This Coleman air conditioner repair guide will teach you about replacing your air filter, common issues, troubleshooting tips, and more.
Please note, the following is for informational purposes only. Any servicing you attempt is at your own risk.
Table of contents
Coleman At a Glance
Coleman has been around since the early 1900s, and they successfully expanded into the HVAC business in the late 1950s. Since then, they’ve become a household name in heating and cooling products, and you may even have a Coleman air conditioner keeping your house cool right now.
Any air conditioner is an investment, and proper service and repairs are important if you want to get the most from the money you put into your cooling system. To help with that, we’ve put together this simple Coleman air conditioner repair guide to teach you about troubleshooting, maintenance, repairs, and more.
How to Replace Your Coleman Air Filter
Air conditioner air filters should be changed every 30 to 90 days during the cooling season. A cooling system with a new filter will operate optimally, be the most efficient, and keep your indoor air quality high and free of excess dust, allergens, and other contaminants. To change your air filter:
- Turn off power to the unit
- Locate the filter: check in the return air duct or on the indoor unit
- Remove the grille from the return air duct, or remove the access panel from the indoor unit
- Slide out the old filter
- Clean the old filter or get a new one*
- Slide the clean or new filter into place using the arrows for guidance
- Replace the grille or access panel
- Turn the power back on
*To clean an air conditioner filter, wipe it down with soap and water, rinse it clean, and leave it to dry somewhere that’s cool, dry, and out of direct sunlight.
What’s Wrong With Your Coleman Air Conditioner?
Remember to turn your A/C completely off before opening it up to look around or attempt any fix.
Bad smells when the unit is running?
Funny odours from your vents when the air conditioner is running (aside from burning smells) are a likely indication that your filter is dirty. Along with trapping contaminants like dust and particles, the screen will also absorb things like cooking odours and cigarette smoke from the air in your home and then distribute the smells back through the house when the system comes on. The easy fix? Change the filter.
Odd or Unusual Sounds
Air conditioners make lots of noises, and they don’t always indicate a problem. For example, it’s normal to hear a low hissing sound when the system is running as refrigerant runs through the unit. Similarly, a quiet squeaking sound during operation is also typical as metal and plastic parts expand and contract with the temperature changes. However, gurgling and bubbling sounds aren’t good, and these suggest a refrigerant leak.
Temperature fluctuations?
A fluctuating indoor temperature is another indication that there’s a refrigerant leak because the system doesn’t have enough refrigerant to cool your home properly. Other symptoms of this problem include ice on the coil, ice on the refrigerant line, water dripping from the unit (as the ice melts), and the unit blowing hot air.
Not enough cooling output?
This could be something as easy as a wrong thermostat setting, so start with your system control to diagnose this problem. While you’re at it, make sure there aren’t any external heat or cold sources impacting the thermostat readings. If the thermostat isn’t the culprit, then the problem could be a poorly sized unit, bad air flow because of a dirty filter, low refrigerant, or air/moisture in the system.
Poor air flow?
This is usually because the filter is dirty and clogged, so clean or replace the air filter and test the airflow again.
Water dripping from the unit?
There are two common causes for this. The first is a clogged drain line, because if the line is clogged, then water from condensation will collect in the pipe, fill it up, and then drip down the unit. The other cause could be low refrigerant, because ice will build upon the coil or refrigerant line when the unit is running, and then melt and drip when the system shuts down.
Fan won’t run?
For the fan to run properly, the motor has to be in good working order, the capacitors have to be functional, and the contactors must be in good working order. However, motors break down, capacitors fail, and contactors wear out, and these can all cause the fan to stop running.
Compressor stops working?
Like the fan, a functional compressor also depends on capacitors and contactors, so these are often the first components a technician will check. But if the compressor isn’t running, it could also be seized because of an improper refrigerant charge, there could be poor wiring or loose connections, or there could be voltage problems.
Whole unit won’t run?
This problem will need a professional diagnosis because potential causes are power problems, loose electrical connections, high- and low-pressure problems, faulty wiring, poor installation, breaker or fuse issues, a defect with the control board, and more.
Coleman Air Conditioner Error Codes
Note that these error codes may or may not be accurate or apply to your system. Each manufacturer has a range of different sensor and error codes used for different model lines and these may differ from one model series, production run, region, and may have been updated at any time. This not a comprehensive list and these are for informational purposes only. Any use of them is at your own risk.
