Dometic 8000 freezer problem (1 Viewer)

Heyupluv

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The 8000 fridge freezer Saga
I thought some funster’s may be interested in this bit of info some may already know about or encountered it before…so here goes
Dometic 8000 series Fridge/freezer……problem with the freezer door locking solid
While away our freezer door locked solid and no way of accessing the contents.
So we travelled to a Dometic agent..who was a nice chap…
What he said is those 8000 fridge freezers you have are the all singing and dancing, low wattage ….Dometic electronic nightmare….
After he had a good look around the freezer…(as I had done before going to him as the fridge/freezer is still under warranty (just))…he tried banging on the door with hand,
He then said you have one big problem the fridge/freezer needs to come out,,,that means taking all the panels off on the outside of the van off…disconnecting cables and gas pipes…the electronic board….it is not an easy job he said…..but the biggest problem is getting it out of the Rapido Motorhome wooden unit,,,the screws that hold it in the wooden unit are on the inside of the fridge and FREEZER…and that is locked solid….
And the chap was correct .. Rapido had built the fridge/freezer into a unit so it was flush…looks good Mmm…but impossible to take out no access. To the door catch or door hinges.
I got the feeling he did want to tackle the Job..as kept walking around a seeing to other vans coming in…his mate said he has done one before and had a terrible job with it saying they are designed by idiots and built by idiots and then fixed into units by idiots, without thinking what would happen if they went wrong …there built on benches????
After coming back to have another look….
His solution was to drill a large hole in the front door panel of the freezer to try and hit the locking mechanism that is if you drill in the correct place as there is a long plunger that operates the lock inside the door… or drill a large hole from the side through the motorhome veneered panel and through the freezer side wall…this would mean replacing the whole veneered panel and the freezer that would be a major job also replacing the front panel and a new fridge freezer…….
Wow ….this is a No NO
I nearly had a heart attack…..…
One thing I have learned…with my engineering /electrical/ joiner/ builder…and of course Fish& Chip shop..Mmmm background..try the easy/simple items first before you go for the kill… a rebuild…that is last resort.
While the Dometic man was away ringing Dometic…he left his books about 98 pages on that one 8000 series.
I took a look inside and noticed the button that you push up inside the door looked like it had a breakdown…so I suggested to him with two fine hooked strong wires we may be able to pull the button mechanism down..Ok we will give it a try…after a few minutes yes it came apart with a spring flying around the motorhome.
By removing the plastic (6” to 9”) plunger we could push up a long strong metal screwdriver so a little more force on the locking mechanism inside and eventually the door came open.
THE PROBLEM WHY IT WAS LOCKED SOLID WAS, THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS INSIDE THE FREEZER AND THE CONDENSATION FROM ITEMS YOU PUT INSIDE TO KEEP FROZEN OR TO FREEZE ENDS UP INSIDE THE PLASTIC LOCK…..YES YOU MAY NOW HAVE GUESSED THE PROBLEM THE LOCK WAS FULL OF SOLID ICE….
I will put photo’s on for you to see the freezer lock…….so before anybody starts drilling your freezer try this
!/ switch the freezer off and let it defrost…..if it’s under warranty claim for the food, if there is not much frozen food in write it off.
2/ If that fails try pulling the two button plunger down and keep an eye out for the spring..
If that fails then it is up to the Dometic agent….
After all this had taken place about 1 ½ to 2 hours…I said to the agent how do I owe you. The answer nothing, today has been a leaning curve for me, I have learnt from you …I said me to:winky::winky: looking at your manuals.:thumb:
So I gave him 20 euros….I do not blame the agent at all…I blame the manufactures and the Dealers Dometic and Rapido….the Agents have to pick up the pieces.

a lot of photo's to follow


Mel:thumb:
 
