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olgageorge · Mar 18, 2007, 09:42 PM

My new AC condenser fan motor has an extra wire. What do I do with it?

AC is a 1996 SEER 12 Rheem. New motor is an A.O. Smith 1/8 HP 208 RPM 208-230 volt.

Old motor has 3 wires, black, brown, and orange. New motor has 4. Black, brown, orange, and brown with a white stripe. Does anybody know where the wires go? Can anybody help me out?

Thank you

HVACxpert · Mar 19, 2007, 08:44 PM

Yes it's a little confusing... I ran across that a few times myself. If memory serves me Brown with white stripe and orange are on the same terminal inside of the motor I usually do a continuaty test on the leads first to be certain.
If the above statement is true Brown w/stripe goes where the orange one does.
Extra wire is for systems that use separate capacitors for fan and compressor instead of just one dual one. Also if Orange and Brown w/stripe are connected internally you could just tape up the end. Use a tester to know for sure. Analog tester on ohms, neddle should peg all the way over. Digital tester on ohms should read 0.001 or similar. Not 5.4 or 1.2 or .901 or something like that. Be glad you have an extra wire and not one missing. Hehe

Have fun!

KatieKat · Apr 9, 2007, 07:12 PM

I tried installing nissan AC condenser once but never encountered extra wires. You can always bring it back to the dealer and have it explain or install it for you.

letmetellu · Apr 9, 2007, 08:40 PM

The explanation that HVACxpert gave you is correct in what he says.
I would like to add one thing. The new motor that you bought should have a capacitor rating listed on the box, and you should have bought one of these for the new motor. (The problem with your old motor could have been a bad capacitor)

If you use a new capacitor the wiring would have been in this manner:
The two brown wires would connect to the new capacitor.
The black wire would connect to terminal 1 on the contactor.
The orange wire would connect to the terminal 2 on the contactor.

You would just leave the old capacitor as is after removing the two wires that went to the old motor.

david kelley · Sep 6, 2008, 05:26 AM

Yes

cool in texas · May 21, 2012, 12:10 PM

Thanks , this post helped me as well.
My situation was similar... old motor 3 wires orange, black. And purple (orange and black to contactor),, new motor has black, white 2 yellow. 2 purple, a brown and brown w/stripe.
A good clue is that the black and white wires were larger diam. And the others were smaller diam... also the 2 yellow and 2 purple determined the rotation (clockwise or counter clockwise)... that was hit and miss 2 yellow together and 2 purple together makes it clockwise... it was 50-50 and I got it right the first time.(clockwise).
I ohmed out the white and brown w/stripe... and they are the same, so that made sense... the black and white were line and brown took the place of purple on the capacitor and since there was already a jumper from the contactor where orange was... that had to be white and I didn't need the brown w/stripe.
Thanks its nice and cool in here now.

Devo123 · Aug 14, 2012, 08:52 PM

I install a new condenser motor on an old carrier system.
The 3 wires, black, brown and Yellow. I connected the black to L1, Brown to the capacitor and Yellow to common on the capacitor.

When I power the disconnect the motor comes on immediately and ran continuously. The thermostat does not work when the motor is running. The only way the motor stop run if I flip the breaker

Can anyone help. I changed the contactor as well.

KidChaos · Sep 29, 2013, 03:07 AM

Black is line1 and line 2 to Yellow and Brown is to the run cap on the fan terminal