Fridge fan not working.

ChrisK
ChrisK Member Posts: 280
in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
I noticed last night that the fridge fan wasn't coming on as usual and there was a low whine noise coming from the fridge area. I pulled the stove and checked the fuses. All good. I pulled the front panel and the fan spins freely by hand but the whining noise changes when I do so. Bad fan? I tried to call NuCam but no one answered on any lines.
The fridge still seems to be cooling but I imagine it is not as efficient without that fan.
2014 T@b S Max AKA T@dpole
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Comments

  • Verna
    Verna Member Posts: 6,876
    @ChrisK, what year of T@B and which Norcold fridge, please?  We can answer better with that information.  

    And, nüCamp’s hours are 8 am to 4 pm EDT.  
    Verna, Columbus, IN
    2021 T@B 320S  Boondock “The T@B”
    Towed by a white 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost “The Truck”
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  • ChrisK
    ChrisK Member Posts: 280
    Doh! right you are. It is a 2014 PV S Max. 3 way fridge.

    2014 T@b S Max AKA T@dpole
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  • Verna
    Verna Member Posts: 6,876
    Do you have the auxiliary fan on the right with the on/off switch on the upper right of the fridge?  It was an added fan to compensate for excess heated air that needed to be exhausted from the top side of the fridge.

    The next question is:  which fan seems to not be working? The built-in Norcold fan on the left, or the added fan on the right?
    Verna, Columbus, IN
    2021 T@B 320S  Boondock “The T@B”
    Towed by a white 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost “The Truck”
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  • ChrisK
    ChrisK Member Posts: 280
    We don't have the extra fan, just the stock Norcold one on the left. I did some troubleshooting tonight by unplugging the fan from the fan control thermostat. The annoying whine went away. I think its an internal short in the fan. I'll test it by connecting the fan straight to 12v to see if it works. I'll do that at home though. If so, it is probably the fan control thermostat. For now, the annoying whine is gone and the fridge is still cooling. Good enough. I think I'm going to order the ultra-quiet fan that Frank got for his and replace it anyways. 
    2014 T@b S Max AKA T@dpole
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  • ChrisK
    ChrisK Member Posts: 280
    I guess I should probably also order the extra fan setup as a backup. I've never had problems with the fridge cooling.
    2014 T@b S Max AKA T@dpole
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  • RollingLagrima
    RollingLagrima Member Posts: 435
    The additional fan was (is, in mine) to help cool the countertop on 2015 models and newer. The additional fan does not help the fridge itself cool any better, per se.
    Sally, "PlaT@Bus" 2016 T@B Sofitel Maxx-S (plata=silver; SP), previously Little Guy 2014 Silver Shadow LE, TV -- 2013 Chevy Avalanche + two hounds.
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  • ChrisK
    ChrisK Member Posts: 280
    Yup. I know that. Any evacuation of heat from the compartment will help keep the fridge cool.
    2014 T@b S Max AKA T@dpole
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  • ChrisK
    ChrisK Member Posts: 280
    edited November 2017
    Well, its not the fan. I pulled it out and applied 12v from a power supply and it ran fine. Did some testing and it appears I am not getting 12v to the fridge. With the fridge set to battery, I show no voltage at the incoming terminals on top of the fridge. It also will not light when on gas so its not getting voltage (it uses 12v) to the ignitor. It seems that when on 110v, you get just enough bleed voltage to cause the fan to be unhappy. I'm leaving for Hong Kong for a little over a week so I'll diagnose it more after that. Hopefully just a fuse but no time to check.
    2014 T@b S Max AKA T@dpole
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  • Tabaz
    Tabaz Member Posts: 2,421
    Also check the plug - they sometimes fall out of the outlet.
    2016 Outback 320
    2024 Ford F150 Supercrew short bed.
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  • ChrisK
    ChrisK Member Posts: 280
    The 110v works fine. Just no 12v
    2014 T@b S Max AKA T@dpole
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  • ChrisK
    ChrisK Member Posts: 280
    edited November 2017
    OK, back from Hong Kong. Had time today to work on this. Checked the fridge fuse at the inverter. It was good. Traced the fridge power wire back to the inverter to check voltage coming out of the inverter. Pulled on the connector on the wire to unplug it and the wire came out of the connector and was badly corroded. Cut the end off and installed a new connector and we now have 12v coming to the fridge and getting to the fan thermostat. Victory! Switched over to gas and tried to start it that way. I could hear the igniter clicking. That's good. Didn't get that before. The green ignition light blinked and then went out. Odd. Wouldn't light up again. Pulled the positive wire for the light off the ignitor circuit and hooked a multimeter up in its place. 0 volts until I pressed the ignite button and then it went up to 12v. It would go back to 0v until the fridge stayed lit and then it stayed at 12v and I could hear the fridge running on gas. The LED must have chose that moment to go bad. Time to source a suitable replacement. 
    2014 T@b S Max AKA T@dpole
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  • ericnliz
    ericnliz Member Posts: 4,437
    @ChrisK, Sometimes persistence is the best teacher. Nice problem solving! :)
    2016 T@B MAX S-aka: WolfT@B
    TV: 2006 Chevy Avalanche LT Z71 aka: WhiteWolf, or 1972 Chevy Custom10 P/U aka: SnarlingWolf
    Spokane, Wa.
    Eric aka: Lone Wolf  


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  • ChrisK
    ChrisK Member Posts: 280
    edited November 2017
    The part number for the flame indicator (that's its official name) is 61609022. Odd thing is that it is a 2v indicator. Sending 12v to it may be why it burned out. If this one goes, I'll rig a 12v bulb in.
    2014 T@b S Max AKA T@dpole
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  • ChrisK
    ChrisK Member Posts: 280
    All is back in order. i got the new flame indicator yesterday and installed it today. Even though the relighted outputs 12v and the indictor says 2v, they seem to work together. Must be a resistor in the flame indicator housing. 
    At first, I couldn't get the fridge to fire again on propane. It tried once but went out immediately and didn't seem to want to start again. I started looking through the service manual for the 3163 fridge (the 3163X manual is the manual that can with the fridge) and finally figured out where the actual start location is on the dial. The first time, when we bought the camper, when I tried to start the fridge on propane, I set the knob to the "start" position but it wouldn't light no matter what I did. I then figured out that what they have labelled as "Start" is actually the Off position. After that, I used to just turn the dial to the high side of the knob and it would start. It was sometimes reluctant but it would. A glance at the 3163 service manual shows that the start position for the 3163 is actually at about the 2 o'clock position on the knob. Went back out tried that and it started immediately and stayed started. So I think I have a 3163X fridge but the control unit in it is from the 3163 with the wrong panel on it.
     
    2014 T@b S Max AKA T@dpole
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  • ChanW
    ChanW Member Posts: 3,165
    @ChrisK, that's really interesting, what you've found about the 'Start' position of the dial.

    I've never had any success with the indicated Start position, I usually use any random position, and it usually works after a fashion.

    I'll have to try your results. Thanks!
    Chan  -  near Buffalo NY
    2014 S Maxx
    2011 Tacoma 4cyl ... edit: 2022 Tacoma 6cyl - oh yeah! 

     A_Little_T@b'll_Do_Ya
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