Problems with fridge on 12v

[michael_5098672]

My fridge has always worked on both mains and 12v but recently ive noticed that when i connect car to caravan and switch fridge to 12v the light is not lighting up therefore i assume that it is not working ,does anybody know of what steps i should carry out in order to fix this problem.

My caravan is a Baileyranger 470/4 2005

i look forward to your replys Mike

 

[Bazz1]

Check the fuses on the car, any of them blown? Is the caravan connections good on the plug and socket, some of the modern vans have a habit of burn the return pins. Bazz.

 

[popupJohn]

Remember (as mentioned on another recent thread on this subject) that the fridge will only work on 12volts when the car engine is working and producing enough power to pass any spare onto the fridge. Even a tickover running is often not enough to do this.

 

[rayc]

michael, the first thing to do is to find out if it is the car or the van.

A quick check is to switch the van internal lights on and then start the car engine - the lights should go out. If they don't then:

With the van disconnected from the car check the voltage across pins 6 (+) and 7 (-) of the 12 S socket. You should have the car battery voltage when the engine is running - if not the car is faulty.

Check the permanent feed voltage on the car socket (+) on pin 4 and (-) on pin 3. This is the voltage which operates the relay in the car which allows the fridge supply to get to the 12 S socket on pin 6.

You could also check the van without it being connected to the car by connecting a battery to a 12 S socket with (+) on pin 6 and (-) on pin 7 { best to feed the (+) through a 10 A fuse}.

As soon as you connect it the fridge lamp should come on.

Let me know how you get on.

 

[michael_5098672]

Thanks alot for all your answers ,Ive just got the problem fixed, what i did was try a mates car on my caravan and the fridge worked with no problems therefore i knew that my car had a fault on it.I contacted the man who fit me the towbar who came out and found the problem which was the relay which he replaced .

thanks again Mike

 

[rob_jax]

Michael,

Relays rarely fail - it is usually the contacts with the external wiring on the bottom of the relay that become "loose" from vibration.

Just plugging the relay back in usually corrects that problem.

Robert

 

[michael_5098672]

Michael,

Relays rarely fail - it is usually the contacts with the external wiring on the bottom of the relay that become "loose" from vibration.

Just plugging the relay back in usually corrects that problem.

Robert

Cheers Rob i'll check this if it happens again