CyclingBrian
New Member
Thanks for that ....I will need to check that...I was told the leisure battery is 2 years old.
Dometic Fridge orange flashing light?
- Thread starter banksey88
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- dometic fridge sterling pro
Those fridges are very susceptible to voltage drop hence the recommendation is to wire them direct to battery with as short a cable as possible and as few joins as possible with a good gauge cable.
It might be worth trying to connect it direct to a known good battery straight from the back of the fridge (fused of course) then you’ll know if it’s a fridge problem or a wiring problem.
TheBoyRoberts
New Member
Had the same problem and as a poster mentioned a few posts ago, the easiest way to test the issue is to disconnect the negative connection from your leisure battery, leave for ten seconds then reconnect. I suspect the fridge compressor will kick in then.
As others have mentioned, I suspect it was from low voltage in the battery. However, the fridge didn't appear to restart once back on power/charged battery and I had to keep on disconnecting the battery as switching the fridge off at the button inside of the fridge is what's classed as a "soft power off" and does not fully power down the fridge.
I popped back to my converter and he stuck a physical switch in (placed on the kitchen unit behind the drivers seat) so I could reset it easily when needed.
Since getting a new battery last year, I've not had to use the "turn it off and on again" feature!
Good luck!
As others have mentioned, I suspect it was from low voltage in the battery. However, the fridge didn't appear to restart once back on power/charged battery and I had to keep on disconnecting the battery as switching the fridge off at the button inside of the fridge is what's classed as a "soft power off" and does not fully power down the fridge.
I popped back to my converter and he stuck a physical switch in (placed on the kitchen unit behind the drivers seat) so I could reset it easily when needed.
Since getting a new battery last year, I've not had to use the "turn it off and on again" feature!
Good luck!
Unfortunately the age of the battery can be misleading if you don't know its history. You can ruin a new battery quite easily by allowing it to go flat a few times.
Batteries like to be kept at a high state of charge for longevity, I put mine on a smart battery charger weekly if not using the van much.
Batteries like to be kept at a high state of charge for longevity, I put mine on a smart battery charger weekly if not using the van much.
I’m having an issue with my CRX0050 now - when I pressed the power button on Friday the door open light came on and the blue temp setting light but there was a steady orange light which I thought was a bit odd but all looked good otherwise. The food was cool enough 2.5 hours later but not as cold as usual. I didn’t think too much of it as we had arrived at our destination and had a fridge there.
Coming home Sunday I went to turn the van fridge on - all lights as before, including a solid orange, but then it turned itself straight off. Now I cannot get any lights to come on at all.
I have disconnected the leisure battery and reconnected it (it is well charged), have checked all fuses (all good) so am stumped.
Is it just because it’s so cold atm? I would have thought the door light would work even if the condensing/cooling side doesn’t operate? Just seems dead. There were never any blinking lights, just steady orange so looking above that could be temp control unit issue?
Last question does anybody know the best place around Coventry area to fix Dometic fridges?
Coming home Sunday I went to turn the van fridge on - all lights as before, including a solid orange, but then it turned itself straight off. Now I cannot get any lights to come on at all.
I have disconnected the leisure battery and reconnected it (it is well charged), have checked all fuses (all good) so am stumped.
Is it just because it’s so cold atm? I would have thought the door light would work even if the condensing/cooling side doesn’t operate? Just seems dead. There were never any blinking lights, just steady orange so looking above that could be temp control unit issue?
Last question does anybody know the best place around Coventry area to fix Dometic fridges?
How did you check if the battery was well charged. Do you have a battery monitor connected or use a multi meter.
The reason I ask is most fridge problems on this forum turn out to be due to a low supply voltage from the leisure battery.
The reason I ask is most fridge problems on this forum turn out to be due to a low supply voltage from the leisure battery.
To be honest I went on a usb charger plugged into the 12v socket that feeds off the leisure battery and has a digital read out and the fact it has just had a three hour run and the split charger is all working as it should.
Been out and checked it now with a decent multimeter and got 12.5v. I would think that would be enough to at least get the door light working?
Have you checked it's not a fuse or wiring fault before suspecting a failure inside the fridge?
I tested all the fuses I could see. There are four inline fuses (all unmarked) from that area, I assume only one will be for the fridge, and then one (marked) in the Sargent unit in the back - all good according to the multimeter. Access is a pig to test the wiring at the rear with the fridge in situ so I will have a go at sliding it out. Four screws according to the instructions. I can then at least mark up one or two wires too!
The Sargent units heritage is from caravan days when the fridge would be an absorption fridge with a 12v heater only used when driving. So you may find that the fridge isn't connected through this as a lot of compressor fridges are sensitive to voltage drop on start up and are commonly wired quite directly to the battery. Look out for both options if tracing.
I assume you checked the fuses using resistance or continuity setting on the multimeter?
If they are easy to get to might also be worth checking the voltage reading on the upstream side of the fuse holder (assuming you have a handy ground nearby) as this would then rule out any upstream wiring faults or fuses if you get a healthy reading?
If they are easy to get to might also be worth checking the voltage reading on the upstream side of the fuse holder (assuming you have a handy ground nearby) as this would then rule out any upstream wiring faults or fuses if you get a healthy reading?
If you are on EHU you are measuring the charging voltage (which will be higher)
If you want to check the battery let it get fully charged and then let it rest a few hours. I suspect you have an AGM so it should settle around 13.0v
Out of interest do you have start stop - because 12.5v would be the expected voltage of an AGM being charged by a start stop system through a split charge relay.
Thanks for replies so far. I just tested using the continuity setting. I’ll have a go with voltage as you suggest.
No stop-start. It’s a 2014 t5.1.
I think both batteries are standard lead acid rather than AGM. It is a simple split relay system - Victron Cyrix unit.
Cool, so 12.5 roughly 90% charge.
I don't think you're looking at a voltage drop issue, either from the battery or a bad/corroded connection, that would be more likely to leave the fridge mostly powered up but with unable to start compressor faults.
I think a steady light means a temperature sensing fault? If so and you can prove a healthy voltage to the fridge then an issue with the fridge gets more likely.
I don't think you're looking at a voltage drop issue, either from the battery or a bad/corroded connection, that would be more likely to leave the fridge mostly powered up but with unable to start compressor faults.
I think a steady light means a temperature sensing fault? If so and you can prove a healthy voltage to the fridge then an issue with the fridge gets more likely.
Feels that way. So frustrating when you press a button and nothing happens!
The fridge has worked perfectly for two years then this weekend we had the solid orange twice and now nothing at all. The fact no lights come on gave me hope it may be a simple fuse but unless there is one lurking that I still need to find then it will have to go to somebody else for a more in depth investigation.
Thanks for your posts.
Lucas phil84
New Member
Hi did this work on your van
As I have 6 mm wires connected to the dometic ones at the back off fridge , is this the problem .
Thanks
