Engel MT60 problem

[Curmudgeon]

My Engel MT60 recently quit working. The motor/compressor doesn't start. It endlessly cycles trying to start. A humming sound as if the motor is receiving power but won't start. After several seconds it stops and then after a short delay it tries again.

It's like a capacitor start motor whose starting capacitor has failed. Without the boost of the capacitor the motor is unable to start.

Has anyone else experienced this, and what was the solution? Does the Engel have a capacitor or relay to get the compressor motor started? Where are parts available?

Engel's website is less than helpful. Their link to find what they refer to as "over 420 service centers" doesn't work.

 

[pugslyyy]

Does it work on AC?

 

[Curmudgeon]

Does it work on AC?

No, it's not voltage related.

 

[pugslyyy]

No, it's not voltage related.

Hmm, very strange then - usually when they won't start that's what it is.

Engels don't use motors like you describe. It has something called a "swing motor" inside the compressor. It oscillates instead of rotates and doesn't have a big starting capacitor like a traditional compressor motor.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Hmm, very strange then - usually when they won't start that's what it is.

Engels don't use motors like you describe. It has something called a "swing motor" inside the compressor. It oscillates instead of rotates and doesn't have a big starting capacitor like a traditional compressor motor.

Yes, I realize it doesn't use a conventional motor, but it seems there will still have to be a capacitor or relay of some type to help overcome the starting load associated with a compressor.

The unit operates on 12 volts. When it's plugged into 120, that is just powering a transformer/power supply that provides the 12 volts needed for operation.

None of the Engel information I've been able to find provides any details about the cooling unit. Even their parts diagrams don't break down the cooling unit beyond "cooling unit." They won't even provide a schematic diagram of the circuitry. That would tell me what I need to know before I take it apart. It's as if Engel doesn't want people to know the details of how it operates because they think we're all too stupid to work on it ourselves.

I was hoping to find someone who has had one of these apart and could give me some info on what to expect.

 

[pugslyyy]

Yeah, I don't see any info out there. The only things I see people trying are

1. Pull apart and clean everything

2. Turn upside-down while turned on and bang on it.

Good luck! In September my MT45 will have been in use for 10 years.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Good luck! In September my MT45 will have been in use for 10 years.

This thing is only about 5 years old, and it's had a very pampered life. It's never been off road. The old guy I bought if from carried it in his motorhome for about 4 years. When I bought it, I put it in a spare bedroom and used it as a beer fridge. So it's never been bounced around or abused. It still looks new. It's been sitting out in the shop now for about 6 months waiting for warmer weather and some time to work on it.

I have one of the cheap Edgestars that's about the same age and has never missed a beat. And it's been bounced around on some of the worst roads you can imagine. Plus, their customer service is excellent. When it was built, one of the hinges wasn't mounted quite right and cracked after about 9 months. I called Compact Appliance and they shipped me a new set of hinges, no charge, no hassle.

So, right at the moment I'm not feeling too impressed with Engel. Very expensive, marginal customer service, and no better quality than the cheapo which is about 1/3 the price. I realize it's probably not fair to judge the company based on a single situation, but providing technical and service information on a big ticket item is an important factor; at least to me it is. In that respect they fail.

JP

 

[concretejungle]

Jim that stinks to hear. I also have the same fridge you speak of and have loved it. Not a single issue and it's been banged around for years now.

However, your issue is concerning to me. I would like to be able to either fix it or send it somewhere to be repaired should it stop working; and the lack of info is sketchy.

 

[AndrewP]

I, too, would like to learn what the issue is. My Engel 45 is 10 years old and has never failed, or even hinted at failure. It's been as reliable as a rock so to speak.

And you often see 20 year old models that have been battered on boats for years that still work, so hopefully yours is just a fluke.

Please post up when a solution is found.

 

[Curmudgeon]

A couple of evenings ago I decided it was time to tear into it and see if I could determine the problem. I have had no response from Engel, so I figured I was on my own.

Before doing anything I plugged it in just to see what it would do. It started immediately. It's been sitting there running for a day and a half now, working just fine. I put some containers of water in it and turned it all the way to max, and they're frozen solid. It seems to be working fine now.

