So we have been on the road for about 7 weeks with our DP. Very few problems so far.Yesterday morning our Norcold fridge signaled Lo Dc. I figured that meant low house battery power. Of course being plugged into 50 Amp 120V that should not be so. All lights etc. worked just fine. I cranked up the engine for a few minutes and all was back to normal. That lasted about 12 hrs then we were back to Lo Dc.I ran the engine again and all was normal When I got up this AM at 4:30 all was OK. By 5:30 it was back. I did not start the engine. I don't think people appreciate listening to a big old diesel at 5:30 AM. I shut off the fidge. Now 2 hrs later house lights are still on.So A: Do I have an invertor problem? Or a battery problem? Or a fridge problem?B: What happens if I just leave the fridge alone? Will it eventually shut down?Thanks for any advice.

almost sounds like your fridge is wired to the chassis battery instead of the house battery.....

Sounds to me like your converter quit on you. Don't have any idea how your system is set-up as you do not list the type of coach that you have, but if your alternator charged your house batteries (that is how most Fleetwood DP's are designed) your batteries are likely fine, just not getting charged by your converter.Short term fix-get a 3 stage battery charger and connect it to your house battery bank.

A: It could be the converter or as Pass42 suggested, could be wired to the chassis battery. This is unlikely unless someone has been playing with the wiring. I can't see the manufacturer doing that.B: Yes it will shut down. Without knowing the battery voltages all we can do is guess. Measure voltage at the battery terminals with a digital volt meter or multimeter. Measure both house and chassis battery voltages. Lights will work with pretty low voltage, so house batteries could be too low for the fridge and still run the lights.Let us know what you find, we'll have more suggestions as to how to fix the problem.Also let us know what converter (or inverter/charger) you have, and what batteries.

And yes, once the voltage gets low enough the control circuits will no longer function and the fridge will shut down.Go get that charger before your food spoils!

Do you have a voltmeter? The fridge is signaling LoDC because the incoming 12V line for the control circuits is below the spec. Your house batteries are low and are not being charged by your inverter/charger. Your engine alternator is going to charge house and chassis batteries and so the problem appears to go away.While you are plugged in, your house batteries should be showing around 13VDC. Any lower than that, then your charger is not working.

Lo DC on fridge | Good Sam Community

23 Replies

retiredtraveler
Explorer
Jan 29, 2014
Great idea on the 120V lamps. On our next Wallyworld trip we will pick up at least one.
Thanks for a great idea.
OhhWell
Explorer
Jan 28, 2014
retiredtravelers2013 wrote:
The fridge is running on the battery DC power for the control circuit.
The converter has been unplugged for several days now and with the 6 AMP charger the fridge is still running. We did run a bit low when we had too many lights on. We will be careful to preserve DC and hopefully this will work the remaining 8 weeks of our trip.

Oh yeah... never mind. I guess I skimmed the thread a little too quickly. I was just going to say that it sounds like the entire converter has crapped out but I guess you already figured that out!

Maybe pick up a couple of cheap 120v lamps?
retiredtraveler
Explorer
Jan 28, 2014
The fridge is running on the battery DC power for the control circuit.
The converter has been unplugged for several days now and with the 6 AMP charger the fridge is still running. We did run a bit low when we had too many lights on. We will be careful to preserve DC and hopefully this will work the remaining 8 weeks of our trip.
OhhWell
Explorer
Jan 28, 2014
The one last thing that I find odd is that the converter is not powering the fridge directly but using the battery as a buffer (From what I can make out but maybe I missed something). The reason I find that odd is because on our coach and every TT we have owned, whether there was a battery or not, the fridge was powered directly by the converter when on shore power.

The only 12v items I have ever encountered that required the battery to be installed were high draw like an electric tongue jack or hydraulic slide motor and entry steps.
Executive45
Explorer III
Jan 28, 2014
retiredtravelers2013 wrote:

PS: I have been wanting to buy a charger for use at the house for years. Now I had a good excuse to do so LOL.

LOL ! funny how that happens....:B...Dennis
retiredtraveler
Explorer
Jan 26, 2014
Hi Dennis,
As mentioned I bought a charger. The fuse looks ok but I'll check it again.
This morning the outside of the converter was dead cold although it was plugged in.
I unplugged the converter pending more trouble shooting. In the mean time the charger seems to be doing the job.
Keld
PS: I have been wanting to buy a charger for use at the house for years. Now I had a good excuse to do so LOL.
Executive45
Explorer III
Jan 25, 2014
Yes check the fuse with a meter if possible to ensure that it's good. Looking at it doesn't always show if it's blown.

Unless you have AGM batteries then you need to remove the screw caps on the top, there should be three on each battery.

The fan will run IF NEEDED. With cold weather, it may not run. You do need a meter to check these things. If your converter is working, it should be warm to the touch. I'm still leaning towards that fuse.....Dennis
retiredtraveler
Explorer
Jan 25, 2014
I have concluded the converter quit.
Rather than running the risk of getting ripped off by a repair shop while 1800 miles from home, I opted to buy a 3-stage battery charger. So I plugged it in and so far things are good.
I trust my mechanic at home and will use the charger when we are plugged in on the remaining 8 weeks of our present trip.
Thank you to everyone who helped with this. As always you guys rule.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jan 25, 2014
You need to put a voltage meter on each set of batteries and see what the readings show. While in charging mode the batteries should be reading 13+V and over 12.7 when in a float mode. A battery reading 12V is depleted and needs charging immediately. Below 12V for an extended period can cause damage.
retiredtraveler
Explorer
Jan 25, 2014
Just went outside again. I unplugged the converter from the outlet and plugged in my electric shaver. It ran, so we have 120 going into it.

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Lo DC on fridge

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