Abbey electrics

[Bazz1]

A good mate as got him self a new abbey, the one with the island bed in the far end. His problem is that when he plugs in his 7-pin "S" plug his fridge dont work. The dealer has tried to fob him off with its a querk of this type of van. Myself I think they are telling porkies. Anybody else had this problem,Bazz.

 

[cris_408518]

Simple Q . Does the relay on the car work. ie, does he have power at he car socket when engine is on?

Does that power then get to fridge wiring, normally their is a fuse point junction before the fridge cable!

 

[rayc]

bazz, Can you confirm the age of the car? I asssume the van is post 1998.

Check with a voltmeter for 12v on Pin 6 with -ve on pin 7 of the car socket when the engine is running. If it isn't there then the car is the problem.

If it is there then connect the car to the van and switch the van internal 12v lights on. Start the car engine and the fridge supply should operate the van habitation relay - which will cause the lights to go off. Does this happen?

 

[sparkes]

before doing anything else.

make sure the power is switched on in the van and remote has not isolated it

Set the Car/Caravan switch to caravan

plug in both cables

start the car (it must be running)

turn the fridge to 12v

The light for the fridge should come on

We have the Ace, same gear and it has to be set up like above to work the fringe on 12v.

 

[trucker]

Hi, we have an abbey aventura 2004 model and the set up to get the fridge working is the same as Sparkes(steve) has decribed

Kevin H

 

[Bazz1]

Thanks very much everyone we shall be checking the volts and the proceedures, very soon, Bazz.

 

[notsoswift]

We have the same problem, our vehicle is a 2001 LandRover Discovery, towing a 2004 Van, Dealer has advised us that the switch in the Caravan must be set to "Van" in order for the fridge to work on 12V, but the Caravan battery then appears not to charge! and when we get to our destination we have a flat battery, quite often we camp without electric hook up so this causes us a huge problem! Apparently this is a "feature" of the Dometic Fridge, but only for this particular model, Can anyone explain Why? It seems strange that they altered it for this one only!!!!

 

[rayc]

notsoswift, I don't claim to be an expert but it appears to me that there is something wrong. The battery charge is on pin 4 of the 7S socket with return on pin 3. [it is used for the permanent feed when the car engine is not running]. The fridge is powered from pin 6 with the return on pin 7. The supply for the fridge [pin 6] switches the relay within the van to charge the battery.

It appears to me that the van battery is actually running the fridge and there is no supply on pin 4 to charge it.

[I had a similar problem some years ago when the fuse in the supply to the fridge / charge relay in the car blew. The relay operated, as its activating voltage was still present from the car alternator. This had the effect of connecting the fridge to the van battery which rapidly discharged.

Please check ( without the van connected) that you have 12v on pin 4 with the -ve on pin 3 at all times, and that there is 12v on pin 6 with -ve on pin 7 when the engine is running.

Ray

 

[rayc]

notsoswift, I don't claim to be an expert but it appears to me that there is something wrong. The battery charge is on pin 4 of the 7S socket with return on pin 3. [it is used for the permanent feed when the car engine is not running]. The fridge is powered from pin 6 with the return on pin 7. The supply for the fridge [pin 6] switches the relay within the van to charge the battery.

It appears to me that the van battery is actually running the fridge and there is no supply on pin 4 to charge it.

[I had a similar problem some years ago when the fuse in the supply to the fridge / charge relay in the car blew. The relay operated, as its activating voltage was still present from the car alternator. This had the effect of connecting the fridge to the van battery which rapidly discharged.

Please check ( without the van connected) that you have 12v on pin 4 with the -ve on pin 3 at all times, and that there is 12v on pin 6 with -ve on pin 7 when the engine is running.

Ray

PS, i don't see what type of fridge has got to do with it. It just needs the 12v to operate it and does not have any other effect on the van supplies.

 

[DavieP1]

seems like a whole load of hassle, why dont you just hook up on site and the fridge will be cool within half an hour, its never very warm in the fridge at the best of times

lol davie