I'm done with the Passport II

[Donna]

That's it. Done finished,, I have had it. The *&^$#@! thing just won't program, won't turn on now and it is so hot I can fry an egg on my counter top.

My back as which is the same 16,000 btu unit has a simple thermostat that works like a charm.

I broke down and called a marine air specialist.

Some things are worth paying for and this is one of them. The Passport II is garbage.

 

[ranger58sb]

Some things are worth paying for and this is one of them. The Passport II is garbage.

Anything that's crapped out is potentially garbage.



I haven't had trouble with our Passport II panels.

But then they don't appear to be broken.

-Chris

 

[Donna]

I have tried EVERYTHING short of taking a hammer to it. The other night it said 114 degrees and then the heat kicked on.

I'm replacing it with on/off, cold/heat. Simple! Oh and I'm paying to have it done. Electrical engineering is something I'm really good at and this one is just shot. That I'm sure of.

 

[The Other Gary]

Donna there is one adjustment on the passport 2 that is critical. Function 16 I think is for the fan motor recognition, If the fan sticks out from the housing it is a shaded pole motor set the function to SP. If the fan is the newer turbo it is a split capacitor and you set the function to SC.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

The Passport is obviously toast. Just get a new one.

It's not the Passports fault it died.

Dometic Marine Air Passport II Control Panel | eBay

 

[Donna]

I have sat in front of that thing with the manual on my computer for about 9 hours on and off. I think Capt.Bill is right, it's toast. I would just prefer to upgrade to something that actually works. I am doing most of the work on the boat and the heat here in Fl. is killing me. That is one system I need to be in perfect working order so I do not mind paying someone to come in and "just do it". LOL! I hear many people have had issues with it and have changed them out to Passport II I/O.

Actually I think I may have contributed to its death!

 

[dhays]

Sometimes it is just better to get a professional and open up your wallet. You need the AC.

 

[Gmarr]

Won't any thermostat work on those old marineairrrre systems?

 

[Jeffrey S]

Those Marine Air display controllers are well known for having problems and not working. If you have another one in the boat, try swapping it. That'll show you for sure if it's a problem with the display. They're simple to replace - and if you really rely on A/C, carry a spare.

 

[LarryM]

You can get a retrofit kit to upgrade the discontinued Passport II control panel and circuit board to the newer Dometic Passport IO system.

 

[Donna]

Is the passport the only circuit panel that will work with MarineAir?

 

[ranger58sb]

The Passport is obviously toast. Just get a new one.

It's not the Passports fault it died.

I have sat in front of that thing with the manual on my computer for about 9 hours on and off. I think Capt.Bill is right, it's toast. I would just prefer to upgrade to something that actually works.

Is the passport the only circuit panel that will work with MarineAir?

That's what I said, too. If your unit is crapped out, just get a new unit. Easy swap, same mounting, etc. It's just a phone cable (RJ-11) plug-and-play connection.

Source a replacement, plug it in, if it solves the problem, mount it. Assuming you can easily reach the controller box on the unit to make the plug-in, it's a 30-second job.

Presumably there was a Passport I, but the only ones I know of coupled to Marine Air and Cruisair "Vector" systems (Vector Compact is what we have) is Passport II, Elite, and SMX. Don't know if they're all interchangeable or not as to specific AC units.

Note that the Passport IO conversion thing says it requires changing out the main circuit board in the AC controller box. That's some work. And that's probably why the whole thing is $$$ compared to a simple Passport II panel swap (latter assumes your circuit board is actually working properly, of course).


-Chris

 

[Gmarr]

One site said that some in the past have changed their circuit boards and neglected to change the control units thus creating an issue. I have an old Marine Air unit, so I'm watching how this comes out.

 

[Gmarr]

Donna, have you talked to these guys in Tampa?

http://m.tampabaymarineair.com/site/2794.html?imz_st

I don't know anything about them, but when I see a site that does a little coaching, I'm intrigued.

 

[Donna]

Since I have not received a phone call back from the specialist, looks like I'm on my own. I'm going to buy another panel and perhaps the I/o upgrade also provided the return policy is in place. This is not going to beat me!

 

[Jeffrey S]

One site said that some in the past have changed their circuit boards and neglected to change the control units thus creating an issue. I have an old Marine Air unit, so I'm watching how this comes out.

Controller boards have to be matched to the display.

We have a fairly complex Marine Air system - 3 chillers and 15 air exchangers along with a diesel heater to enhance heat if needed. Because there are so many exchangers, there are some different versions. So when a controller board gets replaced, it sometimes involves changing the display too - not fun.

If you're on the Chesapeake Bay, Zimmerman's in Deltaville has an exceptional mechanic who knows everything about Marine Air. It's worthwhile to have an expert go through an entire system to let you know the issues.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

Since I have not received a phone call back from the specialist, looks like I'm on my own. I'm going to buy another panel and perhaps the I/o upgrade also provided the return policy is in place. This is not going to beat me!

Check you PM box

 

[hjorgan]

I just went through a similar issue and did contact the Tampa guys.
Tampa Bay Marine Air.Com - Cruisair, Marine Air, and Aqua air Marine Air Conditioning.

They were very nice and sent me a replacement upgraded panel for around $600.
When I went to install it I found a broken wire. Rats.
They did restock the part for a 20% restocking fee which was fari.

Good luck!

 

[saltcod]

I'm so glad to live in the PNW. On the water, as long as you can get shade, everything is cool. It rarely gets above 85F here on Vancouver Island, rare is the boat that has AC. My business partner actually tore out his AC from a boat that came form California, and installed a furnace.

 

[dhays]

I agree, but I must say that the last two summers were a lot hotter than I have known in the past.

 

[Baker]

I will have to say....I just had a circuit board fail on my air conditioner. This is what it looked like. I had no idea there was enough complexity to have a circuit board like this for a measly little air conditioner.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. B. What you have there is the PFM unit.

 

[Baker]

Greetings,
Mr. B. What you have there is the PFM unit.

It is definitely that!!!!

 

[Pgitug]

Flightsystems.com repairs all kinds of control circuit boards.
I have not used them but several folks on TF have. When I have a bad board I am going to give them a try.

 

[LarryM]

Flightsystems.com repairs all kinds of control circuit boards.
I have not used them but several folks on TF have. When I have a bad board I am going to give them a try.

+1 for Flightsystems.com - absolutely first rate outfit