7704PZ Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 HI Forum , I am a Newbe and would like some help. I have been reading all the threads about the 12v fridge problems. I have a Ducato/Bessacarr E450 with a Dometic 3-way fridge which has desided to stop working on 12v. I favour the relay to be at fault but I am not sure where it is ? The only relay I can find is next to the master switches in the wardrobe area. If this is the only relay, does anyone now how it can be tested or where I can get a replacement? One assumes that they are standard but I have no idea..thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Try under the bonnet there should be two relays and possibly a 4 way fusebox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7704PZ Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 ok, are you referring to the main van fuse box becuase inside there are 8 similar relays but as usual, there is nothing mentioned about a fridge that i can see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 No, these will be vehicle relays. I am stabbing in the dark but look at the centre of the engine bay and there may be a black plastic cover over the relays. Hopefully somebody familiar with your vehicle will respond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 7704PZ - 2013-07-29 6:16 PM HI Forum , I am a Newbe and would like some help. I have been reading all the threads about the 12v fridge problems. I have a Ducato/Bessacarr E450 with a Dometic 3-way fridge which has desided to stop working on 12v. I favour the relay to be at fault but I am not sure where it is ? The only relay I can find is next to the master switches in the wardrobe area. If this is the only relay, does anyone now how it can be tested or where I can get a replacement? One assumes that they are standard but I have no idea..thanks You should have a wiring diagram in the book that comes with the van? We have for our Ducato/Sundance PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 PJay - 2013-07-29 7:07 PM 7704PZ - 2013-07-29 6:16 PM HI Forum , I am a Newbe and would like some help. I have been reading all the threads about the 12v fridge problems. I have a Ducato/Bessacarr E450 with a Dometic 3-way fridge which has desided to stop working on 12v. I favour the relay to be at fault but I am not sure where it is ? The only relay I can find is next to the master switches in the wardrobe area. If this is the only relay, does anyone now how it can be tested or where I can get a replacement? One assumes that they are standard but I have no idea..thanks You should have a wiring diagram in the book that comes with the van? We have for our Ducato/Sundance PJay I have a nice wiring diagram for my Swift Kontiki and no where does it tell you where the relays are. Does your Sundance diagram have that info as it may well help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7704PZ Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 sorry for satellite delay. no wiring diagram that explains anything of this nature. I have removed the fridge and checked wiring stability and the earth connections, alls good. Fridge normally runs off the engine/alternator but after comming through a severe electrical storm in Europe recently, there appears to be a problem. works ok on 240v and gas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7704PZ Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 thanks for that. Getting dark now so will check tomorrow. The only black box with cover on does appear to be the main vehicle fuse and relay box, lets hope a Fiat Ducato owner will respond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7704PZ Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 Does anybody know where i might find the box of relays that operate the fridge and water pumps etc in my Fiat Ducato/Bessacar . also , as a novice van owner, where is the best online store for parts and spares ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 It is a Ducato I have so hopefully will be similar. My engine relay box is to the right of the engine bay and just below the radiator fill/expansion bottle. To the left of the expansion bottle is the cover for the relays/fuses for the fridge etc. It is held on with two nuts and there are pipes running along the bottom to the expansion bottle. Hopefully this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7704PZ Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 Thanks, good call. This is where my van relays are also but not sure if they work the camping electrics. Do you know if any of the relays in this box operate the fridge ? also. do you have a single relay next to your Master Circuit board in the wardrobe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 No. The relay box to the right is for the engine only. Is there a cover adjacent to the expansion tank as this is where the relays could be. I do not have a relay in the cupboard but do have one elsewhere which controls the electric step, possibly what yours is for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 No. The relay box to the right is for the engine only. Is there a cover adjacent to the expansion tank as this is where the relays could be. I do not have a relay in the cupboard but do have one elsewhere which controls the electric step, possibly what yours is for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7704PZ Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 Thanks i am not sure on that one. I will check this out in daylight tomorrow so i am looking for a box near the expansion tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 I trust you appreciate that this is all on the hope that Swift kept things the same. It is not a box just a cover for the relays and if the same will be right in the middle with the top running along the top edge of the scuttle and two nuts on the front. Please feed back so we can all learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandya Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Have you considerd that this may not be a relay problem, I had similar problem and discovered an inline fuse carrier fixed to woodwork behcind fridge,similar fridge I think but on Pilote van Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandya Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Should have said fuse accessed from outside van through fridge vent grille Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 sshortcircuit - 2013-07-29 9:20 PM It is a Ducato I have so hopefully will be similar. Hopefully this helps. Hi; As above........I don't know about your specific van; I have bespoke PVC, so it's likely to be a one-off; in most respects. But on the basis that when I had a 3-way /12v fridge in our Ducato, it had a relay that caused some problems, I thought I'd tell you where the relay was located. Not under the bonnet or behind the fridge..........but in the door cill! can't remember which side. I mention this because this was obviously a good place to a) take a feed, and b) accomodate a relay Hope this helps alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7704PZ Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 thanks for that suggestion, luckily when i took the fridge out from inside the vehicle to check the wiring, i saw no fuse mounted anywhere . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7704PZ Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 Hi. Not the obvious place but worth a try. it appears to have power to the fridge but but not constantly, this is what leads me to think it has to be relay related. I will check under the bonnet again with the other suggestion and feed back what i find. thanks to all. if a relay has to be repalced, does anybody know where these can be obtained, i guess from a motorhome supplier and not just any Motor factor ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasm Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Our motorhome is probably a lot older than yours (2002 Hymer on Ducato chassis)so this may be irrelevant. When we lost 12v on our fridge I eventually found a 3 amp (grey) spade fuse in a small fuse holder tucked into the wiring behind the battery. No mention anywhere in the documentation of its location - it was a Hymer modification inside the Fiat engine compartment. Suggest you look for fuse holders around the engine compartment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Your fridge should have three power supplies to it. 1. A permanent 12volt dc supply from the fuseboard which supplies the fridge pcb to control the temperature etc. If the fridge is operating on gas and 220 volts then this supply is ok 2. A 220 volt supply when on hookup which if fridge working on 220 is ok 3. A 12 volt dc supply that is provided only when the engine is running. The engine alternator activates a relay which then provides a 12 volt dc supply to the fridge and this supply will be fused at or near the vehicle battery. You need to find the relay and fuse to eliminate either. You are looking for a brown with green marker strip from the vehicle battery and a brown with blue strip from the relay/fuse to the fridge. They have to be there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7704PZ Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 OK THANKS. PROBLEM HERE IS I CANNOT LOCATE THE RELAY AS NOBODY APPEARS TO HAVE THE SAME MODEL. FUSE MAY BE BEHIND THE BATTERY SO WILL HAVE TO REMOVE IT TO CHECK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Can you please confirm there is no plastic cover in the middle of the engine bay with two nuts to front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmold Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Again, not same model or make, but on Autosleepers there are two fuses hanging on cable by the vehicle battery, one is for the leisure battery split charger and the other is for the fridge. They get very corroded causing problems due to the water coming from the windscreen scuttle. Maybe Bessacarr used a similar wiring pattern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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