X-13 Motor Failure

X-13 Motor Failure

The X-13 ECM motor used in AHE, AHX, MX, and some Packaged Units has shown a high failure rate.

• It is common for the motor to periodically fail to operate.
• Sometimes power can be removed and restored to the motor, and the motor will begin operating again.

• The majority of the failure reports are from applications in areas with high temperature and/or high humidity as normal operating conditions. 
• The failures are almost exclusively from motors in air handlers, as opposed to those in furnaces.  York, just as most of the industry, has the motor “downstream” of the coil in air handlers.  The failure rate of motors in furnaces where the coil is “upstream” of the motor is much lower and does not appear to be any problem.
•  Analysis preformed on returned motors has shown the components that failed most often are either the redundant watchdog relay or one of the many resistors on the board.  Both of those issues have been addressed in motors produced after October of 2012.  The redundant watchdog relay has been eliminated and they have upgraded the resistors being used to something known as ECR.  What that means is that the wires on either end of the resistor are not exposed, but instead are completely covered in the ceramic just as body is.  This means nothing is exposed that can be impacted negatively by moisture. 

Motors produced 2013 and later should have all of the necessary modifications.

The production date for X13’s is stamped on the label end of the motor (opposite the shaft) as shown in the picture below.