HELP! Leaving tomorrow!

[Born2RV]

Oh boy...it figures! We're leaving tomorrow and our Norcold Refrigerator seems to be DEAD!

This afternoon after washing our 2003 Fleetwood Providence, my husband plugged it in to our 30AMP RV plug here at home and turned the refrigerator on AC (Electric). Well, it appears that I forgot to turn off the electric hot water heater when we got home two weeks ago (it's been unplugged all this time), so I'm ASSUMING that the refrigerator blew a fuse??? However, I checked the breakers (located on a panel on the end of the bed) and all are on. I also checked the GFI plug near the bathroom, and that's fine. I even went so far as to unplug the motorhome and plug it back in. Husband said it went on and was working fine when he turned it on.

I pulled out the refrigerator manual, and it said if the panel was dead....to check battery, etc. There are no lights whatsoever on the refrigerator panel! Is there another fuse somewhere that controls just the refrigerator?? Everything else seems to be working.

I PRAY someone has a fix for this!!!

[Sammie]

Have you tried running the fridge on propane?

Sammie

[MJFZ]

First, check to see if you have power at the outlet the refrigerator is plugged into.

Mike

[bdickson]

Originally Posted by Born2RV

Oh boy...it figures! We're leaving tomorrow and our Norcold Refrigerator seems to be DEAD!

This afternoon after washing our 2003 Fleetwood Providence, my husband plugged it in to our 30AMP RV plug here at home and turned the refrigerator on AC (Electric). Well, it appears that I forgot to turn off the electric hot water heater when we got home two weeks ago (it's been unplugged all this time), so I'm ASSUMING that the refrigerator blew a fuse??? However, I checked the breakers (located on a panel on the end of the bed) and all are on. I also checked the GFI plug near the bathroom, and that's fine. I even went so far as to unplug the motorhome and plug it back in. Husband said it went on and was working fine when he turned it on.

I pulled out the refrigerator manual, and it said if the panel was dead....to check battery, etc. There are no lights whatsoever on the refrigerator panel! Is there another fuse somewhere that controls just the refrigerator?? Everything else seems to be working.

I PRAY someone has a fix for this!!!

Norcolds need 12vdc as well as 120vac to operate. As well as checking the breakers, check the 12v fuses too. Also, you said this was just after washing the coach. Did you spray water into the fridge vent by any chance?

[YC1]

Your batteries may be run down. As mentioned you have to have 12 volts for the refer to work. Check your panel to see if the batteries show charged or charging. After getting the batteries charged for a couple of hours you may have to turn the batteries off or disconnect them along with unplugging the shoreline cord to let the refer reset. It could be a confused panel due to low voltage. Much like a computer that goes to blue screen and has to be rebooted. In this case just unplugging the refer will not do a complete reset.

[Born2RV]

Sammie, we can't run it on propane because there isn't any power to the panel to turn it on.

I tried the option of unplugging it.......turning the batteries off.......waiting a bit.....then plugging it back in. No luck. There still isn't any power to the panel. What I can't figure out is why it worked initially when he plugged it in....AFTER he finished washing it. There must be a fuse that I'm missing somewhere....that operates only the refrigerator??

As always, that you so much for all the input! The husband works nights....and he isn't home right now to trouble shoot. Any other ideas????

[bdickson]

Originally Posted by Born2RV

Sammie, we can't run it on propane because there isn't any power to the panel to turn it on.

That is the key. You are missing the 12 volt DC supply to the circuit board. Can you find the fuse panel in the coach? It is very often right next to the 120vac circuit breaker panel.

[clyon51]

In order to run fridge on either gas or electric (120v), you must have 12v in the coach for the 12v control system. 12v is needed to run the fridge, furnace, water heater and AC units even though the fridge runs on 120v as do the AC units and water heater on elec.

So the coach was stored and not plugged in. So the first thing you want to check is the coach battery disconnect. Make sure it is in the connect mode. If it is, your 12v lighting should work and the 12v control systems.

