Code 10, norcold 3000 series fridge

[Frank C]

3 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

Perhaps he's devised one for the new Norcold models now in use?

The Norcold fridge in our 2019 Elite II has smooth/flush membrane switches on the control panel, not protruding.   We’ve never had any issue with bumping them accidentally.  

[Brian and Maria]

21 hours ago, SherMica said:

Got me. It says 10. OTT had me removing galley drawers and unscrewing a very hard to reach plywood panel. “Maybe the cord came loose.” On flat interstate all day? Cannot even get to “cord” but felt around and nothing dangling. This is not good.

Hi SherMica: It may help you to know that we experienced several code "10" errors very soon after picking up our Elite I. Each time it was caused by the refrigerator's AC plug coming unplugged from its electrical outlet. None of the temporary fixes we tried work until we simply (1) (gently) squeezed the plug's terminals together to create a snugger fit when plugging it into the outlet and (2) moved the plug to the other outlet on the receptacle. Not sure if the latter helped but it hasn't unplugged for several months now. There didn't seem to be any consistency or pattern . . . it would stay plugged in on bumpy roads sometimes and then other times it would be unplugged after all day on the interstate. As you've found out it's a tight squeeze to get back in there to see the refrigerator's AC cord and plug. I can't fit in there but my wife can and, with a good flashlight, she is able to actually see the plug and receptacle. You may want to try again to see if your refrigerator's plug is loose and if so, attempt the fix and maybe leave the plywood panel off until you're sure that the plug indeed is staying in. BTW Oliver maintenance advised me that the refrigerator warranty would be voided by swapping out the standard plug and receptacle with the locking type. Too bad, that would work perfectly I think.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you. - Brian

[Moonlight Mile]

4 minutes ago, Brian and Maria said:

Hi SherMica: It may help you to know that we experienced several code "10" errors very soon after picking up our Elite I. Each time it was caused by the refrigerator's AC plug coming unplugged from its electrical outlet. None of the temporary fixes we tried work until we simply (1) (gently) squeezed the plug's terminals together to create a snugger fit when plugging it into the outlet and (2) moved the plug to the other outlet on the receptacle. Not sure if the latter helped but it hasn't unplugged for several months now. There didn't seem to be any consistency or pattern . . . it would stay plugged in on bumpy roads sometimes and then other times it would be unplugged after all day on the interstate. As you've found out it's a tight squeeze to get back in there to see the refrigerator's AC cord and plug. I can't fit in there but my wife can and, with a good flashlight, she is able to actually see the plug and receptacle. You may want to try again to see if your refrigerator's plug is loose and if so, attempt the fix and maybe leave the plywood panel off until you're sure that the plug indeed is staying in. BTW Oliver maintenance advised me that the refrigerator warranty would be voided by swapping out the standard plug and receptacle with the locking type. Too bad, that would work perfectly I think.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you. - Brian

Does it look like this big black thing just behind the blue thing?

[Frank C]

16 minutes ago, SherMica said:

Does it look like this big black thing just behind the blue thing?

That black component is the retraction weight on the water hose for the kitchen faucet head.  The blue tubing is the cold water line to the faucet.  The red tubing is the hot water line to the faucet.  None of those have anything to do with the power to the fridge.  

Edited February 3, 2021 by FrankC

[Moonlight Mile]

3 minutes ago, FrankC said:

That black component is the retraction weight on the water hose for the kitchen faucet head.  The blue tubing is the cold water line to the faucet,  The red tubing is the hot water line to the faucet.  None of those have anything to do with the power to the fridge.  

Exactly as I thought. OTT said it is impossible to reach. Elite 1 is TINY and I am almost 6’ (normal wt) so no way. Thanks for the confirmation.

