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Old 05-07-2015, 08:49 PM   #1
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Fridge won't turn on

My fridge won't turn on. I'm plugged in at home trying to cool it down before I head out. I haven't had it on since last fall. I push the on off button and nothing happens no light. I have power to the microwave so I know it has power. It's not very level right now I'm leaving Friday just wondering if it won't turn on because it's not perfectly level? its the smallest fridge for a 17
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Old 05-07-2015, 09:05 PM   #2
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Fridge won't turn on

Is your battery cutoff turned on? 12v power is required to run the fridge - even on shore power. The microwave will work without that.

If it's on, I'd check the 12v terminal block on the back of the fridge with a voltmeter to see if DC power is present there. If it is, you may have a blown fuse.
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Old 05-07-2015, 09:22 PM   #3
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Where is the battery cut off?
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Old 05-07-2015, 09:23 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox hunt View Post
Where is the battery cut off?

Don't know exactly where it is on the 17. In our 19 it's under the table on the face of the dinette bench. Silver toggle switch.
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Old 05-07-2015, 10:03 PM   #5
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Quote:
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Where is the battery cut off?
I have the U-Shaped dinette and mine is at the rear of the rear dinette on the drivers side. It's barely visible in this picture.
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Old 05-07-2015, 10:12 PM   #6
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The battery cut off is in the same place in Ten Forward, if anyone cares. I think it's pretty standard...
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Old 05-07-2015, 10:16 PM   #7
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Our 19' had it in the front on driver's side. They also do not all turn off the same way.
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Old 05-07-2015, 10:49 PM   #8
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Quote:
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Where is the battery cut off?
Under the driver side seat in the front dinette. It is a toggle switch. It should be pointing up if it is on. Another way to see if the battery disconnect is off is to look at the stereo and see if it displays a time. If there is no time, the switch is off.

If the battery disconnect switch is OK, then check the fuse Box and see if maybe a fuse is blown
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Old 05-08-2015, 08:42 AM   #9
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won't the battery cut off switch only effect the interior, under the bed, in a sealed battery box battery? On my 17'b I have 2 batteries. The battery on the bumper is not effected by the cut off switch. In the on or up position the two batteries work together, when turned off, or down only the interior battery is effected.
Fox hunt, do you have 2 batteries like I do?
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Old 05-08-2015, 08:48 AM   #10
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Fridge won't turn on

Quote:
Originally Posted by J Mac View Post
won't the battery cut off switch only effect the interior, under the bed, in a sealed battery box battery? On my 17'b I have 2 batteries. The battery on the bumper is not effected by the cut off switch. In the on or up position the two batteries work together, when turned off, or down only the interior battery is effected.
Fox hunt, do you have 2 batteries like I do?

Regardless of how the batteries are wired, the fridge needs 12v power to operate, even when selecting shore power. Thus, my first suggestion was to make sure the fridge was receiving DC power. I don't know how the cutoff switch works on his 17, but normally a 12v cutoff switch's function is to cutoff DC power to the entire trailer. Are we talking 2 6v batteries? If so, the cutoff switch would still need to be in the on position or the fridge would not get 12v.
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Old 05-08-2015, 08:59 AM   #11
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On the 17', the exterior bumper 12v battery can easily be cut off by unhooking the battery terminals. The inside 12v battery is under the bed bench and inside a sealed battery box. It's a PITA to unhook so a cut off switch is used. With the cut off switch turned off the DC still works because the cut off switch does not effect the exterior 12v battery. (at least in my trailer).
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Old 05-08-2015, 09:55 AM   #12
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I had to reset the small refer in my 17 footer a couple times because it would not start on shore power. The last time was probably three of four years ago so I forgot the details.

Check your owners manual for the reset procedures or do a Google search with your refer model number for the reset procedures.

I think I had to go through the steps a couple times to get it to take. It is a series of button presses, easy to do.
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Old 05-08-2015, 11:53 AM   #13
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The 12V DC power distribution panel is with the converter, so the cutoff switch will logically always be between the battery and the converter. When both are in the back of the trailer, the switch will be in the back; when both are in the front, the switch should be up front; if there's a variation with the battery at one end and the converter at the other, the switch could be anywhere. There are at least three different battery locations, depending on model (and year built, and maybe on whether it has single or dual batteries).

