rossko Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 Does anyone else have a problem keeping their fridge cool when on Auto with only the battery available. However chilled we get it before we set off the fins are always dripping by the time we have travelled for 2-3 hrs. The blue indicator light stays constant implying that it is chilling but it definitely is not. Our very wet weekend in the lakes did not pose any hot weather implications. Should the fridge work from the leisure battery if battery mode is selected? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njw Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 you should only select the battery mode when engine is running as it runs off the engine battery and not the leisure and could possibly flatten the engine battery if the engine is not running if you need to keep frdge running i suggest running it on gas until you either have hook up or are traveling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RupertGS Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 My own 'van has a safeguard, which only allows the fridge to be run on battery when the engine is running, because, as has been said, the fridge would flatten the vehicle battery very quickly. Fridges are not wired to run off leisure batteries as they'd flatten them quite quickly. Set it on battery when driving, and mains if on hook-up, or gas if not on hook up.I'm not sure what you mean by an 'Auto' setting? On mine you have to choose the operating mode.I tend to cool mine down using gas, which saves me plugging in a lead when it's on my drive. I then switch to battery when we set off and my fridge stays very cool.Perhaps your fridge has a problem and needs checking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 Ours is the same. After a bit of argy-bargy the dealer checked the current load and, confirmed that it isn't working and suspects a failed heater element. A new one is on order so we shall see. The operating light on the fridge runs off a different circuit so the fact that it is on does not mean that the fridge is working on 12v. To be fair this is difficult to pin down. We cool the fridge before going away and it takes some time to de freeze so it is easy to convince yourself that it is ok. In the end I drove for 1.5 hours with the fridge unfrozen but the 12v on and there was not a hint of frost on the fins. This convinced the dealer to look further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnP Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 What make of M/H is it? In some models of Knaus for example their fridges from the leisure battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossko Posted September 3, 2009 Author Share Posted September 3, 2009 It is a Swift Bolero 680FB. On the auto setting we were told that the fridge chooses the best option available - electric first then gas if no electric, then battery if neither available. The battery symbol is the one displayed when travelling so I think the next step is to follow a previous post suggestion & try running for 1.5hrs without having chilled the fridge down & see if there is any sign of frosting. Thanks for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrie w Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Good morning We have a Dometic fridge freezer with auto select in our Hymer. It seems to work like this :- You can manually select the mode with the switch ie. 12v, gas or 240v. In 12v it will only run from the vehicle battery once the engine is running. Gas will obviously select gas but will not work if the bottle is turned off. 240v will run from the hook up but override the other 2 modes. With auto selected it will do as it says & pick up the appropriate source. If you are not on hook up & the gas bottle is turned on it will select gas as its source, if you listen you may hear the relays switching. Once you start the engine it will automatically cut off the gas & switch to 12v. from the engine battery. If you then stop & hook up the 240v. will override both other sources. There is not as for as I can make out any provision to run from either engine or leisure batteries when stopped. There is a 12v.connection to the fridge from the leisure battery but only to run the auto select electronics. Well thats the way I read it any way, hope that helps in some way. Barrie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnP Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Suggest you check that you have a 12 volt supply to the fridge heater element. This can be done with a test meter. The connections (heavy cables) can be found at the back of the fridge after you have removed the lower outside vent. You will have to run the engine and select 12 volt on the fridge panel to do this test. If there is a 12 volt supply turn to auto select and test again this should help to identify the fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossko Posted September 3, 2009 Author Share Posted September 3, 2009 Last 2 threads very helpful thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob M Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Hi, I ran a new Dethleffs for 16months with unknown to me the leisure battery connected to the fridge when on 12volts, I had never seen a fridge run so cold when travelling. The battery control was also set to lead acid when it was a gel so after 16months the battery gave up. The 2nd replacement of the battery (I had been complaining to the Dealer before) produced a fitter who looked further and found the problems at 16 months. The new battery was set to charge at gel, when at home I read the booklet that came with the battery it was a AGM, I set the charger to lead acid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 rossko - 2009-09-03 8:56 AM It is a Swift Bolero 680FB. On the auto setting we were told that the fridge