Club 80-90 Forums

I have a dometic RM123 fridge that I purchased new about 4yrs ago. It’s not the current model with controls at the base, its the previous one with controls at the top but not with a piezo igniter. After re-fitting the camper last year the gas mode would not function. I’ve just removed the fridge and discovered that somehow I managed to pull the connector off the electronic spark generator. Not just pulled it off but snapped off the 2 prongs that the terminal block connects to. I’ve re-soldered a couple of fly wires to the remaining visible connections on the generator but the thing does not seem to function. I’ve googled the part number and drawn a blank. The dometic website does not recognise the product number or the part number!
Does anybody know how these things work? Maybe I can get an alternative. There re only 3 wires that come out of the unit the +& - go the push button on the fascia which makes the connection and the other to the spark tip at the butner, there is no other power supply. The unit has 1.5VDC on it, so I’m assuming that it has its own internal ‘sealed for life’ battery? One of the mounting screws passes through a metal collar so I’m thinking that must make an earth connection and the spark is generated at the output to pass through the igniter tip to earth.
I’M BAFFLED and don’t know where to go next.

i think its batteryless, and makes the spark by the button movement, and is like those hand held ones you light the stove with. high voltage !!!
its nearly always the earth connection at fault ( if you havent pulled the wire to bits!!))
NO HELP I KNOW, BUT NO BATTERY.

I just had a look at the manual, this model has electronic ignition. The electronic ignition version has a connector block on the back, a fuse and a battery.

There'll be no need for an earth, pressing the button will simply allow a circuit to be created when the spark jumps across the electrode. I see it's also called re-igniter ignition, so would assume that the third wire monitors for a few millivolts generated by the presence of the flame (just like the gas valve on old domestic boilers). If the flame goes out when in gas mode, there's some gubbins that detects the loss of voltage and triggers another spark ? Looking again, there's 3 wires on one side of the connector block, only 2 on the other, so maybe no monitoring.

That's my guess anyway. Easystuff first, check the fuse, find the battery and check the voltage, make sure the switch closes to make the circuit.

Good luck

PeteandNikki wrote:I’ve googled the part number and drawn a blank. The dometic website does not recognise the product number or the part number!

Are you sure? I find it surprising that parts aren't available for a 4yr old fridge. I can still get parts for my RM184 which is 35yrs old.
E D I T https://www.leisureshopdirect.com/cooli ... electrolux" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Problem solved! There’s an AAA battery in the push-button on the fascia. Impossible to get to without removing fridge from built-in cabinet. Not obvious without reading the manual, which I don’t have.

Glad you got it sorted and thanks for providing the conclusion.

Seems a bit strange that an inaccessible battery should fail after 4 years. I would ask the manufacturer what their expectation was, and reasons why it should be depleted so quickly.

Perhaps you can "unscrew" the button to get to the battery ??

You might consider running a pair of wires out to one of those plastic AA or AAA battery holders which you might be able to tuck somewhere more accessible so as to make any future battery replacement less bothersome.