Fridge from car supply

[BillD.]

Me again, another problem.

My new van has a Thetford fridge with the digital readout.

On selecting battery source for power supply and with car hooked up, engine running, it shows error '10' which indicates no 12v supply available. My car & van has a 13 pin socket.

The van (Swift) control panel is also a digital one with car or van setting. On my previous van (Sprite) the instructions for towing were to leave in 'Van' setting, the Swift info is not as specific so not sure if it should be in van or car.

Thinking back now I cannot be sure if the fridge was actually operating when towing the Sprite as the fridge did not have any error readout as does the one in our new Swift and we have not to date been on any journeys longer than a couple of hours.

Any ideas?? Is it me not setting correctly or could it be car (Audi A4 and the tow bar and electrics were factory fitted) in the back of my mind I seem to recall reading somewhere in the past that some people have found the fridge supply from the car electrics not connected.

Bill D.

 

[Damian]

Bill, you are right in remembering that not all factory fitted tow bar electrics are not fully wired.

The most common no wire is the fridge !!

You need to check your 13pin socket, betwwen pin 10 (+) and Pin 11(-) which is the fridge feed and return when connected to the car with engine running.

 

[Jennifer2]

That is typical of Audi and VW (and a few others) that they do not connect the fridge pin. Especially on factory fitted towbars.

No idea why....do German vanners not expect their fridges to work while towing?

I would be complaining to my car dealer.

 

[blu]

Hi Folks

I also have this problem on a jeep,it was also the same on my previous jeep and since i am towing greater distances would like the fridge circuit working.It isnt even live at the plug that the factory harness plus into so i was wondering if it would be possible to "piggyback" the charging circuit at the back of my grey plug onto the fridge pin.If so would a bigger fuse be needed.

Appreciate any advice as im not too hot with electrics

Regards

Sean

 

[SuperMike1]

Error 10, I thing is no volts. Or in your case perhaps not enough. Try reving the engine up, with the van connected, and wait a couple of minutes and see if the error 10 disappears.

 

[Damian]

In reply to blu, it is definately not advisable to piggy back the supply for the fridge from any other power source.

You need to run a dedicated supply from a separate fuse in the main fuse box to the fridge, otherwise you run th ereal risk of overloading the charger cable and causing serious problems, including a fire.