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Merian
Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014
Posts: 5212
Location: Orygun
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 Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 10:46 am Post subject: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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Vanagon Nut
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10365
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 11:21 am Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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Wow. Looks to be 1/2 original length. Did the flame even stay lit?
The thermocouple on one of my 182's was pretty worn and likely the main reason why the fridge flame blew out while driving in hard winds.
Neil.
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1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA
1988 West DIY 50º ABA
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22631
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 11:59 am Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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When I think of how people maintain stuff on average, these things terrify me.
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Merian
Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014
Posts: 5212
Location: Orygun
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| Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 12:29 pm Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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| Vanagon Nut wrote: |
Wow. Looks to be 1/2 original length. Did the flame even stay lit?
The thermocouple on one of my 182's was pretty worn and likely the main reason why the fridge flame blew out while driving in hard winds.
Neil. |
I have never been able to get it lit at all.
I did not know about the length - if 2x as long where would the tip end up?
And... Where can I buy a new Dometic thermocouple (in the US)?
I see them at Adventure RVs etc. but I can't figure out which is right for a Vanagon Dometic...
VC doesn't seem to have a listing; nor does GW
I found this:
http://www.americanrvcompany.com/Dometic-293205201...oC5XTw_wcB
can't tell if it is the right part and can't really see a difference in length...
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Vanagon Nut
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10365
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 1:15 pm Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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| Merian wrote: |
I have never been able to get it lit at all.
I did not know about the length - if 2x as long where would the tip end up?
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If I recall, the Dometic service manual shows an image(s) of sparker and thermo position relative to the burner. Yes. Link below to one of my pics. I was partly wrong. It seems the part you show is not much shorter, if at all, than OEM. Still, it looks pretty fried. Even so, your fridge should light when holding down the yellow button. Staying lit, well that's another story.  The thermocouple may or may not be at fault.
https://goo.gl/photos/JwT46iaTR4Ba86767
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1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA
1988 West DIY 50º ABA
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Vanagon Nut
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10365
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 1:27 pm Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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| Abscate wrote: |
| When I think of how people maintain stuff on average, these things terrify me. |
Not that you're suggesting this, and I ain't no expert (see my last post) but if in fact that thermocouple has failed or is failing, but other associated parts are ok, that's just fine; though the fridge may light, it likely wouldn't stay lit. That in itself is not a safety issue. Once voltage from that thermocouple drops, the valve at safety "switch" closes.
Neil.
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1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA
1988 West DIY 50º ABA
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Merian
Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014
Posts: 5212
Location: Orygun
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| Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 2:19 pm Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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| Vanagon Nut wrote: |
| Merian wrote: |
I have never been able to get it lit at all.
I did not know about the length - if 2x as long where would the tip end up?
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If I recall, the Dometic service manual shows an image(s) of sparker and thermo position relative to the burner. Yes. Link below to one of my pics. I was partly wrong. It seems the part you show is not much shorter, if at all, than OEM. Still, it looks pretty fried. Even so, your fridge should light when holding down the yellow button. Staying lit, well that's another story. The thermocouple may or may not be at fault.
https://goo.gl/photos/JwT46iaTR4Ba86767 |
The diagram from the DOmetic manual shows the tip ending between the 2nd & 3rd slit. Mine is just a touch shorter, and ends about at the 2nd slit.
No way can I get it to light. I've tried every "trick" posted here many times over the last several years.
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Vanagon Nut
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10365
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 3:22 pm Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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| Merian wrote: |
The diagram from the DOmetic manual shows the tip ending between the 2nd & 3rd slit. Mine is just a touch shorter, and ends about at the 2nd slit.
No way can I get it to light. I've tried every "trick" posted here many times over the last several years. |
Well, I'd suggest the thermocouple is not what's keeping the fridge from lighting; even when new that part does nothing to help the fridge light. And since it appears you have the fridge out and burner box apart.....
Edited. This is a distant memory, but I swear that on my first Dometic, the connector on the ignitor wire, the end that connects to the push switch, wasn't properly crimped on to the wire; there was no spark or a very weak intermittent at burner. Also, it's remotely possible that the wire can have a break at end where it joins the sparker bit (porcelain) End edit.