Outdoor Faults
Display Text | Description |
---|---|
HPS- OPEN | High-pressure switch fault (not in lockout yet |
HPS SOFTLOCKOUT - NORMAL | System in high-pressure switch lockout (last mode of operation was normal compressor |
HPS HARDLOCKOUT - NORMAL | System in high-pressure switch lockout (last mode of operation was normal compressor |
LOW VOLTAGE - BELOW 19VAC | Low Voltage (<19 VAC) |
COMMUNICATIONSLOST - INVERTER DRIVE | Inverter Control Communications Fault |
COMMUNICATIONSLOST - SYSTEM MASTER | JCI RS-485 Communications Lost |
INVERTER CONFIGURATION ERROR | Repair part tonnage selection does not match the stored value programmed in the JCI factory |
INVERTER MODELINSTALLATIONERROR - HARD LOCKOUT | Inverter Model Number installed does not match the stored tonnage in EEPROM |
OUTDOOR AMBIENTSENSOR - SHORT - SOFT LOCKOUT | Outdoor ambient sensor failure (short) |
OUTDOOR AMBIENTSENSOR - SHORT - HARD LOCKOUT | Outdoor ambient sensor failure (short |
OUTDOOR AMBIENTSENSOR - OPEN - SOFT LOCKOUT | Outdoor ambient sensor failure (open) |
OUTDOOR AMBIENTSENSOR - OPEN - HARD LOCKOUT | Outdoor ambient sensor failure (open) |
COIL TEMPSENSOR - SHORT | Coil sensor failure (short) not in lockout yet |
COIL TEMPSENSOR - SHORT - SOFT LOCKOUT | Coil sensor failure (short) |
COIL TEMPSENSOR - SHORT - HARD LOCKOUT | Coil sensor failure (short) |
COIL TEMPSENSOR - OPEN | Coil sensor failure (open) not in lockout yet |
COIL TEMPSENSOR - OPEN - SOFT LOCKOUT | Coil sensor failure (open) |
COIL TEMPSENSOR - OPEN - HARD LOCKOUT | Coil sensor failure (open) |
LIQUID TEMPSENSOR - SHORT | Liquid line temperature sensor failure (short) not in lockout yet |
LIQUID TEMPSENSOR - SHORT - SOFT LOCKOUT | Liquid line temperature sensor failure (short) |
LIQUID TEMPSENSOR - OPEN | Liquid line temperature sensor failure (open) not in lockout yet |
LIQUID TEMPSENSOR - OPEN - SOFT LOCKOUT | Liquid line temperature sensor failure (open) |
DISCHARGE TEMPSENSOR - SHORT | Discharge temperature sensor failure (short) |
DISCHARGE TEMPSENSOR - OPEN | Discharge temperature sensor failure (open) not in lockout yet |
DISCHARGE TEMPSENSOR - OPEN - SOFT LOCKOUT | Discharge temperature sensor failure (open) |
SUCTION TEMPSENSOR - SHORT | Suction temperature sensor failure (short) not in lockout yet |
SUCTION TEMPSENSOR - SHORT - SOFT LOCKOUT | Suction temperature sensor failure (short) |
SUCTION TEMPSENSOR - OPEN | Suction temperature sensor failure (open) not in lockout yet |
SUCTION TEMPSENSOR - OPEN - SOFT LOCKOUT | Suction temperature sensor failure (open) |
DISCHARGEPRESSURE SENSOR - LOW VOLTAGE | Discharge pressure sensor failure (low voltage) not in lockout yet |
DISCHARGEPRESSURE SENSOR - LOW VOLTAGE - SOFT LOCKOUT | Discharge pressure sensor failure (low voltage) |
DISCHARGEPRESSURE SENSOR - HIGH VOLTAGE | Discharge pressure sensor failure (high voltage) not in lockout yet |
DISCHARGEPRESSURE SENSOR - HIGH VOLTAGE - SOFT LOCKOUT | Discharge pressure sensor failure (high voltage) |
SUCTION PRESSURESENSOR - LOW VOLTAGE - SOFT LOCKOUT | Suction pressure sensor failure (low voltage) |
SUCTION PRESSURESENSOR - HIGH VOLTAGE - SOFT LOCKOUT | Suction pressure sensor failure (high voltage) |
HIGH DISCHARGE TEMP | High discharge temperature (not in lockout yet) |
HIGH DISCHARGETEMP - SOFT LOCKOUT | High discharge temperature |
HIGH DISCHARGETEMP - HARD LOCKOUT | High discharge temperature |
LOW SUCTION PRESSURE | Low suction pressure (not in lockout yet |
LOW SUCTIONPRESSURE - SOFT LOCKOUT | Low suction pressure |
LOW SUCTIONPRESSURE - HARD LOCKOUT | Low suction pressure |
Inverter Faults
LED | Blink Codes | Display Text | Description |
---|---|---|---|
LED 604/LED2 | 1 or 3 | COMPRESSORPHASE OVER CURRENT - INVERTER DRIVE | C+B6:H16 Compressor Phase Over Current |
LED 603 / LED3 | 4 | COMPRESSORPHASE OVER CURRENT - INVERTER DRIVE | C+B6:H16 Compressor Phase Over Current |
LED604 / LED2 | 16 | COMPRESSOR PHASECURRENT FOLDBACK - INVERTER DRIVE | Compressor Phase Current Foldback Timeout |
LED604 / LED2 | 11 | AC INPUT OVERCURRENT - INVERTER DRIVE | AC Input Over Current |
LED 603 / LED3 | 5 | AC INPUT OVERCURRENT - INVERTER DRIVE | AC Input Current Sampling Fault |
LED604 / LED2 | 7 | DC BUS OVERVOLTAGE - INVERTER DRIVE | DC Bus Over Voltage |