chooses the best option available - electric first then gas if no electric, then battery if neither available. The battery symbol is the one displayed when travelling so I think the next step is to follow a previous post suggestion & try running for 1.5hrs without having chilled the fridge down & see if there is any sign of frosting. Thanks for the help why are you not using gas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duffers Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 :-D :-D we've got a compressor fridge, brill :-D :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianR Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 You don't say what make/model of fridge you have got. The more information you give when you have a problem the more informed will be the replies. You may find that you can only access the connections to the 12V heater elements by pulling the fridge out a little way - this may involve undoing two or three screws down each side, inside the fridge. They are covered by plastic caps. Your fridge manual should give a wiring diagram which will enable you to see which wires go to the 12V heater. With the engine running, check that there is in excess of 12V on these wires - even on tickover it should be about 13V. If there is no 12V supply the most likely reason is the fuse, which is most likely under the bonnet, close to the vehicle battery - your manual should tell you where it is. One problem is that sometimes the converter uses too thin a wire from the engine compartment to the fridge and this leads to too low a voltage when the fridge is working. If the voltage at the fridge is under 12V, check the voltage at the fuse. If it is OK there, the wire may be too thin or there may be a bad connection at the fuse or the fridge. If you have a meter which reads DC current and you are happy using this, disconnect the heater element positive wire from the selector and connect the meter between the wire and the selector. Start the engine and observe the current - it should be around 8 to 10 amps - again, your manual should give you the correct figure. This should help you to pin down the source of your problem. My fridge will keep the little freezer compartment just below 0°C when travelling, but the body of the fridge doesn't stay as cold as it is when running on gas or mains electric. If you have an Electrolux or Dometic fridge but no manual, you can download the manual from the Dometic website. After a ½ hour on tickover, you should be able to feel the heater elements warming up in the vertical cylinder at the back of the fridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 It should not be possible to run the fridge on the leisure battery at all. Only the engine battery.There should be a relay that only switches the fridge to 12 Volts when the engine is running, When you stop the engine the relay drops out and disconnects it from the engine battery. When you are stopped it should only be possible to run it on Gas or 240 Volt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Depends on your make of van Peter. Our Rimor has an AES fridge and whilst on the move will run on 12v as it should, but when static (ie engine off) if left on AES and it runs out of gas it will definitely change to 12v and run off that, not sure if it's the leisure or the vehicle battery though, haven't investigated that far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnP Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 My Knaus definitely ran off the leisure battery and the AES sytem would switch over and drain the battery when the engine was switched off. After being caught out twice I resorted to selecting the fridge manually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auntyjanet1 Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 I run a Compass Calypso Peugot(07) base with a Dometic mobile absorption fridge/freezer and until today have run fridge on battery unless whilst hooked up to site mains . On both occasions that i have stayed on Aires without hook up within 4 hours leisure battery has completely died on me , after first occasion ,new leisure battery fitted ,after second occasion i decide to read Dometic manual and i quote "The refrigerator should only be used on 12V DC whilst the motor is running ,otherwise the on board battery (leisure) would be discharged within a few hours ! " this has cost me £126 so far if only i had read the manual before !! so from now on its Battery when on the move/Gas when hook not available /240volt when hooked up Cliff :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Compressor fridges run for days on a leisure battery. In my case 4 days. B-) Smugness!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_C Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 auntyjanet1 - 2009-09-10 8:37 PM I run a Compass Calypso Peugot(07) base with a Dometic mobile absorption fridge/freezer and until today have run fridge on battery unless whilst hooked up to site mains . On both occasions that i have stayed on Aires without hook up within 4 hours leisure battery has completely died on me Surely there is something wrong with a fridge installation which allows this to happen? IMO it shouldn't be possible the set the fridge to run on 12v without the engine running. AndyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Highe Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Hi I have a Dometic TecTower fridge/freezer and on Auto it will only run on 12v if the engine is running. If you select 12v running, however, it runs off the leisure battery. You need to check very carefully how yours is wired up to be sure as I very nearly flattened the leisure batteries, assuming that the fridge would only run on 12v with the engine running. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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