[Moonlight Mile]

24 minutes ago, Brian and Maria said:

Hi SherMica: It may help you to know that we experienced several code "10" errors very soon after picking up our Elite I. Each time it was caused by the refrigerator's AC plug coming unplugged from its electrical outlet. None of the temporary fixes we tried work until we simply (1) (gently) squeezed the plug's terminals together to create a snugger fit when plugging it into the outlet and (2) moved the plug to the other outlet on the receptacle. Not sure if the latter helped but it hasn't unplugged for several months now. There didn't seem to be any consistency or pattern . . . it would stay plugged in on bumpy roads sometimes and then other times it would be unplugged after all day on the interstate. As you've found out it's a tight squeeze to get back in there to see the refrigerator's AC cord and plug. I can't fit in there but my wife can and, with a good flashlight, she is able to actually see the plug and receptacle. You may want to try again to see if your refrigerator's plug is loose and if so, attempt the fix and maybe leave the plywood panel off until you're sure that the plug indeed is staying in. BTW Oliver maintenance advised me that the refrigerator warranty would be voided by swapping out the standard plug and receptacle with the locking type. Too bad, that would work perfectly I think.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you. - Brian

Thanks for confirming what I will now call a “known issue.”  Btw my entire window covering over the dinette fell off too and no way to get it back on. I tried.

Edited February 3, 2021 by SherMica

[SeaDawg]

Read the other thread I split, please. 

I know you are tired, and patience is probably slim, but it's usually an easy minutes job to put the shade back up..

 

[Brian and Maria]

24 minutes ago, SherMica said:

Exactly as I thought. OTT said it is impossible to reach. Elite 1 is TINY and I am almost 6’ (normal wt) so no way. Thanks for the confirmation.

I understand, I'm also about 6' and there's no way I will fit back there far enough to see the plug and outlet. One thing that worked for us is a mirror to initially locate the outlet and plug without having to do contortions. Make sure there is no AC being supplied to your trailer (i.e. disconnect your shore power plug from the outside) to prevent a shock. Then you can reach in there to feel if the plug is disconnected and if needed put the plug back into the outlet. In the meantime and as suggested by someone else, you could run the frig on LP. Good luck! - Brian

[Moonlight Mile]

21 minutes ago, Brian and Maria said:

I understand, I'm also about 6' and there's no way I will fit back there far enough to see the plug and outlet. One thing that worked for us is a mirror to initially locate the outlet and plug without having to do contortions. Make sure there is no AC being supplied to your trailer (i.e. disconnect your shore power plug from the outside) to prevent a shock. Then you can reach in there to feel if the plug is disconnected and if needed put the plug back into the outlet. In the meantime and as suggested by someone else, you could run the frig on LP. Good luck! - Brian

No way can I get even my arm back there hardly. Apropos of nothing, back in the day I was a serious volleyball (indoor) player, coached by a two-time Olympic player. Decent player, in other words, into my 40s. Starting outside RH hitter. Played on men’s height nets in leagues. With the guys. My arm is long and I spiked so hard people hit the dirt. (Sorry not sorry.) Point being, I am neither a delicate flower nor a spazz, I just can’t EVER get back into the freakin’ hull to check a &$$!-@/! plug. 

Edited February 3, 2021 by SherMica

[SeaDawg]

You could try teaching in and taking photos with your phone. 

 

[Galway Girl]

First - I'm so sorry for your predicament.  It's frustrating at best, and at worst can cause you a loss of confidence in your trailer...and perhaps a loss of frozen foods.  Neither are good.

Now as to the troubleshooting flow I see in your manual it shows this diagram:

Hopefully pushing the button for source selection works, and it let's you manually select DC or Gas.
Until you "AC Power" issue is solved, at least you can keep your food cold on Gas or DC.

FYI - If we are hooked up to AC we use AC for the fridge, other wise we use GAS as our first choice
(as others stated, Norcold's actually cool better on GAS than on DC.)

Also, for these Norcold units, they suck a lot of DC current (like 5-7 amps) so they run down your batteries pretty quickly.

