UPDATE - Dometic #RM2652/2852 "Check" lignt blinking

[B92F]

We bought our 2007 Flagstaff 8524RLS last July and made several weekend trips. The Dometic fridge worked every time, bot on AC and gas. I turned the frig on, on Friday o prep for our first trip of the season. I noticed today that the "check" light was blinking all the time and it had not gotten cold. Gas was turned off at the tank, and the frig was set on auto. Light in the fridge does not come on, but when the door is open the "check" light stays lit and does not blink. Close the door or push the switch lever in, and the blinking resumes.

Disconnected the trailer from shore power and switched over to the gas settings, light continued to blink, and there is no gas getting to the igniter, nor does the sparker seem to function. Checked on line and found a link for a service tips manual on this model put out by Dometic and started checking.

First off let me say that why women do what they do makes more sense to me that electricity and anything powered by it. So following the directions given, I checked the AC at the main terminal block and got a reading of around 29.5 *+/-, using the 200 V~ setting on the meter. Manual said a reading of six volts or less is acceptable. Checked the resistance on the solenoid valve and got a reading of aprox 49 ohms, again with in the tolerance according to what the manual states.

Pulled the cover off of the circuit board and checked the two fuses that are in there, they both appear fine. Not having the understanding/confidence to check anything further on the board this is where I decided to stop.

I am assuming that since the fridge does not cool on AC or gas that the main circuit board may be gone. I'd much rather pay for a replacement, than pay for a new board and a service tech to come to the same conclusion (if the board is the problem).

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated. We'll be heading out for a 5 day trip this Wednesday morning and will manage with a cooler unless there is something else I can look at.

[j-d]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Parts changing vs diagnostic testing seems more common place.

This quote and Doug's "EXPERIENCE PAYS!"

Old enough to remember tube type TV sets... We'd pull all the tubes and test them. Maybe buy a couple new ones, TV wouldn't fix. Call a tech and he'd fix it. Carried a caddy with new tubes, swapped till he found the problem. Said "Some good ones test bad, some bad ones test good."

That and the mechanics at the car dealership... If the last dozen cars with a certain symptom had the same problem, the next one that comes in probably will too. Even if the problem isn't in the manual...

OP - GOOD ON YOU for trusting Doug and getting your fridge running again!

[B92F]

UPDATE 4/11/17

Had to go out to the local Camping World to pick up a couple of those twist access panel locks. Checked and they had the circuit board for the refrigerator ($40.00 more than internet pricing). Since we are taking out in the morning I went ahead and purchased it.

Took about 5 minutes to swap out, labeling the wires before removing from old board. It's now working on gas and AC. Once again thanks for all the input and suggestions on what to check, especially to dougrainer for confirmation on the high humidity switch/check light connection.

[Old-Biscuit]

Parts changing vs diagnostic testing seems more common place.

Kinda fits in with the Recall Programs used by so many mfgs.

[dougrainer]

Chris Bryant wrote:

dougrainer wrote:

Chris Bryant wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
I just repaired this type problem. Customer had the same type issue. IF you turned the Hi humidity switch ON, the check light stayed ON and did not flash. BAD Main control board. Replace it. Doug

Doug- which board was that? That's a new one on me.

The lower back main Module. Unit would not function on LP OR 120. Doug

I figured that 🙂
Was it the original "1010", universal or integrated ignition? There is reportedly an all new Hercules board in the pipeline.

Original module with the separate Ignition reignitor. I was leaning towards the eyebrow or harness from the board to the eyebrow. But, the back of the refer was very clean so animal infestation was not evident. I have never seen this malfunction before where the Hi humidity switch caused the check light to change. It was very quick and easy to install a new module and see if it worked. Which it did. This is one of those times EXPERIANCE pays off. Not all malfunctions fit the Manual or textbook repair. Doug

[Chris_Bryant]

dougrainer wrote:

Chris Bryant wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
I just repaired this type problem. Customer had the same type issue. IF you turned the Hi humidity switch ON, the check light stayed ON and did not flash. BAD Main control board. Replace it. Doug

Doug- which board was that? That's a new one on me.

The lower back main Module. Unit would not function on LP OR 120. Doug

I figured that 🙂
Was it the original "1010", universal or integrated ignition? There is reportedly an all new Hercules board in the pipeline.

