Fridge not working

[Cooperman19]

Just had a great weekend away however discovered the fringe was not working, every time I pressed to switch it on I could hear it click then revert to showing as being switched off. I am hoping this is just a fuse gone, but would be interested to hear if anyone else has had fridge problems, just incase it's something else. Just ordered the Cali spare fuse set from the shop, a must have me thinks :?:

 

[Stu]

Where you on Hook Up or Battery?

We have found on Battery the fridge gets temperamental when the voltage falls (safety circuit). Charge the battery again and all is well.

 

[Cooperman19]

Hi Stu,

We were originally on battery travelling to site, battery was showing as fully charged, then on hook up on site, neither made any difference. We emptied the fridge and left it a while tried again before reloading but still no change. I'll start with the fuse and hopefully that'll do it, but thanks for the tip will monitor it with battery.

 

[jts46]

If you can hear it click, i think that is the relay clicking to try and start the compressor and hence start fridge working. the click you here is the overheat klaxon switching on/off rather light the domestic fridge/freezer. So i wouldn't think it was a fuse. But i could be wrong

John

 

[Cooperman19]

Okay thanks John, may have to be a trip to the dealers then !! :?: Battery is definitely full, triple checked that, so not sure what else it could be.

 

[Caliboard_CaliPilot]

How are the weater conditions? Was your car exposed (especially the side of the kitchen) to the sun? In hot conditions the power supply fails due to the high temperature if the firdge is running and the batterys needs to be charged.

If this is the case then you could open the maintenance flap in the left kitchen and give the compressor (and the power suupply) some fresh air to cool down, switch off the fride and let the battery charge (ignore the percentage display it's wrong, watch the voltage!)

There is no real fix offered from VW for this, a workaround could be to install a fan which is temperature-controlled and just activated when the compressor of the fridge is runnung.




Another cheap and easy solution could be a aluminium sheet around the temperatur sensor, as a result the compressor starts less often and the the frige will not ice up.



Chris

Please excuse my bad english!

 

[Cooperman19]

Great Thanks Chris will take a look, brilliant useful pictures for a new Cali owner. Hopefully we can sort this out, it's usually something simple. Thanks for the tips.

 

[Cooperman19]

Despite having tried everything without success put the Cali in to the VW dealers today who have told me the fridge is dead, replacement cost £1168 plus VAT. Clearly I have no intention of paying that sort of price my dilemma now is what are the options;

Do nothing and buy a cool box instead
Look for a cheap replacement, e bay etc…
Look for an independent dealer who can supply and fit for a lot less

Answers on a postcard please, very frustrating

 

[calikev]

I would get a second opinion from a fridge engineer it's only the same as a normal fridge

 

[jts46]

Have a look through the posts under kitchen equipment, you will find a company that repairs fridge i think it was "penguin refrigeration"
It is only a domestic fridge adapted for the cali

John

 

[Caliboard_CaliPilot]

Despite having tried everything without success put the Cali in to the VW dealers today who have told me the fridge is dead, replacement cost £1168 plus VAT. Clearly I have no intention of paying that sort of price my dilemma now is what are the options;

Do nothing and buy a cool box instead
Look for a cheap replacement, e bay etc…
Look for an independent dealer who can supply and fit for a lot less

Answers on a postcard please, very frustrating

I heard a lot of broken stuff in the German community but a broken fridge is new to me. Did they say anything about what is exactly broken?

If you like i will ask some of our users if they have some hints. When you switch the fridge on, do you hear where the click comes from?

Chris

 

[Cooperman19]

Hi all,

Many thanks once again for all of the help and suggestions, I will get a second opinion and check out the old posts for the engineers mentioned, I am fairly confident that this can be sorted out. Agreed, these things are built so well, perhaps it was in the far too difficult box for the guys who looked at it. The clicking sound seems to be coming from the fridge itself or certainly behind the drivers seat.