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Heyupluv

Heyupluv

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photos

freezer lock and parts
 

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Heyupluv

Heyupluv

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lock photos

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Heyupluv

Heyupluv

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freezer lock
 

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Heyupluv

Heyupluv

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One good tip is when your freezer door is open from time to time while in use...get your hair dryer and defrost and blow out any moisture in the lock ...to prevent any freezing:thumb:

Mel
 

Don Quixote

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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
One good tip is when your freezer door is open from time to time while in use...get your hair dryer and defrost and blow out any moisture in the lock ...to prevent any freezing:thumb:

Mel

Mel, before you put all back together pack with vaseline as this will stop water entering and will therefore stop freezing. You can also rub a little all around the seals once or twice a year keeps them clean and stops or slows down the cracking.

John

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DuxDeluxe

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Just picking up on this.......... I've got the same problem. One question, how do you get at the lock mechanism ? I took the seal off but could not see how to remove anything else? Thanks for any help
 

Wixie

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The same thing happened with our brand new Rapido 790 dF in June whilst in France. However the Rapido dealer in Limoges solved our problem by removing the flimsy fascia panel from the front of the freezer door (RMD8505). This was done by a bit of squeezing/ pushing until it popped out.
This then revealed a vertical slot directly behind the door catch which was protected by a removable piece of polestyrene.
He then took off the front cover from the catch, inside the freezer door, and with the help of a screwdriver prised the frozen catch out .
This was then de- iced and replaced.
Total cost 36 euros! This was reclaimed from our dealer on our return to the UK. The freezer door used to move up and down a bit on the hinge, this has now been rectified. Time will tell if the problem returns!
 

Wixie

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Sorry forgot to say that he wiggled a screwdriver into the back of the catch, removing some ice, to open the freezer door, then took the catch out.............

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laneside

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Thanks for the info folks, ours has only had water in the electrics as yet but I feel sure that Lynda is about to say the freezer door will not open. I have to agree there are certainly design flaws which are just so easy to correct if only Dometic would listen
 

DuxDeluxe

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The same thing happened with our brand new Rapido 790 dF in June whilst in France. However the Rapido dealer in Limoges solved our problem by removing the flimsy fascia panel from the front of the freezer door (RMD8505). This was done by a bit of squeezing/ pushing until it popped out.

Many thanks - is this the white panel on the inside of the door? Just to be clear...... I think it is but don't want to mess something up
 

Wixie

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No it is not on the inside. The removeable panel is on the front (outside) of the freezer door. On ours it's a piece of black shiny plastic but may be different on others to suit the decor of the van. It slots into place inside the outer trim on the front of the door. Same on the fridge door.
The fitter just squeezed his two palms of his hands against the flat surface and eased the flimsy panel away from one edge then pull the rest out. It took him about 10 - 15 seconds! It did look like it was going to break but it's very flexible if your careful.
More or less the same method for replacing it with a few extra careful slaps to fully relocate it.
I hope this helps.

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DuxDeluxe

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Thanks - it looks pretty immovable to me, but will have a go......... cheers
 

DuxDeluxe

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A bit fiddly but all fixed - at least I hope so. The catch was frozen sold
 

Techno

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BTW while stationary you can disable the locking mechanism so the door just holds on the seal like your fridge at home. You must of course re engage it before travelling. Instructions in user manual.

Pictures speak louder
RMD8505%20lock-XL.jpg
 

DuxDeluxe

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Thanks Andy - I did see the instruction youtube and queried which bit to take off - logically the inside but no it was the outside. Got it back on again as well!!!
 

Wixie

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Dux DeLuxe - Glad to hear you got your door catch sorted.

We have an Dometic 8500 series F/F which seems to have a different door catch position/design on the inside of the freezer door. Yet it still suffers from the same icing up problem though!! Good to see Dometic have sorted this issue ..... not!

