Problem with voltage drop running Waeco cf50 from rear sockets

[Heath74 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Heath74]

It might be easiest to run it inside the chassis rail, then if you go to the passenger side rear quarter panel, you will find a grommet at the bottom. You should get it in through there. Have you already bought the 6 B&S?

While you a at it I'd cut the usless cig plug of the Waco and put either an anderson plug or mini anderson power pole style on it.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

My second battery is in the cargo area and I have 6 B&S running to that, I ran the negative through the firewall and under the sill gaurds, and the same for the positive on the RHS after running that of my Redarc isolater.

6 B&S is way overkill for a fridge though, 6mm2 is plenty good enough for a fridge.

Cheers Andrew

[WizudOfOz Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close WizudOfOz]

Hi Guys

Assistance it you can please.

- I have second battery installed & wired to 2 merit sockets in the rear, one on each side of the car, each with it's own cable back to the battery, earthed locally (not back to the battery). There is an inline fuse (20A I think) on each. I think I used about 6mm2 cable (can't recall currently). The RH cable feeds this merit socket & the standard ciggy lighter only, the LH cable runs the socket & LED's in the cargo area
- Running my CF50 (the model without the built-in AC) from the rear sockets using a custom cable (I cut a Waeco cable & fitted a merit plug - no fuse)
- Ran the fridge for about an hour Sunday morning & all OK. Ran it from about 10.30pm Sunday to 10.30pm Monday & all OK. Turned it on Tue AM & error light flashed voltage drop. Then after a short while driving (maybe 20 minutes) seemed to come good & stayed that way for the next few hours till I turned it off.
- Turned it on again this morning & same problem - flashing light indicating voltage drop. Drove >400km & fridge really didn't cool. Checked it every stop & same problem with the voltage drop error light flashing.
- Bought a new Waeco power cable en-route - no change, ran it from both left & right side socket - no change.
- Tested the voltage at the battery without the fridge running & at the fridge end of the power cable, 11.33V both suggesting no voltage drop. Tested at the standard ciggy socket with the fridge running (for the brief period it did) & voltage dropped to about 10.5V before the compressor then cut out & error light started flashing again.

Anyone with any idea why this might be happening? Problem with the fridge maybe? (I don't have the 240V AC power supply with me)

Cheers

Craig

[WizudOfOz Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close WizudOfOz]

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[Heath74 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Heath74]

Hi Craig. You mention the voltage at the plug, what's the voltage at the battery?
I'd be looking for 12.4 or thereabouts at the battery.

If that's ok, the next thing I'd be checking is your earth. Make sure it's got good contact and a firm connection.

By what you describe your fridge is actually running as it should, I.e. cutting out due to low voltage.

Heath.

[WizudOfOz Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close WizudOfOz]

Thanks Heath
Voltage at the battery was also at 11.33V.
The best I can find re the fridge shutting down due to low voltage (I have the switch set to low) is that it should turn off at 10.1V & restart at 11.1V therefore it should be fine at 11.33V & even at 10.5V.
Cheers
Craig

[Heath74 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Heath74]

Yeah I think see what's happening, with no load your battery is reading 11.3, which is very low. But under load its dropping rapidly and this might be the issue?

As far as the exact cut out points, I wouldn't think that your gauge and the waeco gauge would necessarily be calibrated.

Is the battery getting a good charge?

You could also check voltage at the fridge end of your waeco cord just to make sure it's not the merit socket?

[mackayvx Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close mackayvx]

Hey wizud.
As heath said. Start with the basics.
Whats you cranker batt voltage? (+12.5v?)
What voltage is your 2 batt getting with the car running? (+13v?)
If they are both good give your 2nd batt a good charge with a big charger to really pump it up. I find my 20amp charger shakes my batteries back to life really well.
If the batt still sits below 12v it might be buggered.

The key bit of info you gave us was your battery was on 11.3v... That is a flat battery mate.

Hope you sort it. Cheers

[WizudOfOz Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close WizudOfOz]

Thanks guys

I'll live with it for the time being - fridge temp was 7.4 so beer wasn't quite cold enough but it did the job.

I'll look at it when I get home next week. I think it's the charging & might get that fuse/diode doodad to bump it up a bit.

Cheers

Craig