I’m pretty sure I did the same thing as referenced in this thread, but before I go and pull the fridge to get to the control panel I wanted to run it by the experts:

I’m pretty bummed. I spent the last few days during my off time trying to get the fridge to cool properly. I did multiple cleanings of the burner, orifice, flu, etc….and I had the freezer compartment getting down to 19 while outside temps were around 105. Winning…..

I went to move the fan temp sensor as suggested and I think that’s where I goofed. I had turned it off to make the move, but when I went to turn it on, the controls were dead. Nothing.

I checked the 12 V fuses, the GFCI, unplugged it, disconnected the battery and reconnected and still nothing. 

Do I need to try and get at the control board behind the fridge? Anywhere else I should look? Ughhhhhh

It will be interesting to read if you are successful in getting it running again. I ended up replacing mine with a Dometic electric only model.  https://www.boatandrvaccessories.com/collections/boat-marine-refrigerator-freezers/products/refrigerator-crx1110e-fs - https://www.boatandrvaccessories.com/collections/boat-marine-refrigerator-freezers/products/refrigerator-crx1110e-fs  . My mods has the installation and the other changes I had made to our former RP-179.

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. 

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?

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.

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.

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 - 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? 

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.

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….

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!