I am having a problem with my Rheem heat pump. The indoor unit seems to be fine and the blower motor is running. The outside unit seems to be the problem. The fan only runs part of the time sometimes not kicking on at all other time kicking on for several minutes then kicking off before the temp is met. It is doing this in both the heat and cool modes? Any suggestions?

Its hard to say with such little info. You may have a fan motor going bad or just a bad run capacitor. Will the motor and compressor shut off or just the condenser fan motor?

Both the fan motor and compressor shut off. I think I might have narrowed it down to the contactor. When the tstat was switched to cool I watched the contactor and it never made contact and if I would press on the spring and make it contact then the unit both motor and compressor would run. Is there any other possibilities or anything that could have made the contactor go ex. Compressor going bad or any thing to that degree? I haven't been able to change the contactor yet so I am not positive but seems right.