Oops! Dometic RM8501 not working-FIXED!

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poohbill Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 22 Aug 2019 Location: Idaho Online Status: Offline Posts: 87	Post Options Post Reply Quote poohbill Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Oops! Dometic RM8501 not working-FIXED! Posted: 23 Aug 2023 at 11:34pm
	Congratulations! Thanks for your detailed contribution. Keep podding on.
	2016 179 Gastropod 2017 Ridgeline

Austintaco Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Jul 2023 Location: Austin, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 21	Post Options Post Reply Quote Austintaco Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 23 Aug 2023 at 9:38pm
	First of all, thank you for being a great community and following along. I hope this helps others if they go down this path and make the same mistake. A special thank you to Adam in Co for his help in direct messaging me back with what worked for him. There are many variations of the RM 8501 so what I did and others did may or may not work for you, but here it is: In my 2016 179 HRE, the fridge had one fan at the bottom with a small black and red wire going to it. My thermal sensor had two red wires with spade connectors to it. I had power at the 12 volt distribution block, but nothing after the control board between the two vents in the back. From what worked for others and some of the wiring diagrams online, it appeared that the one fan had a black ground wire and a red positive wire that came from the closed side of the sensor. The other side of the sensor should have had power from the control board, but it did not due to me shorting out an internal fuse. Using alligator clips to “test” my theoretical diagram I clipped one to the one of the spade connectors and the other to a positive on the distribution block and I heard and filmed via my iphone, the fridge powering up! I then clipped it to the other spade connector on the sensor and touched the positive on the distribution block and as I suspected, the fan turned on! So, if you make this same mistake and think you have the same setup as I described, one side of the the thermal switch back feeds the hard to get at control board and the other will turn on the fan. Phew!
	2003 Toyota Tacoma 1984 Toyota 4runner 2016 Rpod HRE 179

Austintaco Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Jul 2023 Location: Austin, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 21	Post Options Post Reply Quote Austintaco Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Aug 2023 at 2:49pm
	More info: https://www.justanswer.com/rv-motorhome/lo88s-working-dometic-rm-8501-refrigerator-2016.html I might be out of luck, based on this person’s issue. It’s exactly what I’m dealing with. The question is, how does the fan temp control short out the entire system. If there is a fuse, where is it? If there is not a fuse, then I fried the board….
	2003 Toyota Tacoma 1984 Toyota 4runner 2016 Rpod HRE 179

Austintaco Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Jul 2023 Location: Austin, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 21	Post Options Post Reply Quote Austintaco Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Aug 2023 at 2:21pm
	https://www.arprv.com/dometic-fan.php Replying to myself for anyone following. The same company on the same site makes a fan sensor setup for the fridges. I’m really curious if a dealer or tech wired the fan temp sensor incorrectly or correctly and it is killing power to the controls.
	2003 Toyota Tacoma 1984 Toyota 4runner 2016 Rpod HRE 179

Austintaco Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Jul 2023 Location: Austin, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 21	Post Options Post Reply Quote Austintaco Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Aug 2023 at 2:16pm
	I’m just documenting as I find some info for future reference for myself and others. I am on shift today and using some down time to look up info and I came across this: https://www.arprv.com/dometic-control-box-wiring.php#Wiring-Scheme-Number-11 I’m new to RV absorption fridges so this might be old news to everyone else. It appears that this is a safety product that RV places were installing after recalls for some fridges. I know some Dometic fridges had the reset button on the boiler thermal sensor, but I don’t think mine does from what I can tell. I also don’t think my fan ever worked with the temp sensor, the one I was moving before this happened. I’m wondering, if by chance, the fan temp sensor is wired incorrectly and I fried it while moving it and now the control board is not getting power?
	2003 Toyota Tacoma 1984 Toyota 4runner 2016 Rpod HRE 179

Austintaco Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Jul 2023 Location: Austin, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 21	Post Options Post Reply Quote Austintaco Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Aug 2023 at 10:24am
	I’m looking for a good wiring diagram, but after poking around and taking some photos, this is on a 2016 179, I have confirmed that the eyebrow panel has a ribbon connector that goes to another circuit board behind a box. The temp controller/thermistor also runs to the eyebrow panel. The 2nd board/box is behind the “baffle box” that is installed in the back. I believe this was added by a tech after sale sometime in the past? If I can figure out how to remove this box (it occupies the area between the two vents and creates a ledge at the top that goes with an inch of the coils), I could get to this other board. Anyone have a similar setup? Should I just disconnect the fridge and move it…ughhhhhhhhh……l How can I test the eyebrow board or the ribbon connector to it to determine if they have power? Thanks again for the help.
	2003 Toyota Tacoma 1984 Toyota 4runner 2016 Rpod HRE 179

Austintaco Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Jul 2023 Location: Austin, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 21	Post Options Post Reply Quote Austintaco Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Aug 2023 at 9:19am
	Maybe I’m referring to the wrong part? I can remove the display panel, what I am calling the eyebrow and behind that is a circuit board with one ribbon connection and one small gauge wire connection. I believe that runs to another board that is dead center of the back of the fridge and in my case blocked by baffles from the top and bottom. I was looking for StephenH’s photos of removing the old fridge to see what it will take to get to the back of it, but I’m also to the point of going with a new fridge if I’m going to do this.
	2003 Toyota Tacoma 1984 Toyota 4runner 2016 Rpod HRE 179

jato Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3227	Post Options Post Reply Quote jato Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Aug 2023 at 9:01am
	For me, the motherboard is located on top, or the eyebrow panel. If you are not getting any display on the status indicator it would seem like a wire or connection the the panel must have worked loose. Was the status indicator working or displaying before you moved the fan temp sensor?
	God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."

Austintaco Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Jul 2023 Location: Austin, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 21	Post Options Post Reply Quote Austintaco Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Aug 2023 at 8:47am
	Thank you both for the replies. When you say “motherboard” are you referring to the eyebrow panel or the one on the back of the unit? I have not made access to the one on the back of the fridge. I’m trying to avoid it if I can. I checked the 12VDC block on the back and there is power at all terminals except the D+? Looking for an explanation of what that may mean.
	2003 Toyota Tacoma 1984 Toyota 4runner 2016 Rpod HRE 179

jato Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3227	Post Options Post Reply Quote jato Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Aug 2023 at 8:40am
	Curious if you are getting 12V to the mother board. I gave my spare board to another podder who had a problem similar to yours. (I replaced my 8501 three years ago with an exact replacement 8501 - mine failed because of an ammonia leak after 10 years but all other parts were perfectly functional). They had 12v going in to the board but zero volts going out, I hope that isn't your case. Hard to believe that by moving the fan temp sensor it would fry the board. Has to be a simpler explanation like a loose wire somewhere - hopefully. Keep us informed, all is not lost.
	God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."