My central air system is suddenly acting whacky. Thermostat and indoor blower are working as normal, activating and running when the temperature rises above its settings, but the outdoor unit does not activate when it should. I checked breakers and none are tripped. The outdoor motor spins when moved, although not freely (I've never spun it manually before, I don't know how easily it should spin). The outdoor condenser unit is made by Inter City Products and is at least 15 years old. Still, repair is a much better option than replace. We are Yankees who transplanted to Columbia, South Carolina. We have adapted to the culture change (as much as anyone could) but have not ever gotten used to the oppressive heat that comes in late Spring. What other info do you need? Any advice is always appreciated. az in SC

I happened to be outside last night when the AC compressor for our first floor AC system tried to start up. The house lights dimmed appreciably and the compressor did not start. A few minutes later the same thing happened but this time the compressor started. (I’m guessing some kind of thermal overload protector reset itself). The system has worked fine since then (many on/off cycles). Today I checked a few things on the outside compressor unit. I was able to remove a plastic cover from the contactor. The contacts look pristine—no indication of overheating, discoloration, arcing etc. None of the wires show any indication of overheating. The dual 50/5 uF capacitor shows no evidence of bulging or fluid leakage. My multimeter seems to be on the fritz so I can’t test the cap. (It can’t read capacitance values anyway). Until I get hold of a suitable meter I have a few questions. Do bad capacitors always show bulging or fluid leakage? Or can they fail and look just fine? The compressor seems to be getting the signal to turn on so I think that knocks out things like the thermostat, 24V transformer, low voltage wiring, etc. What else could be causing a very intermittent hard start problem? This unit is a Goodman CRT361A. It’s about 8 years old, as is the house. The main electrical panel is rated at 200 amps. The circuits that power each compressor are rated at 40 amps each.