Your coach batteries could be dead if not left plugged in while stored. So, you want to make sure your converter/charger is on. If you have an inverter/charger, that needs to be on also. Either will charge the batteries and supply 12v to the coach.

Once you establish you have 12v, such as interior lights work, you should have control power to the fridge. If not, then you would have a 12v fuse/breaker blown for the fridge circuit. This could be at the 12v breaker panel or a fuse on the fridge control board accessed at the back of the fridge, from the outside panel.

Once the fridge panel lights up, you have 12v control power. It should then work on gas or 120v. Providing the 120v breaker isn't tripped and you have sufficient propane and valves turned on.

Back to the coach batteries. If they were dead, they may come alive and may not. I would charge for at LEAST 24hrs and certainly check water level if they are wet cells.

[Cat320]

12v is the key. Either you don't have any or a fuse is blown...a small one, 10 amp on my refer. As noted earlier, it will not run on AC power without 12v power.

["007"]

The control board on the back of your fridge has a 12v fuse on it that you need to check.
If you have your coach power cable plugged in the converter will supply 12v for fridge to operate even with dead house batteries.
Some fridge locations have a 12v connecting block at base of fridge that you can check to see if you have 12v's to the fridge location from your fuse panel.
You have not said what model Norcold it is. If its the 1200 series and you have the recall box getting it wet will kill the fridge.
You can reset the box with red led by using a magnet to reset the fridge operation.
If you get it going you need to have your food cold before placing in fridge tomorrow fridge needs at least 12 hours to cool down.

[Born2RV]

I hope I've attached the pictures correctly, but when I opened up the outside panel on the refrigerator, there was a red light on that I don't remember seeing before right by a small box that looks like the connection to the 12V. The batteries seem charged.......so I'm thinking we blew a fuse since the electric water heater was on at the same time.

I know where the fuse box is (above the breaker box), but I don't know how to determine which fuse is for the refrigerator.....or if the fuse is actually near the red light on the outside, under the panel. I guess now I have to wait until tomorrow morning when the husband gets up from a few hours of sleep. I'll have to have him show me so I know next time. Please let me know your thoughts on the pictures below. Thank you!!!!

[akadeadeye]

Originally Posted by Born2RV

I hope I've attached the pictures correctly, but when I opened up the outside panel on the refrigerator, there was a red light on that I don't remember seeing before right by a small box that looks like the connection to the 12V. The batteries seem charged.......so I'm thinking we blew a fuse since the electric water heater was on at the same time.

I know where the fuse box is (above the breaker box), but I don't know how to determine which fuse is for the refrigerator.....or if the fuse is actually near the red light on the outside, under the panel. I guess now I have to wait until tomorrow morning when the husband gets up from a few hours of sleep. I'll have to have him show me so I know next time. Please let me know your thoughts on the pictures below. Thank you!!!!

Attachment 43004

Attachment 43005

Attachment 43006

I would follow 007's advice. The red light indicates that the thermal sensor has detected an overheat at the burner and has shut down your frig. If the magnet trick doesn't work you need to go to a service center or search on these boards for how to un-wire it. The recall fix involved installation of this black box with the red light on it. When the light is on your frig will not operate.

I suspect there is a connection between washing the coach and getting water in the vent area thereby shorting out a 12vdc connection.

Good luck to you and we would all be interested as to how you cure this issue. It seems that when we plan a trip and everything is looking ready, up jumps murphy's law.

Don

["007"]

Thats your problem check cooling coil area for any yellow substance around them and reset with magnet.
Your 03 coach may need a new cooling coil in future if no yellow or ammonia smell you maybe good to go, just keep an eye on you fridge in back..
Your water heater is another problem nothing to do with fridge you might have burnt out heating element if no water in hot water tank.

[stink]

Unplug green wire to recall box. Unplug blue wire to ref board and plug green wire in its place. When you return from trip, have ref inspected. You may have gotten water in recall box when you washed coach. The recall box is designed to detect an overheat as some nevercolds have caught fire so, bypassing the recall box as I said how to do is a last resort. This is why I have installed a residential frig in mine.