Is my Fridge Broken?

[BillBicker]

Our 2011 California Fridge isn't working.

The relay energises with an audible click but the fridge motor doesn't run.

I tried it on Max in about 11 degree ambient temperature.

It will go back to the dealer but should I expect the fridge to work at that temperature?

Has anyone else tried theirs?

Thanks

B

 

[calikev]

Hi bill
I can't say for definite about your fridge but over Christmas I had a similar problem
It would not work unless I turned it up full. In the summer it seemed to come on at a lower setting
After speaking to a few people it was mentioned the outside temp has a lot to do with it
Sounds like you have a bit of time on your hands with warranty I would keep an eye on.
And if then you are convinced it's not working take it back.
Let us know how you get on.

 

[BillBicker]

Turned out it was a fuse. There are two feeds to it, one from the control panel and one from the batteries. So the control panel was clicking it on but the fuse on the power feed had blown. It's a 2011 model and the fuse is under the passenger seat, one of the red ones.

All working now.

B

 

[calikev]

Excellent news bill and thanks. that could help others in the same boat. With all those fuses it can be tricky
Locating the right one

 

[geirhn]

Hi

I have the exact same problem as described here. When I try to start the refrigerator, I can hear a audible click, the refrigerator indicator light turns briefly yellow, but returns to red.

I have checked all fuses under the seat, but no one seems to have blown. This is a 2006 model.
Does anyone have a picture or a diagram of the fuses under the seat?

I suspect that one of the fuses is missing from the fuse panel under the seat.

 

[GeoffB]

Four weeks into a ten week wander around Europe, the same thing seems to have happened to our fridge. The Cali is only 12 weeks old so we're not impressed! The control panel shows the fridge turning on, but it doesn't and the light goes of after a few seconds. We contacted VW Manchester who advised us to call VW assistance as the fridge would have to be removed to get to the motor underneath, but if it is just a fuse that would be great (assuming we can get a spare, we are in rural Italy).

If not, it's back to the tenting type of travelling - warm wine, melting cheese and milk going off. It is 34 degrees here and was 42 last week in France, wonder if these temps caused the fridge to give up the ghost?

 

[Stu]

I don't have a lot of experience of the VW assistance in Europe but I don't think it will be like we have here, I think they would just want to recover you to a garage which probably isn't going to be complimentary to your holiday.

I would ask your dealer to identify to you the specific fuse for the fridge for your van.

 

[Bleur fleur]

Just had the same thing happen to mine in France! Ambient temp is over 30 battery on 50 percent. Which fuse is it? There are two 10 amp red ones and they look so hard to get out!

 

[calikev]

Hi there it sounds like the fuse to me look under the passenger seat there should be 3 15amp fuses in a row then 1 15 amp fuse on its own the single one is for the fridge hope this helps

 

[GeoffB]

Tried the fuse but that didn't work, so called VW assistance this morning from Bavaria. After a difficult conversation with a woman who obviously had English as her second language, who said she was from the RAC in UK, and 'thought' it covered VW assistance too, I was rung back to be told the fridge wasn't covered by VW assistance. Very unimpressed! :evil:

 

[Anonymous]

Watch, whovere takes the fridge out does not damage the unit. There's a couple of spring loaded pins that can spring out and damage wardrobe laminate. Our dealership did this and cost them £1500 to replace.

D

 

[GeoffB]

Following on from my offering above, when on holiday, have just spoken to VW UK customer service. Contrary to our original understanding, VW assistance only covers things that would stop your Cali driving safely, so if your fridge, water supply, waste water, gas or internal lights pack up while you're on a long trip abroad, you either lump it or come home and get it fixed by a UK VW agent. Not very satisfactory really, when you pay £44K you expect things to work when you collect the van (our upstairs flexible light didn't) or last longer than 6 weeks, like our fridge. But once they've got your money it seems they don't really care!

 

[a21daloa]

Just to add my experience to this thread, though I think I saw this mentioned in another related thread possibly....Anyway, I have had this same problem since I bought my 2007 Cali. ie the audible click, light briefly glows yellow, then back to red. After the pulling out of several fuses at random until the control panel is powered down, I left it powered down for a short time, then reinstated the fuses. This somehow managed to "reset" the fridge relay and all was well (for a while). I left the fridge switched on for a couple of weeks (during Norway winter), just using the van for commuting, but keeping my eye on the remaining power level of the "leisure" batteries. I noticed that the level quickly dropped to 60% (first clue). Then after a period of just 2 days not using the Cali over a weekend, the battery level had dropped to 50% and the fridge had reverted to it's off position, refusing to kick back in even after full 240v power hook up. So out came the fuses again and sure enough fridge fired back up, as if it had been "reset". So for my next test, I just 240v hooked up the Cali after work commute every night and the Fridge stayed on fine for 3 weeks (including weekend away camp). So I now relate the fridge reliability to the leisure battery charge condition and the fact that mine loses its charge so fast tell me that they likely need replacement, this will not be cheap here in Norway :cry: I have recently replaced the main battery at a cost of 3000 NOK (approx 300 GBP). On the positive side, almost all the campsites here have hook up capability so I will probably hold on this year before I invest, see if I get caught out :idea: Anyway, hope my ramblings help someone else who might have been frustrated with this problem... Regards Darren.

