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Old 05-15-2017, 08:47 PM   #1
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DM2663 fridge qwerk?

Riddle me this.... So far, we've been camping exclusively at full hook-ups with our 2017 21', so all AC power, haven't even cracked open the valves on our propane tanks yet. Dometic 2663 freezer holds at 0-2 degrees, fridge at 34-36 degrees. All has worked fine until the end of a four-day trip to the gulf coast this past weekend. Breaking down camp for the trip home, we pressed the "OFF" button, and as expected, all the lights on the fridge went out. But NOT expected, the fridge kept running. Disconnected the AC power cord, fridge still kept running with no lights on the control panel. It had to be running on DC, but no lights on the control panel to indicate. Drove a few miles down the road, fridge still running with no lights on the control panel. Finally flipped the main DC switch to "OFF", and fridge finally stopped running. Flipped switch back on, fridge started running again - still with no lights on the control panel. Flipped switch back off for the rest of the trip home and overnight. Today, plugged trailer into house 120V AC. Everything worked fine on AC (air conditioner, microwave, etc.), including the lights on the fridge control panel - EXCEPT the fridge itself. Switch fridge to DC, it runs fine. Switch it back to AC, it stops. I reset the fridge breaker and checked all five of the fridge-related fuses (1 amp, 3 amp, 5 amp and two 30 amps), and they are all good. So what gives? Why would the fridge not shut off when we broke camp until we threw the main DC switch, and why would it run without any lights displayed on the control panel? And why will it not run now on AC, just on DC? Any suggestions before I pester Rease and Dometic?
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Old 05-15-2017, 09:19 PM   #2
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Took me a while to figure out that issue of it not running when switching from one source to another and having the alarm sound. Seemed to remember I could eventually get it to work, however if you place it on Auto, then it senses when you are plugged in and automatically switches over. Then when you unplug, as long as the propane is on it ignites- assuming there is no other problem.
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Old 05-15-2017, 10:14 PM   #3
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Ross, Thanks for your feedback, but at least part of the problem is that the fridge's "Auto" setting isn't recognizing the availability of 120V AC power, when everything else in the camper does, so it switches to DC. Perhaps that's not the end of the world as long as the converter and solar system keep enough charge in the on-board battery to run the fridge, but they shouldn't have to if "Auto" would/could recognize the available AC power. Still a mystery, at least to me anyway.... Dale
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Old 05-15-2017, 10:36 PM   #4
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Dale, if you can't manually select A.C. power when you're on shore power, that would seem to me to be a problem with the control board. Just a guess. I've also heard of control board issues where the fridge is designed to continue running if the board has a problem - to prevent spoiled food until you have the opportunity to remove it. No lights but fridge running sounds similar to that.

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Old 05-15-2017, 10:47 PM   #5
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Am thinking the same thing if it chooses DC over AC when plugged into shore power. Probably time to see a Domestic Service Center unfortunately.
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Old 05-15-2017, 10:54 PM   #6
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Okay, I have to ask the stupid question: If there are no lights, how do you know it is running? We cannot hear ours running. I guess you can.

We have a different one but it will not shut off sometimes and has the light still on. Have to keep trying to shut it off.
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Old 05-16-2017, 02:54 AM   #7
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Sounds like mine when the control board started to give out
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Old 05-16-2017, 06:46 AM   #8
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Okay, I have to ask the stupid question: If there are no lights, how do you know it is running? We cannot hear ours running. I guess you can.
I was thinking the same thing. There's nothing in an absorption refrigerator that makes noise, like a compressor.

Are you sure it's not the "Texas Fan" option you're hearing run?
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Old 05-16-2017, 07:27 AM   #9
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Thanks, all. Our DM2663 has a low but detectable hum when running. If it is supposed to be absolutely silent, maybe that's yet another problem (although it works great when working). We know what the external fridge fan sounds like, and it was not running at the time. Plus it was around 60 degrees outside the morning the fridge wouldn't shut off, so the external fan shouldn't have been running. I didn't feel the need to turn the external fan's manual switch to "OFF," but perhaps I should have. Regardless, none of that addresses why it now won't run on AC?
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Old 05-16-2017, 07:51 AM   #10
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Thanks, all. Our DM2663 has a low but detectable hum when running. If it is supposed to be absolutely silent, maybe that's yet another problem (although it works great when working). We know what the external fridge fan sounds like, and it was not running at the time. Plus it was around 60 degrees outside the morning the fridge wouldn't shut off, so the external fan shouldn't have been running. I didn't feel the need to turn the external fan's manual switch to "OFF," but perhaps I should have. Regardless, none of that addresses why it now won't run on AC?
Dale, I'll just repeat what I mentioned above. If it won't run on AC, that suggests a problem with the circuit board or wiring. I would also check the AC plug in the back to see if it has power. If it does, you could have a bad board. They have been known to go out, even on new fridges.



