Fridge not working

ADevon · Apr 17, 2016

Worked fine for the past 5 years .... only just started playing up - something strange happening.

jts46 · Apr 17, 2016

Bought one of these of eBay, does the job for me if needed
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-Digi...781867?hash=item51e3895f6b:g:~zcAAOSw2GlXEnog

sbmcd · May 16, 2016

ADevon said:
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

We are experiencing exactly the same problem, took it to vw edinburgh who thought as I did it was a controller problem, turn knob worked irratically, new controller now fitted but fridge still only works on setting 5 or above. New fridge now to be fitted under warranty, on back order from VW.

zisdorf · Aug 8, 2016

Hi all,
On our first long trip with our CA, and our fridge is (was) experiencing the inability to turn on like others on this thread. Maybe a searcher can take comfort in similar symptoms, maybe a poster can inform us of something we don't understand. Here's our situation:

- battery charged by German VW dealer, but then we didn't charge ourselves
- set up at a music festival, no hookups, for first 3 nights of our trip
- fridge was on for the 8 hour drive but turned off sometime in the middle of the night
- control panel reads 10.5v and 70% battery
- won't turn back on, even with car on. Light turns on for 1 second, we hear a click, and it's off afaik
- Once driving again, fridge won't turn on - same 1 second off behavior
- 4 hours of driving still won't turn on......until, I look up this thread and turn it on at temperature setting 6 (thanks @ADevon for the tip!!). Now it'll turn on at any temperature (still driving now)

Is this only the battery not being fully charged? Or is it possible there's something wrong with our fridge??

(Ps, we're 3 weeks past the due date of renewing our warranty - we decided it wasn't worth the 1850€. Really really hope for own sanity the fridge isn't broken...)

sbmcd · Aug 8, 2016

We had a similar problem with our fridge this year, van just over 2 years old, used to be brilliant at setting 2 even in hot European temps but then would not operate on anything but settings 5 or 6. VW fitted new controller first as fridge seemed to function ok, problem not solved, then new fridge, problem solved.

zisdorf · Aug 9, 2016

Ah, thanks @sbmcd. This seems like an often-enough problem that VW should stand behind it in- or out-of warranty. Anyone have any idea how much a new fridge costs (including labour)?

sbmcd · Aug 9, 2016

zisdorf said:
Ah, thanks @sbmcd. This seems like an often-enough problem that VW should stand behind it in- or out-of warranty. Anyone have any idea how much a new fridge costs (including labour)?

Sorry no idea, I was told it was easy to replace as it comes as a unit that drops in.

SimonB · Nov 12, 2016

I have a wifi thermometer in my fridge to check it is working as sometimes it is as warm in the fridge as the inside of the Cali is.
I've just come back from Snowdonia and it was pretty cold up there, but the fridge was at 5C for a bit of the time and frozen items in the fridge defrosted rather quickly.
The fridge was on setting 5 at the time. I never heard the fridge come on whilst I was sitting near it.
I noticed on the outside of the van a patch water droplets that appeared different to those on the rest of the vehicle at about the site where the fridge is located. I had a 4 pint container of milk sitting in the fridge pressed up tight to the nearside to keep it upright. Would this affect the temperature sensor at all? I moved the milk away from the side wall and the fridge appeared to work better.
Does anyone think that a cold block of something could make the sensor think the fridge is colder than it really is?

snowy55 · Nov 12, 2016

What temperature were you wanting the fridge to be?

SimonB · Nov 12, 2016

I was thinking about 1-3C was reasonable as you would with a domestic fridge. It was the apparent change in the temperature when I moved the milk bottle away from the back wall of the fridge, nearside of the Cali, that surprised me.

snowy55 · Nov 12, 2016

SimonB said:
I was thinking about 1-3C was reasonable as you would with a domestic fridge. It was the apparent change in the temperature when I moved the milk bottle away from the back wall of the fridge, nearside of the Cali, that surprised me.

The back wall of the fridge is the area that forms ice in mine sometimes so I always thought that the cooling element was behind there.
1-3c sounds a bit low to me, where abouts in the fridge are you measuring that temp, top-middle-bottom?
We run ours at 8c measured in the top basket which is 3 or 4 on the dial and gives 5c in the bottom.

SimonB · Nov 12, 2016

The sender unit is in the back of the basket, so about 6" up from the floor of the fridge and at the back where the ice forms in mine sometimes too.
The unit has a max/min feature which you can zero when you like and before I moved the milk carton it stayed above 4C, after I moved it the temp varied from a low of 1C to a high of 4C.
The frozen food was right at the bottom and was an ice brick on Saturday when I put it in there with some ice packs, but had thawed out by Sunday night.

gooseyj · Sep 30, 2017

Hi had the same problem not used the van for a while had a solar panel connected and panel read 100% but the fridge kept clicking off so after checking the VW club site for info on the problem, plugged into a shore supply and left the Van on charge for half an hour, went back fridge started ok and is now running fine. VW club THANKS! for the info, my Cali is 11 years old problem sorted domestic batteries duff, I have 2 off them.
Anyone any idea the cost of the batteries? or can recommend a non VW battery.

WelshGas · Sep 30, 2017

gooseyj said:
Hi had the same problem not used the van for a while had a solar panel connected and panel read 100% but the fridge kept clicking off so after checking the VW club site for info on the problem, plugged into a shore supply and left the Van on charge for half an hour, went back fridge started ok and is now running fine. VW club THANKS! for the info, my Cali is 11 years old problem sorted domestic batteries duff, I have 2 off them.
Anyone any idea the cost of the batteries? or can recommend a non VW battery.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/changing-the-leisure-batteries.20839/

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/replacing-leisure-batteries.10115/

Details and costs in the above threads.

simonthudson · Jul 14, 2021

Cooperman19 said:
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

Has any body got any electrical diagrams of how these fridges work electronically? My mechanic and me are finding the converter electrical box difficult to work out. Si from hove