Running on GAS is the most effective way if you don't have AC or if the AC circuits have an issue.

As far as the troubleshooting workflow I think the idea is if it seems to give an ERROR 10 , and is looking for AC power...the troubleshooting tree might look like this.  First start at the power pedestal, making sure you have power to the trailer.  Then inside the trailer if you have power, check for power to the wall plug where the fridge is plugged in.  That comes through the circuit breaker panels (black box). Then if the power is ok, it may be the fridge came unplugged....not likely but it has happened before in other cases.  After that if you have power to the fridge and it's still saying Err10 it may be a board fault with the Norcold unit.

 

I'm so sorry for your issues at the start...but once you get beyond those I'm sure you'll be doing joyful dances...more often.

Galway Girl's Owners - Hull 505

[QuestionMark]

As others have already stated, the most likely cause is that the refrigerator has come unplugged and needs to be plugged back in.   It happened twice on our Elite I during the first few months of ownership and at first I was baffled by the 10 error code.  I was able to come across a post someone had submitted awhile back that described the location of the plug.   Once plugged back in it works as designed.   Jason recommended we use a zip-tie to secure once we had it plugged back in.  We have not had another problem with the refrigerator since.   

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by QuestionMark

[Ray and Susan Huff]

9 minutes ago, QuestionMark said:

As others have already stated, the most likely cause is that the refrigerator has come unplugged and needs to be plugged back in.   It happened twice on our Elite I during the first few months of ownership and at first I was baffled by the 10 error code.  I was able to come across a post someone had submitted awhile back that described the location of the plug.   Once plugged back in it works as designed.   Jason recommended we use a zip-tie to secure once we had it plugged back in.  We have not had another problem with the refrigerator since.   

 

Hmmmmm . . . . . . warranty is void if you install a locking plug, but you can use a zip-tie?

Is this only happening in the Elite I?

@SherMicaI am truly sorry for your frustration.  Hang in there; it will get better.

[Moonlight Mile]

22 minutes ago, ctshort09 said:

First - I'm so sorry for your predicament.  It's frustrating at best, and at worst can cause you a loss of confidence in your trailer...and perhaps a loss of frozen foods.  Neither are good.

Now as to the troubleshooting flow I see in your manual it shows this diagram:

Hopefully pushing the button for source selection works, and it let's you manually select DC or Gas.
Until you "AC Power" issue is solved, at least you can keep your food cold on Gas or DC.

FYI - If we are hooked up to AC we use AC for the fridge, other wise we use GAS as our first choice
(as others stated, Norcold's actually cool better on GAS than on DC.)

Also, for these Norcold units, they suck a lot of DC current (like 5-7 amps) so they run down your batteries pretty quickly.

Running on GAS is the most effective way if you don't have AC or if the AC circuits have an issue.

As far as the troubleshooting workflow I think the idea is if it seems to give an ERROR 10 , and is looking for AC power...the troubleshooting tree might look like this.  First start at the power pedestal, making sure you have power to the trailer.  Then inside the trailer if you have power, check for power to the wall plug where the fridge is plugged in.  That comes through the circuit breaker panels (black box). Then if the power is ok, it may be the fridge came unplugged....not likely but it has happened before in other cases.  After that if you have power to the fridge and it's still saying Err10 it may be a board fault with the Norcold unit.

 

I'm so sorry for your issues at the start...but once you get beyond those I'm sure you'll be doing joyful dances...more often.

Galway Girl's Owners - Hull 505

Pretty sure it is the unit since it did it the very first night when I “camped” three blocks from OTT at their old office parking lot. Three blocks seems unlikely to jiggle a cord loose. 

[SeaDawg]

Did you have to reset the breaker when you drove to davy crockett?

[Moonlight Mile]

1 minute ago, Ray and Susan Huff said:

Hmmmmm . . . . . . warranty is void if you install a locking plug, but you can use a zip-tie?

