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Error Code
E6 is the compressor code that appears when the motor draws excessive current at the point of starting. Where E5 can come on mid-run, E6 usually shows within seconds of the compressor being asked to start, then repeats on every attempt. That timing is the clue, and it points at the start circuit as much as at the compressor itself.
The start path carries the highest current in the system for a fraction of a second, so every weak point in it shows up here first. Pitted contactor points, a loose spade terminal or a cable that has been running hot will all produce E6 on a compressor that is mechanically sound. These get checked before the compressor is condemned.
A compressor drawing more than its rated current at start will trip before it reaches running speed. Winding faults and a supply that cannot deliver starting current produce the same symptom. Measuring voltage at the compressor terminals during the start attempt, rather than at the isolator, shows whether the supply is collapsing under that load.
A seized compressor cannot rotate, so it holds locked rotor current until protection opens. If the compressor hums and trips within a second or two on every attempt, and the electrical checks are clean, the compressor itself is the answer. Repeating start attempts in that state does no good and can finish the winding.
Isolate for several minutes, restore power and listen to the first start attempt. A compressor that tries and trips in under three seconds behaves quite differently from one that runs for ten minutes. Note what it does before it trips, because that observation saves diagnostic time and often saves a part.
Winding resistance and insulation resistance are measured and compared across phases. On a three phase compressor the three readings should sit close together. A winding that is open, shorted or leaking to earth confirms the compressor and ends the diagnosis at that point.
Contactor, terminals and the start components are inspected and tested, with attention to anything showing heat. Voltage is measured at the compressor terminals during the start attempt, not just at the isolator, because a supply that reads correctly at rest can collapse under starting current.