 

[GeoffB]

I took my Cali to a VW commercial dealer for my fridge to be examined after our travels last year, they rang back to say a new fridge had to be ordered from Germany and fitted. This took a few days, and when I collected the van I asked what the problem with the fridge had been. They didn't know, only that it didn't work and had to be replaced.

Works fine now, keeping fingers crossed it won't let us down this summer.

 

[Andresz]

I left it powered down for a short time, then reinstated the fuses. This somehow managed to "reset" the fridge relay and all was well (for a while).

Probably the same effect of fuse powering off and on, can be obtained by 5 seconds deppressing the right-bottom switch on the central panel.
It resets the panel together with the fridge control. Also helps in situation of the blinking fridge icon.

 

[CaliforniaDAN]

Hi

I think I have a problem with my fridge when not on hook up. When I activate the fridge getting the yellow icon on the top right button illuminated, and with the fridge icon showing in the display. The top right button icon goes out a short time later (within a few minutes) and the display icon is still showing with about -3.6 amps being drawn. Am i right in thinking that the yellow icon on the button only lights when pressed and only shows on permanently when on hook up?

 

[Andresz]

Hi

I think I have a problem with my fridge when not on hook up. When I activate the fridge getting the yellow icon on the top right button illuminated, and with the fridge icon showing in the display. The top right button icon goes out a short time later (within a few minutes) and the display icon is still showing with about -3.6 amps being drawn. Am i right in thinking that the yellow icon on the button only lights when pressed and only shows on permanently when on hook up?

The yellow icon normally stays on, both: on hook up and batteries. What is the voltage level at the time of the fridge shut down?

 

[CaliforniaDAN]

Hi thanks for replying.

The display shows battery at 12.5v showing 60% down from 70%, 0.00 amps and i put a thermometer in the fridge and it is showing at 1.0 C

 

[philcod]

Our fridge stopped working when we were in France last year - when the van was brand new. We tried everything we (and all the guys on the Forum) could think of but no fridge. We bought an absolutely rubbish powered cool box which sounded like concord taking off and cooled nothing!!! We also suffered all the stuff reported above about the limitations of the recovery service when abroad.

On our travels between campsites, for some inexplicable reason, I resorted to the dummy's approach to fixing anything technical these days - I turned off the control panel and turned it back on again. Hey presto - the fridge clicked into action and has never faultered since!! I think the technical term is "I re-booted the system"!!! Yeah right!!!! :crazy

 

[Andresz]

Hi thanks for replying.

The display shows battery at 12.5v showing 60% down from 70%, 0.00 amps and i put a thermometer in the fridge and it is showing at 1.0 C

12.5 V is decent voltage, but could drop significantly when on load. On the other hand 1 deg inside fridge suggest that it does work, at least for a period of time.
Try to run heater, and all internal lights to see voltage, if it stays over 12 volts. If it does you may exclude the poor condition of the batteries causing the fridge to shutdown below treshold voltage.
Do not pay too much attention on the percentage, this is unreliable indication.

 

[CaliforniaDAN]

Andesz

Thanks for the reply. I checked the van several times last night and the fridge light was showing every time. I returned this morning and frisge switched off and interior temperature in it was 10 celsius. Phone call made to have it looked at under warranty.

 

[a21daloa]

Thanks and yes I read that you can reset doing that, but on my van pressing any of the buttons for any length of time did anything at all. Only pressing the bottom right (esc) button at the same time as depressing the button inside the control dial knob brings up the "secret" menu. Here I can change language etc. and see some diagnostics info which is in some kind of techy code. However, no "reset" option exists, hence out with the fuses for me - and they are a pain to get to on my LHD German import Cali. :crazy

 

[dryfisc]

Just to add to the list of possible causes of this, my van's fridge has been doing this and the garage has traced it to the temperature sensor being open circuit and a new sensor is on back order.

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks and yes I read that you can reset doing that, but on my van pressing any of the buttons for any length of time did anything at all. Only pressing the bottom right (esc) button at the same time as depressing the button inside the control dial knob brings up the "secret" menu. Here I can change language etc. and see some diagnostics info which is in some kind of techy code. However, no "reset" option exists, hence out with the fuses for me - and they are a pain to get to on my LHD German import Cali. :crazy

Pressing the L lower button, switches the Control Panel OFF. Switching ON by pressing the L lower button again reboots the software. You should see the VW logo for a few seconds. The Control Panel is basically a simple computer, and whats the first thing you do when your computer/phone plays up. Switch OFF then ON.
Until switched OFF the Control Panel is ON all the time. Only the screen switches OFF to minimise power consumption.