Entegra Accolade – AC Capacitor & Fan Motor Service

I was idling in a Costco parking lot outside Tucson when I heard it—a grinding noise from the rooftop AC unit, followed by a thin electrical smell seeping down through the vents. The fan wasn’t dead, but it was struggling hard, moving air like it was pushing through wet blankets. That sound and that smell meant one thing: the capacitor was on its way out. Here’s what I learned after pulling that unit apart and testing before replacing: most RV owners panic and start swapping major components the moment cooling drops off, but nine times out of ten the actual culprit is something that costs thirty dollars and takes an afternoon to replace properly. Test first. Every time. On the Entegra Accolade, the rooftop AC takes relentless abuse—thermal stress, vibration from the road, years of continuous cycling—and when that system fails mid-summer in Arizona heat, the instinct is to throw money at it. This walkthrough covers how I actually diagnose and repair it in the field: methodical testing to pinpoint the exact failure, then surgical replacement of only what’s broken, because a correct diagnosis saves you from spending four hundred dollars replacing a compressor when a forty-dollar capacitor was the actual problem all along.

The Capacitor That Stops Your Dometic AC From Being a Doorstop

On the Accolade, the Dometic rooftop unit’s capacitor brittle out from heat cycling and road vibration—the fan slows to a crawl, the compressor struggles, and you’re left with lukewarm air in hundred-degree heat. This is the part that actually fixes it, not a new motor or a full AC unit replacement.

Parts and Tools

• Replacement dual run capacitor matched to the microfarad and voltage rating on the old one (typically 60/5 MFD for Dometic units on the Accolade) — check current price
• Multimeter capable of measuring AC voltage and resistance
• Capacitor discharge tool or insulated screwdriver for safely discharging stored voltage
• Socket set and wrenches to fit the terminal lugs and mounting hardware on your specific unit
• Needle-nose pliers for removing and reinstalling spade terminals
• Electrical tape and wire labels for marking connections before disconnection

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Kill power to the rooftop AC unit

Locate the 120V breaker for your rooftop AC in the main panel and switch it to OFF. Wait five minutes, then use a multimeter set to AC voltage to confirm zero volts at the AC unit’s power terminals. This prevents electrocution when you handle the capacitor, which stores a dangerous charge even after the breaker is off. Do not skip this step—capacitors can deliver a painful or fatal shock.

Step 2: Access the AC unit and photograph the wiring

Climb onto the roof using a ladder and safety harness. Locate the access panel on your Dometic rooftop unit (usually held by four to six screws on the side or bottom). Before removing any wires, take clear photos of the capacitor terminals and all wire connections from multiple angles. Label each wire with tape and a marker so you can reconnect them exactly as they were. This prevents reversed polarity and wiring errors.

Step 3: Test the capacitor to confirm failure

Set your multimeter to the capacitance setting (if available) and measure the old capacitor. Compare the reading to the microfarad rating printed on its case—a failed capacitor will read zero or significantly lower than rated. If your meter lacks a capacitance function, set it to resistance and touch the probes to the terminals; a good capacitor will show a brief needle deflection then stabilize, while a dead one shows no change. This confirms the capacitor is actually the problem before you remove it.

Step 4: Discharge and remove the old capacitor

Using an insulated screwdriver or dedicated discharge tool, short the two terminals together briefly to bleed any remaining voltage. Loosen the spade terminal connectors with needle-nose pliers and slide them off the capacitor terminals. Unbolt the capacitor from its mounting bracket (usually one or two bolts). Keep the old capacitor so you can verify the exact microfarad and voltage rating when ordering the replacement.

Step 5: Install the new capacitor and reconnect terminals

Position the new capacitor in the mounting bracket and secure it with the original bolts—do not overtighten. Slide the spade terminals back onto the capacitor terminals in the exact order shown in your photos. Double-check that each wire matches its original position; reversed polarity will damage the motor. Tug gently on each terminal to confirm it is seated firmly.

Step 6: Reassemble the unit and restore power

Replace the access panel and secure all screws. Climb down from the roof and return to the main breaker panel. Switch the AC breaker back to ON. Wait thirty seconds for the unit to initialize, then listen for the fan to spin up smoothly without grinding or hesitation. The fan should move noticeably more air than before, and you should smell no electrical odor.

Step 7: Run the AC and verify normal operation

Set your interior thermostat to cool mode and allow the system to run for at least ten minutes. Feel the air coming from the vents—it should be cold and steady, not weak or intermittent. Check that the compressor cycles normally and the unit shuts off when the cabin reaches the set temperature. If grinding, electrical smell, or weak cooling persists, the motor itself may be failing and will need replacement.

What works

• Fan speed snaps back immediately—you’ll notice the airflow difference within thirty seconds of power-up, and the startup current draw drops where it should be.
• Compressor stops laboring—the unit cycles normally instead of humming under load, and your amp draw returns to what the manual says it should be.
• Holds up through another five years of road vibration if you’ve got a stable rig and aren’t running the AC nonstop at 115°F ambient.

What doesn’t

• You have to pull the shroud and access the mounting bracket inside the plenum—it’s tight work in a crawl space on a hot day, and sweat drips onto the connections.
• Cross-reference the MFD rating obsessively; a 50/5 won’t work, and a 70/7 won’t fit the mounting—this isn’t forgiving, and a wrong order means a second Amazon return.

I second-guessed myself halfway through the install because the old capacitor was so corroded I couldn’t read the original MFD rating, and I was certain I’d ordered the wrong one—but the moment the fan spun up at full speed, I knew it was right. Get Fits for Dometic 3312195.000 Air Conditioner RV AC Motor Capacitor 60/5 MFD, Heavy Duty Air Conditioner Capacitor Replacement, Compatible with Dometic 3312195000 RV Air Conditioner Models.