Coach Battery

[Scot]

I normally run the refrigerator on 12 volts while on the road. On our recent annual trip to Florida when stopped on the first day the coach battery was dead and would not charge from the alternator and I couldn't start the generator. The battery did charge on 120 when I got hooked up. When I got home I found Planck's post on the '92-'96 aux battery set up from May 2011 and found the blown "T" 60 amp fuse. (Great!) I am wondering if anyone would know what would cause this fuse to blow? Has anyone experienced a short/failure of the 12v element on the refrigerator?

[skater]

Moved to electrical forum. (Though appliances would be a good fit, too.)

Yes, the element can short out. I'm not familiar enough with the fridge wiring to say whether that's actually what happened though.

[EricZ]

I'm not quite clear on how these symptoms relate (dead battery, blown fuse).

However, as I recall, the 12 volt element in the original RM2310 refrigerator was about 125 watts, which would mean about 1.15 ohms. It's been awhile since I had an RM2310, but I think you can get at the connections (from the back) to unplug the element and check it with an ohm meter. The elements (two: 12 volt and 120 volt) are inserted into the flue pipe.

Perhaps you could then leave the 12 volt element unplugged temporarily and see if the fuse blows again.

Good luck.

[Planck]

It's been a while since I have worked on this, but possibly the 60 amp fuse is there to protect the alternator. If the coach battery is dead, it might create a large current draw from the alternator(although 60 amp seems like a lot) which would cause the fuse to blow, thereby protecting the vehicle electrical system from a burned up alternator. On my 91, the alternator went out on our first trip of the spring. Guess what - coach battery was dead, as I had not maintained it over the winter. Engine battery was probably a little low also.

[Scot]

I am still trying to figure out how to test the 12 v. element on the refrigerator. I have looked at the wiring diagram and removed the cover from the 12 volt connections, but I can't figure out how to isolate the element? Are the two unmarked spade connectors the 12v. + and - to the element?

[URStruly]

Find the white wires coming from the heating element and trace back to a white box that is between the black control box and the heating element. Take the wires loose here to ohm the element. Be sure to mark the connectors that the wires go to so you do not connect to the wrong posts when putting them back. Ohm the element. Should read.35 to.55 ohms good. Open or all 0s is bad element. If you are at the black cover box on the left side on back of refer that's the main control box 12volt is incoming and not out to 12v element itself.

Blowing a 60 amp fuse suggests a bad battery or dead short somewhere in the system.urs.