In fairness, for a VW van centre (Bury St Edmunds) they spent 3 hours looking at it and didn't charge me a penny which was a pleasant surprise, so not all bad.

Will continue in my quest and update you as we progress.

Very much appreciate all of your help

 

[Andy]

VW always want to sell new fridge. They do not do component repairs. Penguine frigo is way to go, very helpful people. They will help you diagnose & post you parts.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

 

[Cooperman19]

Obliged Andy, already e mailed them and awaiting the response, thanks once again

 

[Andy]

Obliged Andy, already e mailed them and awaiting the response, thanks once again

You've welcome & good luck.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

 

[Bladerunner169]

£1400 for a mini fridge :cool NOT!

 

[Cooperman19]

Latest update,

Been in touch with Penguin who have been brilliant and can't do enough, so thanks a great recommendation with a likely sensible outcome. They are aware of many Cali electrical problems with the fridge, and have actually got one going into them next week, so will be updating me thereafter. They have engineers throughout the country who can visit and carry out repairs, mine is based in Ipswich just 20 mins away.

I have shared their response below and attached their check list which is useful for anyone with similar problems;

Thanks for your enquiry. We have provided some support for these fridges where we can but we have never actually looked at one in situ so don’t have the full picture. The problem is electrical and this may be the electrical box on the compressor. I have attached the fault finding diagnostics for the Danfoss controller which will explain how to test the compressor’s electrical box.
Kind regards,
Zeb Elliott

Penguin logo HEADER
Tel +44 (0) 2392 453430

 

[Cooperman19]

Just an update with some very good news.

Penguin recommended a local Fridge specialist in Ipswich, just returned after having a thorough check carried out, fridge is working fine, the leisure battery was causing the fault it 's on the blink, so delighted that all I now have to do is replace the leisure battery.

Can anyone recommend the best type of leisure battery, and where best to go to get one, I am anticipating it will be a specific size if it's under the drivers seat and possibly unique to VW?

Any advice would be much appreciated,

Thanks to all

 

[Cooperman19]

Forgot to mention, for anyone local to Ipswich can't recommend this guy enough.

Paul Meecham

Haven Refrigeration
Lady Haven
Newcut East
Ipswich
IP3 0EA

Tel….07968 378231

Specialises in boats and campervans

 

[Pyabies]

Can anyone help! The fridge works absolutely fine one day and then a week or day month later I will switch it in (batteries new and fully charged) and fridge will click on and then go off after a couple of seconds. It will do this every time and stay on for different periods of time from 1 second to minutes then switch off. What is the fault ps batteries full !!!!! HELP, NEED COLD BEER

 

[Pyabies]

Does this fridge fault have anything to do with earth shunt fault.

 

[AlanC]

This could be down the outside temperature. if it is cooler or as cool as the fridge setting, then the fridge doesn't need to work hard.

Try turning the temp down on the control panel, i.e. move it up to 4 or 5 initially.
Then fridge has to work harder to drop the temp below the outside temp. It may well work for longer.
Worth a try.

Alan

 

[Spud]

Currently at our local VW centre, after having batteries checked fully as roof elevating problem I have been assured they are fine, now the fridge isn't working and we are ready packed to go to the Oxford meet fuming!!!!

 

[ADevon]

Hi there
Did you get anywhere with this? We seem to have a very similar problem. Fridge works fine on 5,6 & max. On settings 1-4 there is either no response (compressor starting) from the controller or the compressor starts but turns off after a short while, not to come back on regardless of fridge temperature. Leisure battery showing 12.6 volts.
Adrian

 

[Duncan]

Best thing you can buy for your fridge is one of the thermometers in the club shop, we thought ourt fridge was not working and went into VW several times, the tech finally explained how the fridge works and it will only cut in when needed, if the temperature is correct it will just act like a cool box unless you turn it up or the temp increases. I suspect this is why they are so expensive to replace and why they are so economical to run.