# Fridge and Starting problem,Help Please,Stuck in Croatia !



## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

Hi can anyone help. 

Noticed this morning whilst driving the fridge light off whilst in battery mode. worked if put onto gas. 

Made a couple of stops for shopping on our way to campsite. now motorhome will not start. flat drive battery. we guess that both problems are linked. anyone out there know the answer? 

We had a new drive battery fitted in june and 80 watt solar panel fitted to leisure batteries. 

checked fuses they all look ok. we have been out since june with a mix of wild camping and ehu cannot see anything different with what we did yesterday. 

on my kindle so message may be a bit wobbly. 

sue

I have posted this for my friends, it's a Fiat based Frankia,circa 1992.


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## stu7771 (Jul 22, 2011)

I can add that now we have been jumped started and are at camp site the fridge is working on ehu as well as gas.

bigtrre posted for me as unable to sort message on kindle with no internet

sue


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## trek (May 1, 2005)

ok so thinking aloud here:-

please explain what exactly do you mean by fridge light ?
do you mean Light inside cabinet that switches on when door is opened or an indicator that illuminates when set to 12 v mode ?

if it works on gas then it has a good 12volt supply from the leisure battery (does fridge have light inside when you open door - does it have any led indicators that light up)

does all the other motorhome electrics work ok ?

when engine running then this should run fridge via 12volt supply from engine system .(alternator & engine battery) and controlled via a relay

fridge when on 12volt mode has the potential to drain the engine battery if the engine is not running & the relay is stuck- though the spanner in works is the fact that the light (what ever it is ) does not work

I would suggest that you don't use the fridge on 12volt mode & try to get the engine battery recharged via EHU or Solar etc? 

then try to find out what is wrong

what fridge do you have - is it a mannual model or an AES automatic energy selection one


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## trek (May 1, 2005)

I see you have a Frankia

What model Schaudt controller & display do you have ?

does this all appear to be working correctly?

(this wont have anything to do with your fridge issue but does the solar panel connect into the Schaudt via a Schaudt solar regulator eg LRS1218 as this would charge both batteries or does it connect to the leisure battery via some other controller)


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## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

Trek,

It's a 1992 model Frankia,I don't think you got a modern Schaudt controller back then and definitely not an LR1218.


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## trek (May 1, 2005)

Hi Bigtree

yes I just spotted the other thread thats currently running from STU7771 regarding the battery selection switch. so no point in digging out my Schaudt wiring diagrams.


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## Finola (May 5, 2012)

The fridge may well have refused to run on 12v due to insufficient voltage. I.e a safety mechanism that would protect it from totally flattening the battery.

The fridge may be a symptom of a fault rather than the cause.

Once jump started, does the vehicle charge? A bit old school but with no multi meter and in the absence of the any dash warning lights do the headlamps dim and brighten when the engine is revved from idle?

Can you check the connections on the back of the alternator?

Depending on the age, the older basic systems wouldn't charge if the dash bulb blew as the bulb circuit excited the alternators field.

Does your dash light show when you key on before starting, then go out once started?

I'd be going down that route personally, do you have a separate domestic battery as the fridge if faulty should only drain that and not flatten the start battery.

Sorry, more questions than answers, but it's difficult when you heads not under the bonnet.


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## trek (May 1, 2005)

Hi Finola

thats a very good suggestion to check if the ignition lamp lights on the dash board before the engine is started when the key turned.
and goes out when engine starts

( A friend had battery charging problems many years ago & it was that bulb in the dash that had failed )


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## ched999uk (Jan 31, 2011)

I would guess it's that alternator. You probably just need the diode and regulator pack. If you have a multimeter you could measure battery voltage (should be 12V minimum) then get jump start, disconnect leads and see what voltage your vehicle battery is (should be 13+v) if it's not then your alternator isn't providing charge. 

A couple of thinks you might be able to check.
Both battery terminals (cables) are tight on their connection posts (battery).
The thick cable from alternator is firmly attached.
The thin (maybe 2) cables to alternator are firmly attached.
There should be a thick cable from the chassis of vehicle to engine. This also needs to be tight.

If all connections are good I would bet on alternator. 

Good Luck.


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## TIM57 (Feb 11, 2012)

Check alternator and leads to battery would be my guess, including the belt driving the alternator.
TJ
As suggested by previous post


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## stu7771 (Jul 22, 2011)

Hi thanks for all the suggestions.

Next job this morning isto check over all the leads and alternator.

to answer any question posted the light i mention is on the manual selector of the elecrolux fridge with options. off battery gas or ehu.

the solar panal is an add on installedby ourselves conected via control box to lesiure batteries.

we did have our trickle charger wth us on the first half ofour trip. seems we did not pack it in june. will the drive battery charge whilst on ehu without a charger.

we are on the island of krk north croatia if a garage is needed dse anyone know of one near by.

we do have our pcx scooter so can travel a bit to sort it out.

ill let you know how we get on


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## thegamwellsmythes (Jul 29, 2008)

Check that the black cable from the battery has a good connection to the vehicle chassis/bodywork.

We had a charging problem a while ago which was due to the earth cable having a very loose connection to the bodywork. We tightened this up by adding some washers and haven't had a problem since.

The battery won't charge properly if the earth connection isn't good.

As you had a new vehicle battery not long ago it could be that it wasn't tightened up properly.

It sounds like the alternator works so this could be the issue.

Good luck anyhow. There are worse places to be temporarily stuck.


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

It sounds to me that it is an alternator problem

We brokedown in Italy in February. The vehicle was going OK and we were in blizard conditions with heater, wiper, headlamps all going full belt. We stalled at a Toll and when I checked the vehicle battery was showing 8v. 

We had a new doide pack fitted in Piacenza and everything was fine again. However it had destroyed the vehicle battery in the process. It would not accept charge. Which went first I do not know. We had no warning lights come on until the vehicle had stopped.

The fridge would cut out in these circumstances as the relay would not be energised by the alternator.
The fridge is powered by the starer battery when in 12v mode but this disconnects if the battery voltage falls below the limit set by the relay. which recieves its power from the alternator D terminal.

Diesels no not need much electrical power (if any) to run. 

John


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## stu7771 (Jul 22, 2011)

Thanks to all who replied with suggestions.

update

all leads and earth as they should be

ignition light on dash comes on when key urned.

we are off to see a garage on the island the camp site have phoned ahead and we think they have said they have an altenator in stock.

also off to find battery charger.

son is amechaic in uk and he has sorted one out if we need to and he can post it over to us.

would be nice to know for sureit is the alternator before getting one sentout to us. hense the charger.

we did get jump started yesterday but w had to do that straight onto the starter motor.

would have prefered for it not to happen bt at least we do not have to be at missano for the next moto gp race until 13september.

sue


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## stu7771 (Jul 22, 2011)

*Sort of fixed*

Hi just to let you know we got mh to a garage and after they checked a number of things (all mentioned in replies). They replaced the diode and regulator do not know how long they may last. Being on island they had to use used parts but as we had said we needed it back that day.

They also replaced the buld to the battery warning light in dash.

But we still do not have the fridge working on battery on the drive homw. We did manage to find a battery charger and had charged her up the night before.

Thanks Sue


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