Dodgy fridge or battery (Beach)

[RoB5urf]

Hi, our little Dometic CDF11 has started switching off indicating low voltage. When I've checked the battery with my plugin voltage display it shows around 12.6v. When I start driving or hookup the fridge starts working again. I can change the fridge power cutout setting to cut out at a lower voltage but am reluctant to do so.

So I'm now not sure whether the battery or fridge are at fault (and whether my voltage checker is reliable).

Any thoughts as to how I check?

The leisure battery is the original which is now around 5.5 years old.

Thanks

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Hi, our little Dometic CDF11 has started switching off indicating low voltage. When I've checked the battery with my plugin voltage display it shows around 12.6v. When I start driving or hookup the fridge starts working again. I can change the fridge power cutout setting to cut out at a lower voltage but am reluctant to do so.

So I'm now not sure whether the battery or fridge are at fault (and whether my voltage checker is reliable).

Any thoughts as to how I check?

The leisure battery is the original which is now around 5.5 years old.

Thanks

Fully charged battery without engine running should measure at 12.6 volts or above. When the engine is running, this should show 13.7 to 14.7 volts.

Fridge cutout should be set to lower voltage with a leisure battery, as the fridge will not run the engine battery flat and leave you stranded.

 

[RoB5urf]

Thanks, but with Low / Med settings my fridge will cut out when the voltage is 10.1 and 11.4v respectively which could impact the health of the battery IMO. I know the engine battery is not affected. I guess I just wanted to know whether these cheap, plug volt meters are reliable or whether there is a right or wrong way to use them.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

We had an issue with Dometic CFX35 cutting out periodically when using the van 12v sockets, so wired fridge direct to leisure battery with a fused connection and have not had an issue since; put it down to VW using the thinnest gauge cable that they could get way with to keep costs down!

 

[paul_f]

I have a CDF as well.
The problem is the voltage drop in the wiring when it switches on so it then turns off.

Either set it to the middle or low setting, or run larger diameter cables to the fridge

 

[sidepod]

Fridge cutout should be set to lower voltage with a leisure battery, as the fridge will not run the engine battery flat and leave you stranded.

Eh?
Split charge perhaps?

 

[RoB5urf]

Ok thanks guys. My main concern was running down the battery. I've had the fridge for >4 years and it's been pretty reliable so it's odd it's started playing up now. Been thinking about hard wiring it for ages mainly to free up the lighter socket.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Eh?
Split charge perhaps?

You can set the cutoff voltage on the fridge control panel. If plugged into 12v socket in a car with one battery ( no leisure) you change the fridge cutout to a higher voltage to prevent it from draining the engine battery. For a Cali you would normally use the lower voltage setting on the fridge control panel.

 

[sidepod]

Why would you connect a fridge to the starter battery?

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Why would you connect a fridge to the starter battery?

Some people also use them in cars, plugged into 12v socket in boot.

 

[sidepod]

The point I was trying to make was, the OP has a Beach and therefore a split charge system on its leisure battery and therefore impossible to flatten the starter battery…….so why were you suggesting alternative settings to protect the starter battery?

 

[Ken Barlowned]

We had this problem with our 5.1SE. Through trail and error I managed to find there was a fuse under the passenger seat that had gone. Basically, everything worked as it should on EHU including display showing that we were hooked up etc.. BUT with the fuse out the leisure batteries were not charging as they should. It was a large green 30A fuse as far as I recall.