Bongo Fury

Sorry for abrupt tone - using iPhone key pad.

On hook up - fridge working well
Driving - should work from solar panel, but defrosts
Arrive at site - on hook up, will not start. Remove Zig fuse to check it, okay, put fuse back in fridge reboots.

Happened several times, take out fuse, put it back in fridge starts.

In Italy and France.

Any ideas? Ta.

Which ZIG unit do you have ? Photo's are good. Is your leisure battery OK? Do you have a Split Charge Relay ? Photo's of the setup help as every installation is a bit different!

Thanks Geoff, I'll try and post some pictures when on WiFi.

It's a CF9.

On site now and hooked up. Fridge working fine.

Rocker switch 1 set to On
Rocker switch 2 set to Caraven Battery
Mains rocker switch set to On Charger and Fridge Only
Charger rocker switch set to On

Generally when driving

Rocker switch 1 set to Off
Mains rocker switch set to Off

BillyCasper wrote:Sorry for abrupt tone - using iPhone key pad.

On hook up - fridge working well
Driving - should work from solar panel, but defrosts

Do you really have the fridge wired directly to the solar controller, as you appear to suggest? That would not be advisable. The solar panel should be connected, via the solar controller, to the leisure battery, to charge it, and the leisure battery to the fridge (either via the zig or, as some have done, directly).

If the fridge is defrosting whilst driving, it may be due to a dead or flat leisure battery (do you have a split charging system? could it, or the alternator, be failing?/kaput).

If you really do have the fridge wired to the solar controller, not the leisure battery, the panel may be unable to push out enough constant power to keep the fridge on or to prevent the fridge safety cut-off from triggering due to low voltage.

I hope you get this sorted soon.

Thanks for replying.

My understanding is there are two solar controller cables, one to the leisure battery and one to the solar panel.

On the move, I have had the Zig 12v switch set to off as the manual states "Note that the fridge is independently wired and is not controlled by this switch."

When the Zig 12v is on, the leisure battery displays a green light - normal.

Good. That sounds like the fridge is not directly connected to solar power.

I would, in the first instance, simply flick that 12v switch to 'on', when not on hook-up, drive (indeed, check before driving) and see what happens. If, as the manual states, the fridge is not connected to it, nothing will happen at all. If the manual is wrong (if the installation has been altered) you may find that the fridge works when driving (and when stationary, without hook-up).

I hope that a member with experience of this particular zig unit comes on and offers their support.

Please try and keep us updated - any further small extra detail may help a member identify the solution.

I have a CF9 and find that the right hand charger switch needs to be pushed in at the top to work when driving, thus charging the leisure battery and working your fridge. Push the bottom in to the "On site" position when on EHU.

Thanks for the tips.

I'll be on the road tomorrow. I'll try:

1. 12v switch - On
2. Set to Caravan Battery
3. Mains - Off
4. Set to Up Towing

Regards

May I ask the type/model of fridge you have? The zig unit is quite an old piece of kit, designed when the three-way fridges that are more commonly found in VWs were prevalent. These are of the absorption variety and are power-hungry, more-so than modern compressor models so are not wired into zigs (operating on gas or 240v hook-up what stationary).

If you have an absorption fridge, or a three-way, this is likely to be the reason for it not being wired to the zig (as per the manual). If you have a compressor fridge, there is no reason for it not to be wired to the zig (if you wish to rewire it) as power consumption is relatively low.

For now then, Francophile is likely to be right - there should be a switch combination that should allow the leisure battery to power the fridge and (another combination?) to charge the leisure battery when driving. But, if it is an absorption fridge, when you park up, without hook-up, it will flatten your battery in only a few hours. All this, of course, presumes your leisure battery is okay and is charging correctly when driving and/or on hook-up.

The VW forums have a heap of posts relating to the zig and to absorption and three-way fridges, if you are wanting to learn more.

Good luck.

The fridge is a Vitrifrigo C42L.

That is a straight 12 volt device. It should be wired into the CF9 in the standard way.
Do you have a the manual for the CF9 if not the file is here http://www.g8dhe.net/bongo_images/zig/Z ... al.org.pdf

I had a similar problem with my bongo, auto electricians ended up cleaning up the contacts on the zig unit, including the fuse units, they said after a while with all the condensation in the bongo caused by sleeping in it, any terminals in the the van, are liable to this problem after a few years of use if you camp regularly. If everything is new ignore this post.