconnect the start
capacitor) at approximately 75% of normal running
speed.
(B) Positive Temperature Coefficient Resistor
(Commonly Known As PTCR Start
Device)
The resistor acts like a potential relay in that it takes the start
capacitor out of the start circuit, but uses resistance of
electrical flow (back EMF from compressor) instead of
opening a set of contacts. The service person should be careful
handling the resistors. They will be hot during operation (up
to 160 degrees F). The air conditioner needs to be off for 3-5
minutes during cycle time and when servicing to let the
resistor cool down.


That covers everthing.
Please rate this a fixya

This usually indicates that the compressor is working too hard and drawing too much current. The click that you hear is a safety shut-off. Possible causes of this are numerous and usually require having a professional come in to fix the issue, it can range anywhere from a faulty compressor to a bad start relay.

There is in most cases a temporary fix, it is called a hard start relay/capacitor. It is usually available from an appliance parts retailer for around $15 to $20. Installation instructions are included, just be sure to unplug your refrigerator first and make sure that someone following you can repair from where you left off. This relay assembly can normally get you up and running but it should not be used as a permanent fix. This will not correct for a refrigerant leak in the system.

Check your refrigerator owners manual before making any repairs or modifications to your refrigerator, there may be an extended warranty on the sealed system and compressor.