Date:         Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:30:08 -0700
Reply-To:     Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Dometic refrigerator fail
Comments: To: mcneely4@cox.net
In-Reply-To:  <20121019163022.JWLCA.2724572.root@eastrmwml105>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Dave -

If the breakers are ok as per Neil's suggestion, it could be the
heating element which stirs the ammonia around (like the propane heat)
could be shot.  Up to early 84 they had a single heater element for
both 12VDC and 110VAC.  Late 84 thru 91 had two separate elements, one
for 12VDC and one for 110VAC.  I don't have the VW or Dometic numbers
for these pieces and I imagine that finding new ones would be a major
pain as I experienced a few years back when trying to source one for
my Dometic in a Class C Motorhome I own (wasn't cheap either).  When
I'm slumming in the local recycling yards, I try to get the fridges
(even damaged ones) for parts and that's one of the first things I
look for.  Never have needed one yet for the Westy, but I keep a good
used spare under the seat box.

-- 
Jim Thompson
84 GL 1.9 "Gloria"
84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
75 914 1.8 "Nancy"
Full Timing From March 1999 To January 2012
oldvolkshome@gmail.com
http://www.oldvolkshome.com
Find me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Thompson/100000710343835
***********************************

On Fri, Oct 19, 2012 at 1:30 PM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
> Help.  My Dometic refrigerator seems to be in partial failure mode.  The propane mode works fine, cools well.  I usually precool the refrigerator at home on A.C. before putting food in and switching to battery to drive to wherever I am camping, where I switch to propane.  This week, it would not cool on A.C., but worked fine on propane.  I also usually check to make sure it is cooling after a couple of hours, then let it run overnight at home.  This time, for some reason, I plugged it in and pushed the A.C. button, but never checked it again until I was almost ready to leave.  That's when I realized it was not cooling, and I did something I have never done before.  I fired up the propane and drove to my secret creekside spot in eastern Oklahoma with it running that way.   I figured the D.C. mode would not cool from ambient adequately during the warmish day.  Cooled fine on propane, even though the daytime temperatures exceed 75 F, forming frost on the cooling fins.
>
> When I got home, I tried it again on A.C., without success.  I tried two different extension cords, just in case, but to no avail.
>
> So, any ideas before I dig into the thing?  Thanks, mcneely