Weird fridge issue, sanity check required! (1 Viewer)

[DanielFord]

The van has been in service for the last couple of weeks, however, this evening, I put her to bed. Went around doing all the usual stuff. Anyway, long story short, got to the fridge, emptied all the food and tried to switch it off. Nothing, it stubbornly refused to switch off.

Working in IT, I immediately tried the most effective cure for all things electrical, I shut down the Sargent, and switched it back on after about 10 seconds. The fridge came back on, but still refused to switch off using the power button.

So that my entire gas supply isn't depleted, I set the fridge to 12v (which is the same as off) and left it. The fridge in question is a Thetford N112, it works in all modes (I tested it) therefore in my mind this must mean the PCB is still working.

My fault diagnosis is the LCD display board has an iffy micro switch. I have located a spare part online, and am about to hit the order button. Anyone have any experience of this issue? Any pointers as to what else could be wrong before I waste £70 only to find out it still isn't fixed?

 

[Mack100]

That's weird, we have exactly the same problem. The engineer simply says we need a new "board". Can't do much about it yet as the bus is being fixed again at the manufacturer.
Must be a Surrey problem!

 

[pappajohn]

£70 for a micro-switch...

Does it have solid platinum contacts and gold terminals ?

No...it comes in a bag with 'MUG' written on the label.

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[DanielFord]

£70 for a micro-switch...

Does it have solid platinum contacts and gold terminals ?

No...it comes in a bag with 'MUG' written on the label.

N'Ah! That's the whole board, if the board fixes it, then I shall be off to maplins and replace the switch on the old board, then I have a spare board.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Probably more likely to be a component on the board than the microswitch but if it's a complete unit then it is what it is.

 

[pappajohn]

N'Ah! That's the whole board, if the board fixes it, then I shall be off to maplins and replace the switch on the old board, then I have a spare board.

Surely it's cheaper to replace the switch, then if that doesn't work part with your £70

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[Deleted member 29692]

Surely it's cheaper to replace the switch, then if that doesn't work part with your £70

That's a skills thing.

If you are 100% confident that it is the switch and you have the skills to do it yourself then yes of course it is.

If you need to pay an engineer to diagnose the fault then replace the switch then no never in a million years.

 

[DanielFord]

Surely it's cheaper to replace the switch, then if that doesn't work part with your £70

Yes, however, if I'm sat in the van on the Algarve, with a bottle of fine wine in the cooler (for example), and the fridge fails again. I'd much rather have a whole spare board to slot in, than faff about trying to get a micro switch in Portugal, and then solder it in whilst half cut

[edit]
I'm building up a healthy supply of spare parts that I carry around for just such an occasion!

 

[MitchandJenny]

That reminds me of the song "One piece at a time" by Jonny Cash, about a chevy stolen bit by bit in his lunchbox.
Mitch.

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[DanielFord]

I hate it when people don't update the finalisation of threads like this.

So, the replacement panel arrived from leisureshopdirect, 2 day turn around, which was not bad. Took me a week to get back to the van. I spent about a hour trying to work out how to get the bloody panel out, much swearing involved. Figured it out eventually and all fitted, put the fridge back together, and hey presto, the off button now works! WOOHOO!
I then take the old panel and place it in the box, and discover that that there is a detailed instruction pamphlet describing how to change the panel - D'Oh! That's an hour of my life I will not be getting back!
I have now confirmed that the old board is fine with the exception of the micro switch, which has been removed, just waiting for a replacement switch to arrive, which looks like it will cost about 60p - Nice!