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Old 05-16-2017, 10:23 AM   #11
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Fridge AC outlet has power. Interestingly, for whatever reason, I think the fridge is suddenly recognizing AC power again. The "Auto" mode is stopping at "AC" again now, and I hear the low hum I've been associating with the fridge running under AC power. Time to put the thermometers back in the fridge and freezer and let it go for awhile to see what the temperatures do.
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Old 05-16-2017, 11:29 AM   #12
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Fridge AC outlet has power. Interestingly, for whatever reason, I think the fridge is suddenly recognizing AC power again. The "Auto" mode is stopping at "AC" again now, and I hear the low hum I've been associating with the fridge running under AC power. Time to put the thermometers back in the fridge and freezer and let it go for awhile to see what the temperatures do.
War Eagle, Your fridge was just tired from the 4 day trip. It needed a little R and R. Now, It's letting you know it's ready for another outing
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Old 05-16-2017, 11:56 AM   #13
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fridge

We put it in auto and keep gas off and it usually goes into dc 12 volt mode for traveling .The dual battery and solar seems to keep up for the 8- 12 hour drive we do getting out of Florida . I need to run my fridge on propane to see that it works ? Jim
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Old 05-16-2017, 01:01 PM   #14
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War Eagle, Your fridge was just tired from the 4 day trip. It needed a little R and R. Now, It's letting you know it's ready for another outing
My wishful thinking my have led me to speak too soon. The control panel lights are correct for AC cooling, but the fridge is not cooling. I guess I need to dig out contact information for Dometic's help desk....
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Old 05-16-2017, 05:48 PM   #15
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My wishful thinking my have led me to speak too soon. The control panel lights are correct for AC cooling, but the fridge is not cooling. I guess I need to dig out contact information for Dometic's help desk....
Had a similar problem as our fridge would not shut off no matter in what mode. Contacted Dometic who sent me to an authorized service mechanic and they diagnosed it as a control panel issue. They ordered a new one through Dometic and it took 3 months to get a replacement panel as they had to order it through their supplier in Asia. Fridge is now working well. Hopefully they have ordered more for their stock as 3 months is a ridiculous wait period
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Old 05-16-2017, 09:50 PM   #16
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Update: I stopped messing with the fridge, gave the trailer a good bath to wash off the sea mist salt from a 4-day weekend at the gulf coast, extended the awning to let it get good and dry, then closed everything up and parked it under the carport. Decided to give the fridge one more try on "Auto" before calling Dometic, and it turned on and ran on AC like a fine-tuned machine. Go figure! Final test once it had cooled down to operating temps - I hit the "OFF" button, and it turned off just like it is supposed to. Yay!! Going to test it a few more times over the coming week before I feel comfortable that it's back to running normal again. Thanks to everyone for your feedback and ideas....
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Old 05-16-2017, 10:24 PM   #17
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It was showing its appreciation for being washed.
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Old 05-17-2017, 07:09 AM   #18
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Update: I stopped messing with the fridge, gave the trailer a good bath to wash off the sea mist salt from a 4-day weekend at the gulf coast, extended the awning to let it get good and dry, then closed everything up and parked it under the carport. Decided to give the fridge one more try on "Auto" before calling Dometic, and it turned on and ran on AC like a fine-tuned machine. Go figure! Final test once it had cooled down to operating temps - I hit the "OFF" button, and it turned off just like it is supposed to. Yay!! Going to test it a few more times over the coming week before I feel comfortable that it's back to running normal again. Thanks to everyone for your feedback and ideas....
Gremlins? If you're like me, you're happy it's apparently working, but you still would like to know what caused it. I'd still suspect the board. Keep an eye on it.

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Old 05-18-2017, 11:11 PM   #19
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Our fridge seems to be running fine again. Who knows what happened, but we’re hoping it was a “one off” and won’t happen again. For those who might be curious or want to compare, I’ve listed below the declining temperatures of our Dometic Model 2663 freezer and refrigerator after running it on AC for 10 hours using an Acu-Rite dual sensor remote thermometer. I started at noon when ambient outside temperature was 86 degrees F and ended at 10 p.m. when outside ambient temp was 73. I was not running the A/C in the camper during this test, but the windows were open for ventilation. Our Dometic 2663 usually stabilizes around 0 degrees F in the freezer and 34-36 degrees F in the refrigerator, and it looks like it takes around 10-12 hours to get there.

Time Freezer Fridge
---- ------ ------
Noon 80 79 (just prior to powering on)
3 pm 17 55
4 pm 13 52
6 pm 4 44
7 pm 3 42
8 pm 2 41
9 pm 1 39
10 pm 0 37

I’m confident that the fridge would have dropped another degree or two by 11 p.m., but it was time to end the observations and get some sleep.
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Old 05-19-2017, 01:18 AM   #20
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Before my board went out it was off and on - sometimes the fridge worked perfectly and then it didn't then miraculously it would work again.
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