Dometic Fridge not getting power

mattp160 · 06-01-2016, 08:42 AM

Hey everyone,
Just returned from a nice camping trip up to Peninsula state park in WI. Everything went great until we got home. When offloading the camper I noticed the fridge wasn't on. My camper is a 2014 Vibe 826VFK.

I tried switching to propane mode but still no power to the unit. I looked at the breakers and the fridge fuse and everything was fine. I even switched all of the breakers off for a few seconds and turned them back on. Still no power.

Has anyone ever seen this before? I schedule an appointment at my local dealer and spoke to the service tech. He said to check behind the panel on the outside for power. I'll be doing that tonight when I get home from work. I'm hoping there is a fuse on the outside that blew.

SuicideSaints · 06-01-2016, 09:55 AM

Not trying to insult you here but did you check all the basics?

Battery charged?
Battery Connected?
Did it work on shore power at the house?
How was it hooked up at the campsite, battery or shore power?
Any cutoff switched that engaged?
Outside there is a panel for the fridge, inside that panel there is a "lightswitch" that has to be turned on, did that switch get shut off somehow?

Mr Havercamp · 06-01-2016, 10:04 AM

Inside the lower outside panel there is a power module / control board located towards the left hand side. It will have 2 fuses. One is a 5A standard auto mini fuse for the 12V DC side of the system such as the controls and operation on gas as it controls the gas valve. The other is a glass 5A 125V AC fuse for the electric element for electric operation. It sounds like for some reason you may have blown the 12VDC fuse. The glass fuse can only be found at rv dealers or electronics places. Its a 5A, 125V, 20 mm. But when it blows typically you'll still have gas operation.

mattp160 · 06-01-2016, 10:39 AM

I did a brief check yesterday but it started raining and didn't want to mess around outside the camper. once I get home I'll pop that cover off on the outside and check it out.
thanks for the tips.

mattp160 · 06-01-2016, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

Inside the lower outside panel there is a power module / control board located towards the left hand side. It will have 2 fuses. One is a 5A standard auto mini fuse for the 12V DC side of the system such as the controls and operation on gas as it controls the gas valve. The other is a glass 5A 125V AC fuse for the electric element for electric operation. It sounds like for some reason you may have blown the 12VDC fuse. The glass fuse can only be found at rv dealers or electronics places. Its a 5A, 125V, 20 mm. But when it blows typically you'll still have gas operation.

Awesome, thanks for the details. I'll check that out tonight.

dahagen · 06-01-2016, 01:58 PM

I had no power to fridge once and it turned out to be a 12 volt wire had come loose where a wire nut connected it to the main 12 volt line.

mattp160 · 06-01-2016, 07:39 PM

Just got done checking everything out on the back panel. I've confirmed that I have power to the outlet back there. I checked both fuses. They appear to be fine, I can't see any breaks in the fuse line. I also verified that I have power to the power lines circled in blue.

Any other ideas? If it were the control board, wouldn't the fuses be blown.

Go figure, I just checked the warranty on it and it expired 4/4/2016...... GRRRR
I received an extended warranty offer in the mail back in January but I let that go and it expired in 2/10/2016. Just not my luck today..

texasbuckeye · 06-01-2016, 10:42 PM

On my "smoke stack" about a foot or a little higher from the floor was a reset button. Us till than, I had no 12vdc power to the refrigerator, so the power board was dead and 110vac or propane would not work. I had to reach up a bit with my hand to find the switch, push it in and magic ! !

mattp160 · 06-02-2016, 05:58 AM

Is that accessed from the outside panel?

TURBS · 06-02-2016, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattp160

Is that accessed from the outside panel?

Yes

2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"
2016 nights camped "6"

Mr Havercamp · 06-02-2016, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasbuckeye

On my "smoke stack" about a foot or a little higher from the floor was a reset button. Us till than, I had no 12vdc power to the refrigerator, so the power board was dead and 110vac or propane would not work. I had to reach up a bit with my hand to find the switch, push it in and magic ! !

That's a thermal fuse and it kicks off if the chimney overheats for some reason. If you reset it and it kicks off again you have something else going on and whatever it is its not good. Burner producing too much heat, blocked airflow or chimney/flue etc. Don't take chances if that thermal fuse keeps popping.

mattp160 · 06-02-2016, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TURBS

Yes

2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"
2016 nights camped "6"

I looked this morning but I couldn't find any reset button. Guess I'll be taking it to the dealer.

TURBS · 06-02-2016, 09:07 AM

2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"
2016 nights camped "6"

**Bama Rambler** · 06-02-2016, 09:08 AM

Did you actually test the fuses or just visually inspect them?
If you didn't test them with a meter, I'd do that before anything else.

mattp160 · 06-02-2016, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama Rambler

Did you actually test the fuses or just visually inspect them?
If you didn't test them with a meter, I'd do that before anything else.

I tested them.

mattp160 · 06-02-2016, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TURBS

2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"
2016 nights camped "6"

thanks for the pic. I didn't notice a reset button on mine. I looked at that this morning. I also didn't see a fuse on that red wire. I guess I'll check that out before I drag it into the dealer.

To me this all seems like a fuse blown somewhere.

**dcheatwood** · 06-02-2016, 10:36 AM

I had same issue last week. It was the vertical fuse behind cover, lower left. It did not look blown.

Mr Havercamp · 06-02-2016, 10:40 AM

You need to download the correct manuals and service documentation from Dometic for your exact model. Some do not have a reset on the thermal fuse and some do not have a separate thermal fuse controlled by the switch in Turb's picture such as this.

In this model the thermofuse is one assembly and it has no reset.

Needless to say, if your having issues with thermo fuses no matter where they are located that's a more critical issue than if the fridge is not cooling because you're playing with fire............literally.

mattp160 · 06-02-2016, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

I had same issue last week. It was the vertical fuse behind cover, lower left. It did not look blown.

I tested both fuses with a digital multimeter. Both fuses gave a tone indicating that they had connectivity between the two end.

**dcheatwood** · 06-02-2016, 01:27 PM

Bummer. Hope you get it figured out.

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