How should my fridge be powered when driving?

[SimonJT]

Hi. I've got a Mazda Bongo with a Zig cf9 power unit

When the fridge is turned on and being used, how should it be powered?

1 Directly by the car battery with the cf9 unit turned completely off?

2 By the car battery with th cf9 unit switched on and switched to cat battery?

3 By the leisure battery

Remember this question is about when I'm driving the vehicle, not stationery

Thanks as I brand new to campervans

 

[SimonJT]

Hi. I've got a Mazda Bongo with a Zig cf9 power unit

When the fridge is turned on and being used, how should it be powered?

1 Directly by the car battery with the cf9 unit turned completely off?

2 By the car battery with th cf9 unit switched on and switched to cat battery?

3 By the leisure battery

Remember this question is about when I'm driving the vehicle, not stationery

Thanks as I brand new to campervans

 

[jollyrodger]

A bit of an old unit,but from memory left hand switches 12v supply 2nd switch in (rocker)should be on car/van battery when driving

 

[autorouter]

Usually there is a relay (an electrically operated switch) that turns ON automatically when the engine is running, and turns OFF when the engine stops. It connects the fridge 12V element to the starter battery, which is charged by the alternator while the engine is running. So as denisejoe says, it is powered by the alternator.

I don't know about a Mazda Bongo and how a Zig unit fits in with this.

Is your fridge a 3-way type, or a compressor type? For a 3-way type you can select the energy type - 12V, 240V or LPG (gas). If there's no gas and it has a motor then it's a compressor type.

 

[Stanbrook]

Mazda Bongos with older Zig units often have subtle differences in how they were wired.

Depending on who did the original conversion, what is printed in the operating info in the ZIG CF9 charging and distribution booklet can conflict with info printed on the CF9 itself.

Only the previous owner knows exactly how to switch on and off your fridge as they have used it in the past.


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[jollyrodger]

Here you go.
A long time since I fitted one .
The difference being you could plug a fridge for 240v direct from cf9 when on ehu which you couldn't do with cf8

 

[autorouter]

Usually there is a relay (an electrically operated switch) that turns ON automatically when the engine is running, and turns OFF when the engine stops. It connects the fridge 12V element to the starter battery, which is charged by the alternator while the engine is running. So as @denisejoe says, it is powered by the alternator.

That's 'RELAY 2' in the wiring diagram. RELAY 1 is a similar relay that automatically connects the leisure battery to the alternator when the engine is running so it will charge, and disconnects when the engine stops. RELAY 2 is the 'fridge relay', and RELAY 1 is the 'split charge relay'.