Vitrifrigo Fridge not working

[Bongo Tong]

Hi there,
I'm just back from a couple of weeks camping and in the past three days my fridge has stopped working although the light still comes on. It usually works both with and without hook up but now it is not running at all. I have checked the fuse, assuming it's the only one with 30 amps, and the trip switches. I think the leisure battery is ok because my interior conversion lights and cigarette lighter/charger is working ok, without hook up. I wonder if the fridge is suffering from damp as we Were away during the very wet weather? The manual suggests pulling it out and making sure it is dry and dust free round the back but it's really hard to push and pull out of the side conversion and I am afraid of damaging it or the wiring.
I've only had it since last November and it's been excellent. Any suggestions?
Bongo Tong

[g8dhe]

Dampness can always cause corrosion problems on electrical connectors and the switch on surge of the compressor will often cause the low voltage detector to cut in and stop operation. Is the fan working in the fridge, if so then suspect voltage drop and check it out with a meter.

[Bongo Tong]

Thanks for the reply.
I couldn't hear the fan at all today when I hooked it up and turned it on. The only sign of life was the light coming on.
I found a suggestion on a forum to pull the fridge out to let it dry out in cas of damp. Do you think that might help? I did not see any sign of water but I have been camping in excessively wet weather in the past two weeks.
Bongo Tong

[g8dhe]

If dampness has got onto the electrical connectors then they will need cleaning just drying won't be sufficient Not sure what other effects dampness could have to be honest as everything else is sealed! The fan normally comes on a few seconds before the compressor will attempt to start running, this might be a minute or two after switching on.

[Bongo Tong]

I've had the battery charge checked and it was very low and needed charging. As I had just driven from Sussex back home in Exeter I think that probably means the battery has had it. Is there anything else I could check? It has a box attached to it which says something about relay switch. Could that be the culprit?
Bongo Tong

[francophile1947]

What system have you got to charge the leisure battery when engine running? I have a Zig panel and it needs to be switched to Towing rather than On Site.

[Bongo Tong]

Not a zig. There is no control for it. When we had a look today the mechanic said it was a relay system. I'll have a look under the bonnet tomorrow and take a photo. The conversion man who set it up is currently on a world trip so I can't ask him!
Bongo Tong

[g8dhe]

He probably is referring to the Split Charge Relay (SCR) that charges the LB when driving.
The fridge however has a low voltage cut-out that stops them draining a flat battery, it stops the fridge running once the voltage on load falls significantly below 12 volts.
Worth checking the two fuses close to each battery that feeds the SCR above, if the battery is/was very low these can sometimes blow when it starts to charge again. Check them and if one fuse has blown then replace BOTH as the other one will be damaged as well and will blow at the next most inconvenient time!

[Bongo Tong]

I can only find one fuse which is between the Relay switch and the two batteries but it does seem to have blown and the battery is still not charged up after 24 hours. I suppose if the fuse blew first then the battery would have run down and the fridge stopped working when the low voltage kicked in?
Bongo Tong

[g8dhe]

Yes that sounds about right BUT there MUST be a fuse close to each battery in the lead that runs to the relay, the fuses need to be close to the battery, otherwise your an accident waiting to happen. If you have a front end shunt any cable connected to a battery is likely to be damaged against the chassis and if not fused is likely to go up in flames - there is very little protection to the front of a Bongo, no engine to absorb any impact....
If your not certain get an Automotive Electrician to check it out, not all garages are conversant with LB and split charge relay setups, and some of the kits sold or installed by garages are just NOT safe.
The normal setup is shown below;

[Bongo Tong]

That's such a helpful diagram, thank you very much. I will look into it further.

[Bongo Tong]

I'm pleased to report that the blown fuse has now been replaced, the battery charged up (it took 48 hours) and the fridge is working as before. I am going to use the fridge more sparingly over the next weekend camp at Bongo Fest South West. I think I over did it using it for a week almost non stop without doing a significant drive in between. I've got some spare fuses and a much better understanding of the system now.
Bongo Tong