Dometic CFX 325 not getting to temp on leisure battery

[Melanie Day]

We have T6 Beach with a new CFX 325 dometic fridge.

The fridge doesn't seem to be cooling when on just the leisure battery ... It's plugged in 12v behind passenger seat.

The voltmeter plugged into the 12v near sliding door says 12.7.

There is a * symbol on the fridge and then it keeps showing me the temp which is 8 degrees rather than 4 degrees it is set at.

Any ideas?

We plugged it into some other 12v sockets and the fridge came on to decrease the temperature. I don't want to drain the main battery ....which ones are safe to use?

Thanks

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[splitmike]

If its not a compressor fridge and only has cooling plate these can only take out a certain amount of heat from he absent temperature around it.

 

[yossarian]

It's not easy reading but here is the manual: https://www.dometic.com/assets/96/30/dometiccfx3_opm_4445103157_emea16_2021-02-01_79630.pdf

If I were you I might try setting it up over bluetooth to see if that is more intuitive?

 

[Shuftie]

Does it function OK on AC power? I have a similar unit that refused to run on 12V because of the voltage drop from the socket to the unit itself.

This topic is discussed here

I shortened the 12V cable by cutting about 2 feet off it and soldering it back together again - worked fine after that.

 

[yossarian]

Does it function OK on AC power? I have a similar unit that refused to run on 12V because of the voltage drop from the socket to the unit itself.

This topic is discussed here

I shortened the 12V cable by cutting about 2 feet off it and soldering it back together again - worked fine after that.

If getting EHU is a problem, based on @Shuftie 's info, you could try reducing your battery protection to medium or low. Page 13 in the manual.

 

[Melanie Day]

It's not easy reading but here is the manual: https://www.dometic.com/assets/96/30/dometiccfx3_opm_4445103157_emea16_2021-02-01_79630.pdf

If I were you I might try setting it up over bluetooth to see if that is more intuitive?

The Bluetooth was already set up but we turned it off to see if that would help.

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[Melanie Day]

If getting EHU is a problem, based on @Shuftie 's info, you could try reducing your battery protection to medium or low. Page 13 in the manual.

We have changed battery protection but it doesn't make a difference. The fridge works when plugged in to hook up or when using the 12v on dash but I fear this one is connected to main battery.

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[WelshGas]

We have changed battery protection but it doesn't make a difference. The fridge works when plugged in to hook up or when using the 12v on dash but I fear this one is connected to main battery.

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You say the voltmeter plugged into the socket by the sliding door shows 12.7v?
What does the voltmeter say if plugged into the socket behind the passenger seat and the Dashboard?

 

[Melanie Day]

You say the voltmeter plugged into the socket by the sliding door shows 12.7v?
What does the voltmeter say if plugged into the socket behind the passenger seat and the Dashboard?

It says 12.7 behind passenger seat (which is where we had it) and 12.7 on top of dashboard.

Front dash by the heater as fan is 12.2.

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[WelshGas]

It says 12.7 behind passenger seat (which is where we had it) and 12.7 on top of dashboard.

Front dash by the heater as fan is 12.2.

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OK. So the Top Dashboard and Passenger seat sockets are powered by the Leisure Battery.
The socket by the heater fan is from the Engine Battery.

So does the fridge work as it should, to the required temperature, using the Top Dashboard socket or the sliding door socket?
If it does then the Passenger seat socket has probably got a high resistance and cannot supply the required current for full operation, but will be OK for charging phones etc:
The best option is to get a dedicated , fused, connection direct to the Leisure battery under the passenger seat, either using a 12v socket or using Anderson plug and socket , the Anderson plug replacing the 12v plug on the fridge lead.

 

[Melanie Day]

Thanks for your help.
We managed to find a long hook up cable we can use from a kind camper for this stay so can be sure we don't drain main battery.


Will look at the other options when we get back.

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[Nolan]

I've got a smaller fridge in my Beach but after looking in the archives here I added a direct connection to the leisure battery (fused) using Anderson connectors. Have a search when you get home.

 

[Kemper-van]

Did you try the 12v socket in the boot?

had something similar: compressor fridge would not start when using the socket behind sliding door. You could hear the fridge starting, but it would fall in error if not on EHU. With EHU and while driving: no issues at all

Changed plug-in to the boot and worked again like it should. Was wondering if the socket at sliding door maybe has a lower power rating…

 

[WelshGas]

Did you try the 12v socket in the boot?

had something similar: compressor fridge would not start when using the socket behind sliding door. You could hear the fridge starting, but it would fall in error if not on EHU. With EHU and while driving: no issues at all

Changed plug-in to the boot and worked again like it should. Was wondering if the socket at sliding door maybe has a lower power rating…

They all have the same rating but it could be a bad soldered joint on the socket giving a high resistance.

 

[Melanie Day]

Did you try the 12v socket in the boot?

had something similar: compressor fridge would not start when using the socket behind sliding door. You could hear the fridge starting, but it would fall in error if not on EHU. With EHU and while driving: no issues at all

Changed plug-in to the boot and worked again like it should. Was wondering if the socket at sliding door maybe has a lower power rating…

Thanks will try when get home.

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[Amarillo]

Connect this to your leisure battery, and fit with a 20a fuse. £10.16 from AT Leads and Looms Ltd.

Snip off the cigar lighter from your fridge's 12v lead, and fit an Anderson connector. £4.03.

Join the two Anderson connectors.

Set the fridge to "Lo".

Your fridge problems should be over.

 

[Melanie Day]

View attachment 83634
Connect this to your leisure battery, and fit with a 20a fuse. £10.16 from AT Leads and Looms Ltd.

Snip off the cigar lighter from your fridge's 12v lead, and fit an Anderson connector. £4.03.

Join the two Anderson connectors.

Set the fridge to "Lo".

Your fridge problems should be over.

Thanks so much will try this... Well my other half will!

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[kp64zl]

View attachment 83634
Connect this to your leisure battery, and fit with a 20a fuse. £10.16 from AT Leads and Looms Ltd.

Snip off the cigar lighter from your fridge's 12v lead, and fit an Anderson connector. £4.03.

Join the two Anderson connectors.

Set the fridge to "Lo".

Your fridge problems should be over.

That’s exactly what I did & never had a problem

 

[Amarillo]

That’s exactly what I did & never had a problem

Do you also have an extension, concealed under the trim, to the jack cavity in the boot?

Our setup is this:
1. Battery to Anderson with 50a fuse.
2. Anderson to 2x Anderson, one with 20a fuse.
1 & 2 within the battery cavity, the 50a fuse is to protect the battery, the 20a fuse to protect the fridge.
3. Long Anderson to Anderson concealed under trim to boot jack cavity.
4. Anderson to 2x Anderson, one with 20a fuse.
5. Long Anderson to Anderson under the trim to the tailgate loom, out of the loom through a small induction and across the tailgate to the awning, through a small hole drilled in the awning casing where the Anderson connector sits in a cavity.
6. Anderson to 20a fused Anderson and 5a fused Vango lighting connector.
7. Various lighting and Anderson extension leads.

We can place the fridge behind the front passenger seat, under the multiflex, below the awning or several metres away in the driveaway awning. We can also fix Vango’s external lighting under the awning canopy or in the driveaway awning or both.

During our recent camping trip to the West Country we had the fridge behind the passenger seat for travel, then in the driveaway awning when camped. We had a switched light under the canopy and separately switched lights in the driveaway awning.

When we drove away for the day we moved the fridge from the kitchen area of the driveaway awning into the boot.

 

[kp64zl]

No I don’t - would like a way to extend the fridge out of van into awning but haven’t organised that yet.