It can't hurt to clean the sparker tip and burner to help ensure a spark happens.
Another odd ball thing I ran into was re assembling the burner box parts. The burner itself would end up being cockeyed. Again, a distant memory but when re assembling those parts, the end of the burner with slits might end up sitting too far from the sparker.
Neil.
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1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA
1988 West DIY 50º ABA
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Farf
Samba Member
Joined: July 12, 2009
Posts: 463
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 3:39 pm Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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Merian,
I have a less crusty t-couple you can have and any other fridge parts you may need. It was working before I yanked the fridge for a more modern option. PM me if interested. I agree with Neil, you need a good ground path for a strong spark.
Mike
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davevickery
Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2005
Posts: 2887
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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| Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 4:45 pm Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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| It is a trick question everyone. That all looks FINE. You know how little voltage the thermocouple has to put out to work and how little heat it takes. The little end wear won't make a difference. Now you just need to figure out why it won't like. It is almost always just knowing the peculiarities of your fridge and doing that consistently each time you light it. |
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Merian
Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014
Posts: 5212
Location: Orygun
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| Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 6:32 pm Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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maybe the gap is too far above the vents??
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atomatom
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2012
Posts: 1867
Location: in an 84 Westy or Bowen Island, BC
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 1:31 am Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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| davevickery wrote: |
| It is a trick question everyone. That all looks FINE. You know how little voltage the thermocouple has to put out to work and how little heat it takes. The little end wear won't make a difference. Now you just need to figure out why it won't like. It is almost always just knowing the peculiarities of your fridge and doing that consistently each time you light it. |
''
agree.
fwiw, until i learned you need to heat the pipe before you light, it was a lot of click click click. but after running 12v cooling on the way to the campground, and then gas, it was, click and chill for 2+ weeks.
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DLJ
Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2008
Posts: 554
Location: North California
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 10:28 am Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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Thermocouple looks OK. Not why it wont light. Constant flame makes them all look like that after a few years. Easy to replace, check samba members for parts.
while apart, check for spark at the electrode.
I would suggest that you insulate power wire that goes from piezo plunger to electrode. They seem to leak after many years of use.
While apart, clean out intake and exhaust tubes. |
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Vanagon Nut
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10365
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 10:52 am Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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| Merian wrote: |
| maybe the gap is too far above the vents?? |
to my eye, the angle [edit: and gap] looks ok; that part only mounts one way and tip doesn't look bent.
I'd suggest that the thermocouple pic isn't a "trick question" per se. True, as I and others have mentioned, it has nothing to do with lighting the fridge but a failing or marginal thermocouple can most certainly figure into the fridge staying lit.
Neil.
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1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA
1988 West DIY 50º ABA
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Merian
Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014
Posts: 5212
Location: Orygun
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 11:32 am Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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I cleaned out intake and exhaust tubes and they are spotless.
Not sure re grounding or insulation on the wire.
I've said before it won't light BUT to be honest it is possible it lights and then dies right away. I'm not sure how I'd know if it lit briefly.
I have tested many times by running it on AC a couple days then trying to light it - pumps, air compressor, yada yada. This has been a multi-year struggle.
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Vanagon Nut
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Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10365
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 12:10 pm Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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| Merian wrote: |
I've said before it won't light BUT to be honest it is possible it lights and then dies right away. I'm not sure how I'd know if it lit briefly.
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Even though my old 182A had an actual flame meter, I used to carry a cardboard tube to view if the flame was on. This was also handy to see if flame changed size as I turned the thermostat.
Since the flame goes from "large" to "small" depending on cooling needs of fridge, when flame is small it stands an even better chance of not heating that thermal enough. And though this isn't he issue here, it stands an even better chance of getting blown out while driving.
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1988 West DIY 50º ABA
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diogenes
Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2015
Posts: 16
Location: Neo
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 1:06 pm Post subject: Re: What's Wrong With This Picture? |
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Couldn't tell you what's wrong with the picture.
Yet did you test the thermocouple yet? Hook a multimeter up to it?
Test the voltage and resistance.
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