Quote:
Originally Posted by J Mac View Post
On the 17', the exterior bumper 12v battery can easily be cut off by unhooking the battery terminals. The inside 12v battery is under the bed bench and inside a sealed battery box. It's a PITA to unhook so a cut off switch is used. With the cut off switch turned off the DC still works because the cut off switch does not effect the exterior 12v battery. (at least in my trailer).
I don't think this was offered by Escape, or at least it is no longer offered. The factory choices are
  1. standard size 12V single battery
  2. larger size (group 29) 12V single battery
  3. two 6V batteries

I agree that in J Mac's configuration, only one battery needs to be connected for the refrigerator to work... but that won't normally be the situation in an Escape, even one with two batteries.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4 View Post
12v power is required to run the fridge - even on shore power.
The refrigerator needs 12V DC power, but it doesn't matter where that comes from. If there is no battery connected, but the shore power is connected so the converter is supplying 12V DC power, that should work too.
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Old 05-08-2015, 01:01 PM   #14
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i have two batteries out side on bumper. Now when i press the button the lights briefly go on then off. I'm at work now but leaving at noon I will check the cut off switch when i get home. Leon said its found drivers side under the bench. I will also see if i can look up the reconfigure info that was mentioned. I remember it not going on last year and then it started not sure why.
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Old 05-08-2015, 03:35 PM   #15
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In Fox Hunt's case, both batteries are one the rear bumper. The converter is also in the rear under the driver's side bench seat. However, the disconnect switch is up front, under the drivers side seat in the front dinette. My recollection is that the Battery disconnect switch disables all the 12 volt power. So lights don't light, the stereo doesn't work, the 12 volt outlets don't have power etc. that is the easiest thing to check. When we put our trailer away for extended periods my procedure has been to flip the switch so the propane monitor and other small current draws don't drain the battery. And sometimes if a big clumsy oaf has been sitting at the front dinnette the switch gets flipped down by accident. I am hoping that is what happened here.

But the fact that the light went on briefly and then went out ( as per F.H.'s last post) seems to point to something other than a switch -- like dead batteries that are now being charged by the shore power. FH, you may want to check the battery power level using the monitor panel, and check the water level in the batteries

Hope this helps

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Old 05-08-2015, 06:30 PM   #16
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A previously stated; if the converter is operational and is supplied with 120v there should be 12v available to all of the 12v components. The 12v battery cut off switch does not open the 12v circuit output from the converter.
Which frig do you have ?? Press and continue to hold the selector on/off button down until the on selection is indicated in one of the modes.
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Old 05-08-2015, 11:56 PM   #17
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Odd it started working just before my trip may just take a little time to boot up not sure why but last time it did the same thing. Working fine now I did nothing to make it work. Next issue was getting the awning up neighbor helped out got it up. Hoping I will get this down someday!
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Old 05-09-2015, 05:43 AM   #18
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Can I get some clarification about the need to turn the battery switch on when connected to shore power in order to supply 12v to the refrigerator? Isn't that what the converter does? I very well could be misunderstanding this whole issue.
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Old 05-09-2015, 07:31 AM   #19
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Quick question in this discussion. My new 21 has twin 6 volt batteries with the new 150 watt Samplex solar panel and controller set up as well as the 1500 watt inverter. If the 21 is not hooked up to shore power and the battery disconnect is turned off, does the solar panel still provide charge to the batteries? Thank you in advance!
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Old 05-09-2015, 07:41 AM   #20
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Quick question in this discussion. My new 21 has twin 6 volt batteries with the new 150 watt Samplex solar panel and controller set up as well as the 1500 watt inverter. If the 21 is not hooked up to shore power and the battery disconnect is turned off, does the solar panel still provide charge to the batteries? Thank you in advance!
My understanding is that you still get a charge to the batteries, even with the battery disconnect in the down position
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