Is this only happening in the Elite I?

@SherMicaI am truly sorry for your frustration.  Hang in there; it will get better.

I have had moments, honestly, where I think as soon as I get my business done here this week or so, I will drive it back and get a full refund plus gas and everything else. Honestly, this is too many things at once, don’t you think? QC?

[Moonlight Mile]

Just now, SeaDawg said:

Did you have to reset the breaker when you drove to davy crockett?

Have. Tried. Everything.

[SeaDawg]

I know you ran on 110 at the sales office. And at davy Crockett. 

So, when did you have the code 10? 

And, how was the fridge panel set?

It can help us to help you, if you remember. 

I  know that I  asked you when I talked to you at the sales office site, you said the panel showed a "plug" illuminated, meaning, on your fridge, 110.

Edited February 4, 2021 by SeaDawg
Typos

[Moonlight Mile]

10 hours ago, Ray and Susan Huff said:

Hmmmmm . . . . . . warranty is void if you install a locking plug, but you can use a zip-tie?

Is this only happening in the Elite I?

@SherMicaI am truly sorry for your frustration.  Hang in there; it will get better.

Thank you Ray and Susan.

[BillATX]

Just to add to this thread...  On my 2021 Elite 1, I also had the Norcold Code 10 issue, exactly as decribed above.

My cord had become completely unplugged (not merely loose).

I had a heckuva time locating the outlet box and getting the plug inserted into the holes.  On my rig, the plug goes in facing aft (towards the rear of the trailer).

I highly recommed a small mirror and light and some patience. Also - please disconnect shore power when you are blindly feeling around the outlet box to find the holes.

After re-inserting the cord into the outlet, I secured plug with some duct tape.  I tried the best I could to get a decent picture to share with this forum, but I was unable to get anything that looked decent.

I reported the issue to Mike at the Oliver Service Desk who helped me along the way.  He seemed familiar with this common issue and was ready with the trouble shooting steps.  He also indicated there were screws that could be removed to gain access to this area behind the galley, but I was never able to locate the screws and so I was forced to reach back there and feel my way through it.

This issue is very simple to resolve, but it is a booger to get the fridge plugged back in.

 

 

Edited March 9, 2021 by BillATX
typos

[topgun2]

12 minutes ago, BillATX said:

This issue is very simple to resolve, but it is a booger to get the fridge plugged back in.

Sorry you (too) had this issue.

Any idea of how long it took you to resolve the problem?

Bill

[SeaDawg]

I'm glad you notified Oliver, as the factory should be taking a look at this issue. We're now 2 for 2 on new Elites with the same issue, and that's disappointing. 

Maybe mounting the outlet differently,  or securing the cord, solved this issue with the Legacy II trailers. I remember reading about that issue years ago with the larger trailer. 

 

[BillATX]

12 minutes ago, topgun2 said:

Any idea of how long it took you to resolve the problem?

I am embarrassed that this simple fix took me as long as it did; but I spent a good hour on it....Almost all of the time was spent feeling my way behind the galley, and trying to get my light and a small mirror to see back there.  I never could get a decent look at the plug.

Honestly, I was doing other stuff while I was fixing this too.  I was sanitizing the water lines and fresh tank, and installing some permanent plumbing connections in place.  I also spent some time figuring out exactly how the drawer slides work.

I am easily distracted.....This little trailer has become my new toy....

[SeaDawg]

2 hours ago, BillATX said:

...This little trailer has become my new toy....

I think that statement is true for many of us...

Glad you are enjoying your Oliver!

[ADKCamper]

Similar experience... our fridge cord also came unplugged, twice now. I blame the most recent occurrence on a very long stretch of rough interstate pavement with patches on patches. Used a flashlight and a mirror-on-a-stick to see what was going on behind the cabinet's rear wall. This time I tie-wrapped the cord (near the plug end) down to something solid. We'll see how that holds.