Dometic RM2652 no power to upper control board

[rvman69]

This is a Dometic RM2652 about a 2010 maybe a little older. I just got done putting in a rebuilt cooling unit. Before I put the cooling unit in I could turn the power button on the control panel on and the LED light would come on. Well after I got the new cooling unit in and the fridge back in its place and all hooked up. When I turn the light switch on I get no LED light like there is no power there. There is no heating element in it at this time. Pretty sure it should work on gas without having heating element installed. I do get 12 volts from the power lug up to the thermal breaker and across it. Then from there to board in back. The light in the fridge does work. It's like it is not getting 12v up to the upper control board. What is the best way for me to test power getting up to the upper control board? I was careful with the wires that go up to the top of the fridge and inside. But anything can happen I guess. Thanks

[rvman69]

I got the Dometic heating element in today. I got it installed and everything wrapped up. I turned the refrigerator on at 1:10 and at that time the freezer temp was 70 degrees and the water I had in the fridge was 60 degrees. At around 4 the freezer was down to about 10 degrees and the fridge was at about 45 degrees. So I shut it off since I am going to be out of town until Monday. So I think it is working good. I messed with the electrode a little more but can not get it to spark. So I have a new electrode on the way. Hopefully that will take care of my problem. Oh yeah the tube being welded up higher I was not afraid it would not work right. I was just showing why the heating element sets higher and the plate wont fit around it like original. So I cut mine up higher and then pop riveted a piece of duct metal to it to make the opening the same size as it was factory. Probably would not matter but it makes me feel better. I might be back if I cant get the new electrode working. Thanks

[bigfootford]

rvman69 wrote:
Will any of the electrodes that I find that says they will work with Dometic RM2652 be ok or do I really need a particular one? I guess I will go ahead and buy one just incase. If I dont need it I will have a backup. I will check the electrode some more in the morning. Thanks

Not sure but should work. It is a simple device.

[rvman69]

Will any of the electrodes that I find that says they will work with Dometic RM2652 be ok or do I really need a particular one? I guess I will go ahead and buy one just incase. If I dont need it I will have a backup. I will check the electrode some more in the morning. Thanks

[bigfootford]

The electrode ceramic insulator has to be absolutely clean. I have seen tiny carbon tracks on them, thus creating a short. Even cleaning with alcohol will leave moisture after cleaning. If you use steel wool or any metal based sand paper the ceramic will end up conducting, thus no spark on the tip of the electrode.
From your testing the Igniter is working as advertised.
Jim.

[rvman69]

As far as I know the burner did light before I did the cooling unit replacement. We had it at the campground last summer until the end of September. When we unplugged it to bring it home I am not sure if the burner kicked on or not. Once we got it home we plugged it in. I do know it worked in about the middle of last summer because the electricity went out at the campground in a big storm. I went ahead and done the test with the screwdriver. I got a spark and even after I pulled the screw driver away I could hear it pulsing. So that would make it have to be something with the electrode correct? I did clean the electrode with some 1000 grit sand paper when i put it back together. How could I have shorted it out? From what I can see it looks like the tip is where it should be but I am not sure. I could post some pics of it if you think that would help. I really dont want to buy a electrode until I am sure I need it. Are the electrodes readily available? Thanks

[dougrainer]

1. Did it light on LP BEFORE your previous problems on the other thread?
2. To answer a question you posted on the other thread. The position of the 120 sleeve WILL NOT affect the heat transfer to the flue on 120.
3. AS you have found out, messing with things can cause you to cause problems that were NOT there previously.
4. The RULE is, IF something was working BEFORE you messed with it, 99% of the time it was something YOU did.
5. Your older unit should have a reignitor. 2 by 3 inch box that has the spark electrode and gas valve wires to it. Usually mounted right beside the main control box. remove the spark electrode wire and turn gas OFF and attempt a LP light sequence. Use a insulated screwdriver to the spade on the reignitor for the electrode lead about 1/4 inch off the spade. When the sequence starts you should get a spark to the metal screwdriver blade. IF NOT, your reignitor is bad and BAD NEWS, they do NOT have replacement reignitors.
6. The system will attempt a LP lighting 3 times before lock out and check light comes ON
7. Last, DID YOU remove ANY of the wires to the reignitor? IF SO, and the LP system worked before, then you have connected the wires to the reignitor wrong. Doug

[bigfootford]

No delay. It should be immediate.. and it does it multiple times if it does not detect flame. If it does not succeed then the check light will come on.

If you have a dvm, put it on 20 vdc and put the + lead on the incoming signal wire to the igniter and see if it provides a 12vdc signal. If it does then check the spark wire ceramic part of the electrode to see if you might have shorted it out or if there is even a fingerprint on the ceramic it will use that as a path to ground and no spark. In other words it could be sending a spark but it is getting shorted to ground somewhere along the way to the tip of the electrode. If the electrode is too far away from the burner it will not spark. 1/4"....
Jim.

[rvman69]

I got it figured out. When I first realized the cooling unit was bad for sure I messed with the two far left red wires before I took a picture. I know better than to do that. I dont even remember why I took them off now. Well when I put them back on before I took the fridge out I put the 12v coming from the 12v block to J3 instead of J1. So that is why I had light inside the fridge. J3 and J2 are hooked together and are feed 12v from the board. So the way I had it hooked up the only thing on the board that had 12v was the interior light. Now to the next issue. I dont have a heating element in it yet. (It is suppose to be here tomorrow) I have the fridge plugged in and I go in and turn it on. Then I come out and unplug the fridge from 120v to test the gas part. It does its thing and then the gas valve opens and I can hear the gas coming out but the ignitor did not fire. Any ideas what could be going on there? Is there a delay before the ignitor fires off after the gas valve opens? It worked before but we dont use propane very often. Basically just when we travel from home to campground. Thanks