Dometic 2351

[barney73]

my dometic 2351 frig will not cool or freeze in electric or gas mode. only three years old, used maybe 8-10 times. replaced the 3 and 5 amp fuses on rear panel; still not working. any ideas?

[Martian]

What shape are your batteries in if you are not hooked up to shore power? Both need 12 volts to run.

[barney73]

we were plugged into 110 at campground and frig would not cool. lived out of coolers for a week, then came home and plugged into 110 . on/off light on panel works, but no cooling. tried gas, still no cooling. changed small fuses in rear panel to no avail. prior to pulling unit out and having it rebuilt, I thought I'd see if there is anything else I can do. rebuild is @ $ 500

[rffowler55]

We are going through a similar issue now. We had an RV technician confirm that our refrigerator had a leak in the cooling unit resulting in all of the ammonia escaping. He pointed out a couple of yellow stains at the bottom of the LP heating unit that he stated confirms the ammonia has leaked and we need to either replace the cooling unit or replace the entire refrigerator. We have decided to go with a residential, all electric, model that will give us additional cubic feet of capacity in a similar footprint.

[Old-Biscuit]

Visually inspect backside of fridge particularly around burner area for yellowish residue ----cooling unit leak (Fridge is DONE for!)
Caution: residue is toxic handle wet to clean up

AC & DC fuses on circuit board are good

SO.....here are your options to test

Thermistor....unplug the 2 leads on circuit board and run fridge for 12hRS
Freezer & Food Compartment get cold---replace thermistor--replace with Snip-The-Tip Rheostat

NO cooling then you need to Force Cool
Force Cooling is by unplugging the electric element leads from circuit board
Plug the leads directly into the 120VAC outlet (unplug the fridge AC cord)
This will energize the element continuously...fridge will get cold if cooling unit is capable of cooling
Run direct for 12 hrs......CHECK occasionally cause ALL controls are bypassed

Fridge gets COLD......circuit board bad---replace with Dinosaur Electronics board


Manual for your fridge
https://www.gas-refrigerators.com/pdf/RM2351-manual.pdf




Off Level Operation even for 20 minutes can cause overheating of the coolant....cause formation of crystals that plate off inside the cooling unit tubing...creates more obstructions...more overheating etc etc etc

[barney73]

Great feedback from all! I will begin the process of elimination first thing tomorrow. considering having unit totally rebuilt by a company a few hrs. away at a cost of about $ 500. having never done any troubleshooting on refrigeration, i'm not sure I'm capable....though my wife says I'm pretty handy! thanks for all of your help. blessings to you all.

[barney73]

Hey Old Biscuit, what / where are the two leads to the board? are they the two heavier black wires along the bottom going to heater and neutral? My paperwork doesn't seem to match the circuit board exactly. one fan? no fan? Hope I can do this...with help from guys like you. Thanks again!

[barney73]

I unplugged the P2 harness from the thermisor / sensor . hope that will determine whether thermisor is bad or not. plugged camper into outlet and turned on 'frig. now I wait....

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by barney73

I unplugged the P2 harness from the thermisor / sensor . hope that will determine whether thermisor is bad or not. plugged camper into outlet and turned on 'frig. now I wait....

YES...the P2 connector is for the thermistor. 2 white leads

Let fridge run for at least 12hrs then check for cooling in freezer & food compartment
If cooling...replace thermistor
https://www.snip-the-tip.com/cgi-bin/articca.cgi


If not cooling then plug thermistor P2 back on the board

Unplug the 2 heavy Black Leads for element...J7 & J8 terminals on board
Plug those leads into the 120VAC outlet and force cool
Element direct bypasses all controls so element is energized continuously
If cooling unit is capable of cooling freezer & food compartment WILL get COLD
Run for 12 hrs

No cooling........cooling unit is Dead
Cooling....circuit board is bad

Dometic 2351 Manual
Wiring on pg 16
https://www.gas-refrigerators.com/pdf/RM2351-manual.pdf