When it quit working last fall I had tried powering it up multiple times over several days, and it would never start. Since it's magically working now, I have no way of determining what the problem might have been. My biggest worry now is that I don't trust it. I can just envision being out in the middle of nowhere with a fridge full of food and no ice when it quits again.

I guess I'll fill it with beer and leave it running in the shop and see what happens over the next couple of months.

Even the best stuff breaks or malfunctions sometimes, I understand that. I still think these are an excellent product, and mostly very reliable. What concerns me most about this whole situation is the lack of support and response from Engel.

 

[Curmudgeon]

A week and a half now and it's still working fine. That pleases me, but I'm still wondering what the problem was. I may never know.

My second biggest concern right now is that I will never trust this thing. I will always be wondering if it will die again at the worst possible moment.

My BIGGEST concern is the lack of communication from Engel. I have never heard back from them. They have never seen fit to respond to my email or answer my questions. It would appear that they don't really care about customer service after the sale, and that's disturbing. I had been thinking about buying one of the smallest Engels to use as a freezer, but that's now off the table.

 

[Ramjet]

Did you try calling them? Also, how long did you have it unplugged before you tried it again and it started working? It probably just reset itself. I have an Mt45 and it was dropped and crushed during shipping. I was sure it was destroyed. Bent it back into shape with a rubber mallet and it has worked flawless ever sense. Not once did I not trust it. We have been out for weeks and it has never given a sign of not working. Hopefully yours is the same.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Did you try calling them? Also, how long did you have it unplugged before you tried it again and it started working? It probably just reset itself. I have an Mt45 and it was dropped and crushed during shipping. I was sure it was destroyed. Bent it back into shape with a rubber mallet and it has worked flawless ever sense. Not once did I not trust it. We have been out for weeks and it has never given a sign of not working. Hopefully yours is the same.

No, I have not tried calling. I prefer to communicate in writing in situations like this. That way I don't forget what was said and there is a complete record of everything. Any information or instructions I get will be in writing directly from them and I can go back and refer to it. They have never responded to my emails, and I am using the fill-in form on their website. Since my last post, I have tried contacting them again with the same result. Silence.

When it initially quit working I tried it multiple times over the next several days, and nothing. So it sat in the shop for about 6 months until I decided to take a look at it again a couple of weeks ago, at which time it miraculously started right up. I covered that in posts #7 and #10 above. It's now been running continuously for a little over two weeks.

Prior to this I never had any reason to distrust it. If I had been able to determine what the problem was, and dealt with it, I would feel comfortable that the issue was either resolved or something known that I could deal with if it happens again. The reason I am reluctant to trust it now is that I have no idea what went wrong, so I don't know if it will continue running or if it will suddenly die again at the worst possible time, at which point I'll be right back where I was when it quit the first time; no idea what's wrong and no service information. And probably out in the middle of nowhere.

If I could get a schematic diagram for it, I could at least get an understanding of the circuitry and how it operates, and maybe pinpoint the most likely source of the problem. But now I at least know the problem is not in the compressor/motor.

 

[Driver-Navigator]

My Engel fridge has the same issue, but it hasn't magically started working again. I guess I should give it a try again.

FWIW I called Engel USA and described the symptoms, and the guy I spoke with said it sounded like the compressor had failed. They were out of stock of replacement assemblies, which ran around $300 IIRC. they were expecting more in a few months and said they would call or email me when they got in the next shipment, but I never heard back from them. That was close to a year ago now.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Back to square one

Well, here we go again. It's been sitting in the shop running for a month and a half now. When I was out in the shop last night it was running, but I thought it sounded a bit louder than usual. When I went out this morning it has quit working again and is going through it's endless cycle of trying to start, resetting, and trying again. That whole cycle takes about 5 seconds each time.

When it started working again, I mentioned that I would never be able to trust it again. I am certain of that now.

And I have NEVER gotten any kind of response from Engel. I still don't know what the problem is and am unable to find any service information.

I also have the cheapo 43 quart Edgestar. It was about 1/3 the price of the Engel. It has worked flawlessly from the day I bought it in 2009. When one of the plastic hinges cracked, I contacted them and they immediately sent me a new set of hinges. There's an obvious difference in attitude toward customer service between Compact Appliance and Engel.