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No Fridge on Gas or Truma heating


jimbo07g41

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Hi all,

 

just had a great time doing the NC500 in my van with the family. Sadly I have had issues. 3 way fridge not working on Gas (already not working on 12v) and Truma 4 Combi Heater not working on Gas. I have error code 121 for the Truma. It will sometimes run for a couple of minutes. 121 is motor at wrong speed or unstable flame. Check flame and/or flue system. The fridge lights but is not cooling on gas (does on hook up). I have run the hob burners to try and purge but at a loss. I suspect gas supply given that 2 appliances going down at the same time?

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I recall that - in April - you mentioned various problems you were having with your La Strada Trento (but I don’t think its age was ever stated)

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/CBE-PC100/58010/

 

It’s possible that your old gas pigtail might have degraded internally and the resultant ‘muck’ got into the gas system (the ‘phthalates’ theory that was put forward in the mid-2000s to explain why Truma bulkhead-mounted regulators were failing) and it used to be widely reported on French motorhome forums (well before the Truma reguator debacle) that ‘oily residues’ in bottled gas used in leisure vehicles could disable the burners of the more complex gas appliances like ‘combi’ heaters and fridges.

 

If the fridge will light OK and stay lit on gas, I suggest you give its flue and gas-burner assembly a damn good clean and see if that does any good. As the fridge will cool OK on 230V (suggesting that its cooling system is operating correctly) it OUGHT to cool on gas too.

 

The ‘combi’ #121 error code suggests that no gas is reaching the heater

 

https://www.truma.com/uk/en/faq/fault-code-on-truma-cp-plus-control-panel

 

so you might be looking at an inoperative or blocked gas valve on the heater. (Presumably you’ve confirmed that he gas stop-cock for the Truma heater is in its fully open position.)

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Just a thought re the fridge. Is it a manual energy selection version, or possibly an AES fridge that has been set to manual. This is prompted by something I discovered yesterday by being silly! :-)

 

I was fettling the van in preparation for a forthcoming trip, and was "doing" the gas bits. All connected and turned on, then flush out air. First hob. Tick. Next heater. Tick. But had to set the temp to 30C to provoke firing! :-D Next up, fridge. Manual spark ignition, so turn on fridge, turn stat to max, simultaneously depress stat knob for gas and igniter for spark, hear sparking and, eventually, hear gas ignite, watch gauge indication to confirm ignition before releasing stat. Wait, wait, etc. No response from gauge. Released stat knob in any case, and gas went off. Tap indicator in case stuck, and repeat. Same result! Take off lower external air vent to access rear of fridge and confirm combustion shroud hot - it was!

 

So, why was fridge not maintaining gas operation once initiated? Back inside and review actions one by one. Durrrrrrrr! Had only turned the energy knob by one "click", which is 230V, instead of by 3 clicks, for gas!! :$ So, then selected gas as energy source, repeated as above, gas ignited, gauge responded, released stat, and flame maintained.

 

I had not realised (because I hadn't been so daft before) that the gas could still be ignited when a different energy source was selected.

 

Then I spotted your post re gas and 12V not working on your fridge, but 230V OK (so cooling circuit viable).

 

If you have a similar fridge to ours with manual energy selection (or possibly an AES fridge that has been set to manual mode), and in either case the 230V energy source has been selected, then neither the 12V, nor the gas will operate. Have you checked the energy source selection? Won't help with the Truma, of course, but might it possibly help with the fridge?

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The Trento is a 08 model but a personal import by me in 2015. Having done some reading I am not sure about the pigtail. On the german install the reg is not on the bulkhead, so the pig tail is after the reg.

 

The gas stop cocks are on at the manifold.

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Dometic RM4210 instructions can be found here

 

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/45692/Electrolux-Rm-4200.html?page=2#manual

 

Gas lighting is via a piezo ignitor and, if the protective ‘shield’ is removed from the burner assembly, it should be a simple matter to confirm whether the gas flame is ’strong’ or ‘weak’.

 

It was commonplace in the early/mid 2000s for German-built motorhomes to start life with an ‘on-bottle’ 30mbar gas regulator connected to the motorhome’s metal gas pipework by a pigtail with a compression fitting at the pipework end and a threaded fitting at the regulator end. If your Trento still has its original regulator and pigtail, you’d be wise to replace both - though you might well have difficulty doing this on an exact like-for-like basis.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I just wanted to update on progress. I had a habitation check already booked for today and the engineer couldn't really proceed when nothing working. Explained problems. Spent two hours on the van and said he had fixed the fridge which he had not. It ignites but the element does not get hot on gas, which is the same as before.

 

The Truma will not run and he suspects either the fan or the PCB. However, he would have to pull it out and take it to Truma for them to bench test and replace parts. This would take two hours, so I asked him when he could do this and he replied middle of August!

 

So I have taken it out myself and will take it to Truma. Took me about an hour to disconnect. I will also take the fridge out.

 

I do still have a earth problem. He said it is the earth to the leisure battery which has been suggested on here or the distribution unit. I dont know whether to get an auto sparky out or get the distribution unit checked. Bit frustrated having spent £100 and having no progress.

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jimbo07g41 - 2021-06-30 9:37 PM

 

I do still have a earth problem. He said it is the earth to the leisure battery which has been suggested on here or the distribution unit. I dont know whether to get an auto sparky out or get the distribution unit checked. Bit frustrated having spent £100 and having no progress.

Jimbo,

 

If you have an earth/electrical problem then I would get this repaired before going any further chasing your supposed gas faults as these could be effects of the electrical fault. eg control valve not opening fully or low voltage to Truma causing incorrect selection.

 

Keith.

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Cheers Keith, I agree. Going to get the distribution unit looked at as wiring looks intact around the van. Might have one last check over the weekend but I am working on the theory that it has been jump started/spiked in a garage. I am worried that the PCB on the Truma has been fried.

 

I need to re read all the great info on the thread and check everything again.

 

 

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jimbo07g41 - 2021-06-30 9:37 PM

 

So I just wanted to update on progress. I had a habitation check already booked for today and the engineer couldn't really proceed when nothing working. Explained problems. Spent two hours on the van and said he had fixed the fridge which he had not. It ignites but the element does not get hot on gas, which is the same as before.

 

The Truma will not run and he suspects either the fan or the PCB. However, he would have to pull it out and take it to Truma for them to bench test and replace parts. This would take two hours, so I asked him when he could do this and he replied middle of August!

 

So I have taken it out myself and will take it to Truma. Took me about an hour to disconnect. I will also take the fridge out.

 

I do still have a earth problem. He said it is the earth to the leisure battery which has been suggested on here or the distribution unit. I dont know whether to get an auto sparky out or get the distribution unit checked. Bit frustrated having spent £100 and having no progress.

Lesson learnt with regards to using this particular mobile company. I complained and they essentially said it was my fault for booking a habitation service! Funny they charged me the same for two hours of fault finding. Now they say they think it would take 8 - 16 hours to complete the work and this would be in six weeks time. Clearly they prefer the habitation checks.

 

Anyway, Truma tested my combi boiler and it runs fine on the bench. Fault 202 and speaking to the professional engineer they think it is the 12v earth problem.

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So just a quick update on this thread in case it helps anyone else.

 

I have done tons of research on the 3 way fridges. They are fairly straight forward designs, Dismantled the burner cleaned the jet and hey presto ice within thirty minutes. Chuffed I managed to fix it myself.

 

I just need to get a 12v element now to sort that issue.

 

The Truma combi is back in the van and all plumbed up ready to go.

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