I've attached a couple of photos showing this catch and the removeable front of freezer door panel:

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rita.scott2

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This has happened to us. It started in June and after having a new door fitted, we thought the problem was sorted, but NO! We always use the door lock in the up position when stationary, but ice still forms in the lock and we have to keep defrosting it with a hair dryer. Our van is nearly a year old and still the problem exists. The warning sign that it is about to freeze is a patch of condensation forming on the outside panel. There is no particular time to it - sometimes only a day depending on what you have inside and the outside temperature.
Dometic have not really been any help at all. We are hoping to have an engineer look at it soon but nothing firm has been arranged by them. The problem seems to lie in the lack of insulation between the mechanism and the outside panel.
 

DuxDeluxe

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I tried wd40 in the lock mechanism a few months ago. Stops the ice from forming on the mechanism and not had a freeze up since. Sorted! (y)

Edit. See you are from Colchester. We live in Leavenheath......
 

DuxDeluxe

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My dad used to live in Thorrington.

A quick squirt and wipe off the excess. Never had to do it again so far. I think the trick is that with the lubricant the ice cannot form on the lock. I did try a dry lubricant but it didn't work very well.
 

Lenny HB

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Mine has frozen a couple of times if you turn the frame heater on that defrosts it quite quick, well it did on mine.

Not impressed with the 8000 series fridge the 7000 was much better. Already had the burner changed, was roaring like a furnace and not cooling very well, still noisy and uses more gas than the 7000. When you look through the vent on a dark night the burner look so fierce you worry about the van going up in flames.
As for the stupid electronic controls & can't see what it's set to without opening the fridge door. Also got woken up in the middle of the night with it beeping, had to take the door catch apart and re-bend the strip of steel that operates the micro switch.
 

DuxDeluxe

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Mine has frozen a couple of times if you turn the frame heater on that defrosts it quite quick, well it did on mine.

Not impressed with the 8000 series fridge the 7000 was much better. Already had the burner changed, was roaring like a furnace and not cooling very well, still noisy and uses more gas than the 7000. When you look through the vent on a dark night the burner look so fierce you worry about the van going up in flames.
As for the stupid electronic controls & can't see what it's set to without opening the fridge door. Also got woken up in the middle of the night with it beeping, had to take the door catch apart and re-bend the strip of steel that operates the micro switch.
Thank goodness not had that issue with mine. The only problem was the beeping one night........it was in the morning that I realised that the door had not been closed!! Idiot......

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makems

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Also got woken up in the middle of the night with it beeping, had to take the door catch apart and re-bend the strip of steel that operates the micro switch.
@lennyhb I have a problem with the door alarm constantly beeping. Can you explain (to a numpty) how you fixed the door catch?
 

Lenny HB

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@lennyhb I have a problem with the door alarm constantly beeping. Can you explain (to a numpty) how you fixed the door catch?
Remove the plastic cover over the latch & switch it just clips on, it's very tight, then you can unplug the cable & unscrew the unit, once you have got it off it will be obvious, there is a micro switch and a sprung steel strip that operates the switch when the door latch closes, just a case of re-bending the spring to make better contact with the switch.
 

makems

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Remove the plastic cover over the latch & switch it just clips on, it's very tight, then you can unplug the cable & unscrew the unit, once you have got it off it will be obvious, there is a micro switch and a sprung steel strip that operates the switch when the door latch closes, just a case of re-bending the spring to make better contact with the switch.
Thanks for that. That's exactly what Colin did and found water in the door catch assembly which was causing a short and thus the continual beeping.

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Shaun929

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I know this is a old thread, but when the fridge bleeps does it switch all the blue lights of and switch’s them back on every few minutes? Mine has just started doing this.
Cheers
 

Shaun929

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Sat in a campsite in Dunkirk ready to get the train back first thing in the morning and came back to the Motorhome after having a walk down the sea front and heard the fridge beep, thinking the fridge door was open so went to shut it and it was! So opened the door and all the lights had gone off, thinking hook up had gone out checked that but all fine and then all the fridge lights came back on for a minute or so and then bleeped again once and then they all went off again.
It’s been doing this for about two hours now whatever I try gas or electric it’s the same.

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