[B92F]

All other systems are working as they should. So after following these suggestions, I'm leaning towards replacing the bottom board. We'll be taking out Wednesday morning for a 4 day trip and will just have to go old school on the cold items.

I could try and get it into our local Camping World, but the time that would take,the cost of the service tech, and the jacked up price on parts, I think I'll just replace the board. Cost on line is about $100.00 and I can get it in a couple of days.

I'll update this when we get back and get the part in.

Thanks for all the advise, etc. 😄

[dougrainer]

Chris Bryant wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
I just repaired this type problem. Customer had the same type issue. IF you turned the Hi humidity switch ON, the check light stayed ON and did not flash. BAD Main control board. Replace it. Doug

Doug- which board was that? That's a new one on me.

The lower back main Module. Unit would not function on LP OR 120. Doug

[Chris_Bryant]

dougrainer wrote:
I just repaired this type problem. Customer had the same type issue. IF you turned the Hi humidity switch ON, the check light stayed ON and did not flash. BAD Main control board. Replace it. Doug

Doug- which board was that? That's a new one on me.

[DiskDoctr]

B92F wrote:

DiskDoctr wrote:
Does your furnace make heat?

Yes it does.

Good. Means your propane supply, regulator, etc should be okay.

Continue looking at the electrical and controls.

One other thing...

Any YELLOW residue on the back of the fridge (outside vent removed)?

That would indicated a breached cooling system.

[dougrainer]

I just repaired this type problem. Customer had the same type issue. IF you turned the Hi humidity switch ON, the check light stayed ON and did not flash. BAD Main control board. Replace it. Doug

[Old-Biscuit]

Does the upper panel lights work.......On/OFF, Auto, Gas ??

That measurement of the AC you posted :H

With voltmeter set to DC 20V.
Measure the DC for fridge at fridge terminal block

(Yes you can check for AC Ripple on DC..voltmeter set to AC 200V and then measure the AC Ripple on DC at the terminal block......MAX 6V AC. But your 20.5 +/- is WAY out of whack and would mean ALL of your DC appliances --- water heater, furnace, water pump, lights, etc would be seeing that same very high AC Ripple and they would be giving you issues. Measuring at fridge terminal block measures the voltage on the whole system...being supplied by converter OR battery.
More likely 2.95V AC vs that 29.5V AC)

Also check that the DC Neg connection is tight...loose causes milivolt signal which make control board do erratic things
Both DC POS & NEG should be tight (all 4 screws on terminal block)

Measure the DC Voltage....low voltage would be issue (below 10V)
Good voltage (above 11V---better if 12+)

Did you check that the fuses were good by testing them (continuity thru fuse) or just look at them?

TESTS
With On/Off Switch "OFF" (don't test in ON position!!!)
The 3A fuse is DC Controls.....j1 12V DC POS---j2 to interior light/climate control (j10 is ground)
If you have good DC Voltage between j1 & j10 then check for DC Voltage on P1 connector (top left lower board)

P1 6 pin connector (numbering starts bottom left to top left ---1,2,3 then bottom right to top right ---4,5,6)
Check for voltage between pin 4 (orange wire) and pin 5 (red wire).
No voltage on orange wire.....(Have good DC Voltage at terminal block, between j1 & j10) then bad circuit board


Test/measure DC Voltages




Also with fridge in Auto it would swap to GAS if AC Power was lost (even momentarily) but if GAS couldn't light off (tank valved out) then it would fail and trigger fault light (Check Light)

[B92F]

ktmrfs wrote:
you mention the light in the fridge does NOT come on when you open the door. That indicates a problem with at least part of the 12V supply, it should come on. there are several fuses on the control board. check them and the bulb. once you get the fridge light to come on see if that fixes the problem.

The bulb and all fuses seem to be okay. Interior lights work while on battery as well. As I posted above, when I turn the climate control switch on (located above the freezer door) the check light stays on constant and does not blink.

If the bottom control board is faulty, would it prevent gas from flowing to that part of the system?

[B92F]

DiskDoctr wrote:
Does your furnace make heat?

Yes it does.

[ktmrfs]

you mention the light in the fridge does NOT come on when you open the door. That indicates a problem with at least part of the 12V supply, it should come on. there are several fuses on the control board. check them and the bulb. once you get the fridge light to come on see if that fixes the problem.