No fridge, oven or hot water - what's gone wrong?

[whashisface]

Hi All

Hopefully you can help!

We've borrowed a motorhome from a friend for a big trip to France and Spain. We're currently mid-way into the trip but our fridge, freezer, oven and water heater all seem to have lost power and won't turn on. We can live without the water heater and oven but getting the fridge/freezer back up and running while we're away would be really helpful. Especially as we have a 4 year old and 6 year old in tow.

It's a Fiat Ducato base van with a Fleurette Florium Mayflower build on the back.

The fridge/freezer/oven is a Dometic Rmdt 8505. The water heater is a Truma CP plus. It's got a Nordelettronica consumer unit [or whatever you call then in a MH]

I've read lots of threads on here about the fridge/freezer and it could well be a dead control panel but the fact the oven has also stopped working [it won't spark] and then water heater doesn't have a 12v supply [It's giving us the code W255 h] makes me think it might be something else.

I've put new brand new fuses in, I've checked the connections behind the fridge and I've had the control panel off the fridge to check that too. I've taken the cover off the consumer unit and checked all these connections too. All other electrics seem to be working fine.

It was working fine until we plugged into a campsite for the first time of the trip. And then I noticed the fridge was off [I can't even get the control panel to turn on on the fridge].

Does anyone have any ideas? Is there anything I've missed?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jev88]

1)
What voltage is your leisure battery (s).
2)
Do you have gas? Is gas hob lighting easily?

 

[suavecarve]

Your master switch has been turned off (W255 h)

No I dont know where your master switch is.

 

[suavecarve]

 

[DBK]

Do you get the same symptoms with the engine running?

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[whashisface]

I've tried with the engine. The leisure battery seems fine, it's got 13 odd volts. Gas hob lights but it's not got a spark as far as I'm aware. It uses a match.

Is the master switch like the master switch in a house? If so, that's next to the consumer unit and seems to be on. Is there anything else I can check about that?

 

[GeoffnDee]

Check the fuses at the starter battery you may have lost the 12v starter battery supply to the Nord PSU/12v habitation fuse box there should also be a 12v supply to this unit from the leisure battery , which may have a fuse near its positive terminal .
You could also try removing the multi plug from the rear of the Motorhome 12v Nord control panel and then refit it to see if it will reset the control panel master switch.

 

[Barclaybasher]

Sounds obvious but have you called the owner?

 

[Itsmcb]

All the appliances you mention require 12v to function. Fridge control panel, Water heater controller and hob igniter all use 12v from the leisure battery. Check any fuses near the battery plus any 12v fuses in the habitation fuse board

 

[MichaelT]

On your control panel.youve probably got a button that says 12v or similar is that on?

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[LostInSpace]

Disconnect the campsite hookup. Wait for 5 minutes or so

Does the fridge then work in Gas?

 

[LostInSpace]

Do other 12v electrial thiings work.

Lights, TV?

Again when hooked up and when not?

 

[Flairy]

We’re are you someone might be close enough to come to you?

 

[ChrisL]

Do you have the user manual? if not let us know what year it is and I'll see if I can find one for you.

Edit: i'm just looking through the 2016 manual, is the control panel set to AUX?

 

[autorouter]

I've tried with the engine. The leisure battery seems fine, it's got 13 odd volts.

What is the leisure battery voltage when the engine is stopped? What you are looking for is to see if the leisure battery voltage rises from when the engine is stopped to when the engine is running. If it does, you know the leisure battery is being charged by the engine.

More importantly, you know that two of the main fuses are OK: one in the starter battery to Nordeletronica PDU wire, and the other in the PDU to leisure battery wire. However if the voltage doesn't rise, check the fuses: probably 30A to 50A, near the starter battery and the leisure battery.

The charging current flows from the alternator/starter battery to the PDU, through the split charge relay, and out to the leisure battery.

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[reckless]

I don't have a clue but, wow, what a response so far to a fellow motorhomer in trouble
Well done, Funsters.
Hope you get it sorted and enjoy the rest of your trip whashisface

 

[whashisface]

Check the fuses at the starter battery you may have lost the 12v starter battery supply to the Nord PSU/12v habitation fuse box there should also be a 12v supply to this unit from the leisure battery , which may have a fuse near its positive terminal .
You could also try removing the multi plug from the rear of the Motorhome 12v Nord control panel and then refit it to see if it will reset the control panel master switch.