LED604 / LED2 | 8 | DC BUS UNDERVOLTAGE - INVERTER DRIVE | DC Bus Under Voltage |
LED604 / LED2 | 10 | AC INPUT OVERVOLTAGE - INVERTER DRIVE | AC Input Over Voltage |
LED604 / LED2 | 9 | AC INPUT UNDERVOLTAGE - INVERTER DRIVE | AC Input Under Voltage |
LED604 / LED2 | 4 | POWER MODULEOVER TEMP - INVERTER DRIVE | Power Module Over Temp |
LED604 / LED2 | 5 | PFC-IGBT OVER TEMP - INVERTER DRIVE | PFC-IGBT Over Temp |
LED604 / LED2 | 2 | LOST ROTOR POSITION - INVERTER DRIVE | Lost Rotor Position |
LED 603 / LED3 | 14 | COMPRESSOR PHASECURRENT IMBALANCE - INVERTER DRIVE | Compressor Phase Current Imbalance |
LED 603 / LED3 | 13 | MICROELECTRONICFAULT - INVERTER DRIVE | Microelectronic Faul |
12 | MICROELECTRONICFAULT - INVERTER DRIVE | EEPROM Fault | |
LED 603/LED3 | 2 | POWER MODULE TEMPLOW / SENSOR OPEN - INVERTER DRIVE | Power Module Temp Low or Sensor Open Fault |
LED604 / LED2 | 17 | N/A | DC Bus Under Voltage |
LED 603 / LED3 | 15 | AC INPUT CURRENTFOLDBACK - INVERTER DRIVE | AC Input Current Foldback Timeout |
LED 603 / LED3 | 11 | MODBUS COMM LOST - INVERTER DRIVE | Modbus Communication Lost |
LED604 / LED2 | 18 | POWER MODULE HIGHTEMP - INVERTER DRIVE | Power Module Temp High |
LED604 / LED2 | 19 | PFC-IGBT HIGH TEMP - INVERTER DRIVE | PFC-IGBT High Temp |
LED 603 | 9 | PFC MCU /DSP COMM ERROR - INVERTER DRIVE | PFC MCU and DSP Communication Lost |
LED 603 | 8 | COM MCU / DSPCOMM ERROR - INVERTER DRIVE | COM MCU and DSP Communication Lost |
LED 603 | 1 | PFC-IGBT LOW TEMP /SENSOR OPEN - INVERTER DRIVE | PFC-IGBT Temp Low or Sensor Open Fault |
LED604 / LED2 | 21 | POWER MODULETEMP FOLDBACK - INVERTER DRIVE | Power Module Temp. Foldback Timeout |
LED 604 / LED2 | 22 | COMPRESSOR MODELCONFIGURATION ERROR - INVERTER DRIVE | Compressor Model Configuration Error |
LED 604 / LED2 | 23 | HPS CONFIGURATIONERROR - INVERTER DRIVE | High Pressure Sensor Type Configuration Error |
LED 603 / LED3 | 3 | DLT CONFIGURATIONERROR - INVERTER DRIVE | DLT Low Temp or Open |
LED 603 / LED3 | 6 | N/A | AC Input Voltage Sampling Fault |
LED 603 / LED3 | 7 | N/A | DC BUS Voltage Sampling Fault |
LED 603 / LED3 | 17 | N/A | Auto Configuration Communication Fault Timeout |
LED 2 | 27 | N/A | Compressor AA5 Phase Over Current (Intermediate |
LED 2 | 26 | N/A | Board Temp High |
When to Get a Technician for Coleman A/C Repairs
There are definitely some air conditioner services, maintenance, and repairs you can take care of yourself, especially changing the filter and annual cleaning. But there are also more complex repairs that will require the assistance of a trained technician, and now we’re going to tell you which services those are:
- Any problems involving critical components like the compressor or coil
- Electrical, wiring, and voltage problems
- Poor cooling and output issues that are unrelated to the thermostat
- Frequent fuse blows or circuit breaker trips
- Refrigerant leaks
- Water leaks
- Erratic and unpredictable operation
- Burning smells
- A hot or worn power cord
- Loud and strange sounds
Who to Call For Coleman Air Conditioner Repairs
A good HVAC company has a great track record and reputation in the community, plenty of experience in the field, trained staff and licensed technicians, adequate insurance, and more. To determine if an HVAC company in your area is trustworthy and reliable would take a lot of effort and research on your part.
We’ve taken the hassle out of the task by putting together an independent HVAC contractor certification program that we use to evaluate and certify qualifying companies, and that you can use to find a reliable local technician next time you need air conditioner repairs or service.
Coleman’s Warranty Coverage
Warranty terms are an important thing to look at when you’re buying a new air conditioner because a good warranty could mean the difference between hassle-free service and an expensive repair that you have to pay for out of pocket. All Coleman models come with a good warranty that includes:
- Lifetime limited warranty for the compressor (Echelon models and LX CC17)
- 10-year limited warranty for the compressor (all other LX models)
- 10-year limited parts warranty
- 90-day labour limited warranty
Protect your Carrier air conditioner: Register and access your Carrier A/C warranty here