Fridge /Batteries

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longhorn1

Ouch, that stings!
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
2,826
Location
Carmel, Indiana
Just start a 2 week trip on Thursday and noticed my 2014 Grandby, with 80L Dometic compressor fridge and original 2-AGM batteries showed a temp of 46. The Zamp Controller said 13.6. a little red light blinked once every 4 seconds indicating low battery in the fridge I plugged in a small voltage meter into the 12-volt and it said 11.9.

We probably lost all the meat, eggs, etc.

Any ideas? In Chicago for my 50th reunion and leave early Sunday morning for Utah and Colorado.

JD
 
Was the compresser running at all? You might check if the fridge has a low voltage cutoff and if it is adjustable.

My Truckfridge has a low voltage cutoff with three settings and the lowest [least protective of battery] cuts off about 11.8 volts according to the manufacturer. Since it always happens during the night I never could find out exactly the cutoff point.
 
longhorn1 said:
Just start a 2 week trip on Thursday and noticed my 2014 Grandby, with 80L Dometic compressor fridge and original 2-AGM batteries showed a temp of 46. The Zamp Controller said 13.6. a little red light blinked once every 4 seconds indicating low battery in the fridge I plugged in a small voltage meter into the 12-volt and it said 11.9.

We probably lost all the meat, eggs, etc.

Any ideas? In Chicago for my 50th reunion and leave early Sunday morning for Utah and Colorado.

JD
Click to expand...
Oh, that sux, losing a fridge full of food. 11.9 isn't horrible, but it is less than 50% charged (with no load... you likely had a load). The disturbing part is that the ZAMP and Voltmeter don't agree. Something is amiss there. Can you disconnect the ZAMP to let it reset and then reconnect, and confirm that the two devices disagree?
 
The Zap controller showed 13.6 and that would be float charge. It is disturbing at the same time you have 11.9 volts. Pull fuse on the Zap and like Vic suggested for a reset. Also check the fuses at the battery from the controller and connections ( positive and negative) for tightness and shorts that is not allowing the solar to charge the batteries. A volt meter here would really help to probe each connection as you wiggle the wires.
 
longhorn1 said:
Just start a 2 week trip on Thursday and noticed my 2014 Grandby, with 80L Dometic compressor fridge and original 2-AGM batteries showed a temp of 46. The Zamp Controller said 13.6. a little red light blinked once every 4 seconds indicating low battery in the fridge I plugged in a small voltage meter into the 12-volt and it said 11.9.

We probably lost all the meat, eggs, etc.

Any ideas? In Chicago for my 50th reunion and leave early Sunday morning for Utah and Colorado.

JD
Click to expand...

What blinking light indicates a "low battery in the fridge" ? Lost me there...

You said it was at 46 degrees but you thought you lost meat and eggs?

Phil
 
I took pictures of the manual.... I think Hoyden has the same fridge 80 Liter??
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IMG_2359.JPG
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IMG_2360.JPG
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Wallowa said:
What blinking light indicates a "low battery in the fridge" ? Lost me there...

You said it was at 46 degrees but you thought you lost meat and eggs?

Phil
Click to expand...
There is a red blinking code light that blinks once every 4 seconds indicating low voltage per the manual.
 
Longhorn...thanks for the download of info...I missed that you have a Dometic while I have an Isotherm [110] in '16 Hawk...my refrig does not have a blinking light but my Q4 does [signifies it is powered] and the Zamp controller will have a blinking light when solar panel [160] is receiving light but not enough to produce power..

FYI, we find that 46 temp is about perfect to keep food and not consume too much power..outside and to a degree inside temp will cause the refrig temp to vary...

Phil
 
YEP. I have the same fridge in my Fleet. Very small Dometic dorm-size fridge (at least when I went to college ;) )

Maybe I'll make a trip up to Rocky Mountain FWC too! When you gonna go longhorn1?
We could converge upon them with our fridge issues! :D
 
Just wanted to chime in here....I had the same issue last year w/my Dometic not able to run. Compressor would start up but there wasn't enough power to keep it going. Red light blinking indicating power fault. Problem was my AGM batteries, needed to be replaced after 3 years. I'm sure I put too much load on them over that time period, battery mgmt wasn't great. My Zamp controller would read 13.6 initially, but as soon as the frig started up the voltage would drop to 11, and frig would cut off. Replaced batteries and my charge controller, as I wasn't happy with the limited info the Zamp controller gives.
 
longhorn1 said:
All thanks for the input. Stopped at RMFWC in Denver and was out the door in less than 1-1/2 hours. Kudos to the guys in Denver.
Click to expand...
Please when you get a chance post what was the fix. What parts were replaced or repaired?

This will really help people in similar situations to trouble shoot and fix.

Thanks
 
My Exide 12volt batteries were the originals and puked. I had the batteries replaced at Rocky Mountain FWC with Deka 12 volt batteries. Our Grandby is a 2014 and took delivery on 8/4/14, so we are into our 5th camping season.
 
Thank you longhorn1 for the follow up . It sounds just like radarcontact senionerio for his batteries. Glad it was easy fix, but expensive no doubt, and you are back on the road.
 
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