Thanks Geoff. I'll give that a go

 

[whashisface]

All the appliances you mention require 12v to function. Fridge control panel, Water heater controller and hob igniter all use 12v from the leisure battery. Check any fuses near the battery plus any 12v fuses in the habitation fuse board

Thanks. I'll give that a go!

 

[whashisface]

On your control panel.youve probably got a button that says 12v or similar is that on?

It's Aux on this control panel. It's definitely on

 

[whashisface]

Do other 12v electrial thiings work.

Lights, TV?

Again when hooked up and when not?

I tried disconnecting from the campsite mains but no luck there.

The lights, water pump and plug sockets all work fine. They work when both plugged in and when not.

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[whashisface]

We’re are you someone might be close enough to come to you?

We're near barcelona tonight but heading up to Andorra/Pyrenees way tomorrow. I will give all the suggestions a go tonight once the kids are asleep and see how I get on....

 

[whashisface]

Sounds obvious but have you called the owner?

Yes, he's not sure and not as knowledgeable as all of you!

Thank you so much for all the responses. Fingers crossed it helps when I give it a go later

 

[whashisface]

Do you have the user manual? if not let us know what year it is and I'll see if I can find one for you.

Edit: i'm just looking through the 2016 manual, is the control panel set to AUX?

Yes, I've had a look at the user manual [all of them!] - yes the CP is set to Aux.

 

[ChrisL]

Unfortunately you only get 5 free posts until you become a paid up subscriber although you appear to have managed 9, so if you need further help you will need to subscribe, it's only £20/year and well worth it for the help available. If you have subscribed there's something wrong with the display because your name should turn blue but hasn't

 

[whashisface]

What is the leisure battery voltage when the engine is stopped? What you are looking for is to see if the leisure battery voltage rises from when the engine is stopped to when the engine is running. If it does, you know the leisure battery is being charged by the engine.

More importantly, you know that two of the main fuses are OK: one in the starter battery to Nordeletronica PDU wire, and the other in the PDU to leisure battery wire. However if the voltage doesn't rise, check the fuses: probably 30A to 50A, near the starter battery and the leisure battery.

The charging current flows from the alternator/starter battery to the PDU, through the split charge relay, and out to the leisure battery.

I'll take a look at that. It's got solar panels - would that affect what I'm looking for?

We've been at a family wedding this weekend so it's been sat with the solar panels working hard in the Spanish sun. Thankfully we've been in the A/C indoors with a fully working fridge but we hit the road again tomorrow.

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[Bramidan]

I tried disconnecting from the campsite mains but no luck there.

The lights, water pump and plug sockets all work fine. They work when both plugged in and when not.

So part of the electrical system works with no problem. Either on the mains ( EHU) or off.
So logic suggests it must be a fuse on the other circuits which are not working.
Is it the fuse on the D plus circuit blown?
Apart from my suggestion I have no knowledge where you would find that fuse.
I think it’s 2 amp but somebody will correct me if I’m wrong.
Good luck.

 

[Itsmcb]

I'll take a look at that. It's got solar panels - would that affect what I'm looking for?

We've been at a family wedding this weekend so it's been sat with the solar panels working hard in the Spanish sun. Thankfully we've been in the A/C indoors with a fully working fridge but we hit the road again tomorrow.

Solar panels just charge the habitation battery, they should have no bearing on your problem.

 

[autorouter]

I'll take a look at that. It's got solar panels - would that affect what I'm looking for?

Yes it would, forgot to ask about that. Can you look at the voltage when there's no solar (ie dark)?

Does the Nordelettronica PDU have a number on it? Something like NE237?

 

[GeoffnDee]

I think the PSU may be a NE196 unit , if so , it appears there should be a 7.5a fuse (F3) powering the control boards , it should be connected to the leisure battery , are you able to check if there is power at this fuse (and check it is not faulty).
If you remove the NE196 cover you can check if it is receiving power from both the leisure and starter batteries at the terminals J2 = (leisure) and J1 = (starter) J3 = (negative)

 

[Itsmcb]

Yes it would, forgot to ask about that. Can you look at the voltage when there's no solar (ie dark)?

Does the Nordelettronica PDU have a number on it? Something like NE237?

I'm curious how the solar might be causing the problem?

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