Norcold 3163 Series Installation and maintenance instructions

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How To Fix The “Burner Ignites But Flame Will Not Hold” Problem
on the Norcold 3163 Refrigerator
in the VW Eurovan
Background
Many people have posted on Eurovan blogs, the problem of placing the Norcold 3163 into propane mode,
pushing the start button for an eternity, and the flame doesn’t stay lit. This can result from several problems,
which will be made clear below.
Safety Information and Caveats Before Starting
Any changes made to your unit should only be attempted if the warranty has expired. By now, that should be
moot, since most original warranties have probably expired.
If you are not electrically inclined, or cannot easily follow these directions, then it is recommended you find
a qualified assistant, or, do NOT perform the changes stated below. Because this involves propane gas and
electrical circuits that can lead to a dangerous situation, it is recommended you proceed with caution.
No liability can be assumed for the use of these instructions.
To continue with these instructions, first download a copy of the ‘Norcold 3163 Service Manual’ found at:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/ev_update/files/Norcold%20documentation. (Must be a registered
member.) References from this service manual are used in this document.
It is recommended you print out and read through these instructions in their entirety, to familiarize yourself
with the work that will be accomplished.
Verifying the Symptom
1. Turn on the propane valve at the external tank – fully counterclockwise. (BTW, the tank valve seats
at both ends; fully closed and fully open. Always turn it either fully open or fully closed, firmly
seating it at either end.)
2. From the ‘User’s Operating Guide’ (found at the link above), we first put the unit in ‘propane mode’.
This is done by pressing the ‘E’ button shown below, the one with the flame graphic.

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3. Immediately, you should hear a continuous ticking or clicking sound coming from underneath the
refrigerator. This is the electronic igniter – a high voltage spark, jumping across to the burner. It will
continue indefinitely unless the burner either lights or you press a button other than Propane. If you
do not hear the continuous ticking sound (assuming you have a quiet environment to hear it), the
electronic igniter may be bad, or a 12V fuse may be blown (located on the top of the refrigerator).
4. With the igniter ticking away, push the ‘A’, Safety Valve button, just to the left of the temperature
knob. Hold this button down until the indicator lamp ‘G’ comes on at the far right. If the burner
lights, the lamp will come on and the ticking will stop. (The electronic module senses the flame at the
burner and automatically shuts off the igniter, also turning on the lamp.)
5. As soon as the lamp illuminates, hold the button for a count of ‘20’. Release the button. If the lamp
goes out, repeat holding the button for 1 minute then release. If the lamp still goes out after one
minute, you have the infamous “Burner Ignites, But Flame Will Not Hold” problem.
Note: If you view through the bottom grill beneath the fridge door, looking toward the left rear
corner, you should be able to see the ‘blue’ burner flame through a small, glass window on the front
of the burner box. (See image below.) You can only see this while holding the Safety Valve button
and the indicator lamp is lit. This task may require an assistant and a darkened environment. If the
flame is not lit, you may have other gas delivery issues, requiring more troubleshooting than this
paper intends to address. Before assuming the burner won’t light, make sure the external propane
tank valve is ON, and a stove burner can be lit, ensuring gas pressure is coming from the tank.
Extracting the Refrigerator
The next steps are required to remove the refrigerator for further examination and changes. It is assumed you
are approaching this for the first time. If you are a Eurovan expert, skip the next steps, and jump to
‘The Fix’ toward the end. (These steps explain work on a ’97 Eurovan Winnebago. If your model is
different, please apply your own mechanical skills to achieve the same results.)
1. Turn OFF the external propane tank valve. Ensure that it is OFF by lighting a burner on the stove. If
the stove flame continues for more than 5 or 10 seconds, the external valve may be corroded,
preventing full turn off of the propane. If this happens, you cannot continue with the steps below until
the external valve has been replaced.

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Next, the exhaust vents must be detached at the rear of the fridge. To get to these, the rear cabinet panels
under the sink must be removed for access.
2. Open the cabinet door to the left of fridge and loosen the screws holding the door to the hinge bars.
Slide the door off the hinges and set it aside.
3. Remove the shelves from the cabinet and the rear, vertical shelf bracket strips, marking them with
tape so they can be returned to the same positions. The rear panels will not slide past these brackets.
4. Remove the inverted ‘U’ guard over the water dump valve at the floor.
5. Remove the screws from the lower, rear panel and set that panel aside.
6. Unclamp and cautiously remove the hose from the barbed fitting on the bottom of the sink faucet. If
the faucet is made of plastic, be very gentle, twisting the hose loose from the barbs. Drain the hose
into a bucket and push the hose aside.
7. Remove the screws from the larger, upper, rear panel and pull the left side out first. Set the panel
aside. Now you should be able to see the fridge’s vent attachments to the outer wall of the van.
8. Remove the screw/s (see 11 below) and retaining washer/s (12) from the vent housing.
You may have upper and lower vents if your van is equipped with the ‘high altitude kit’.
Remove all hoses from their vents.
This is the upper hose attachments.
The lower vent has only one hose. Note
its position on the vent housing to
return it to the same position when
finished.

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9. Gently pull the hoses from the wall vent structure (7); a press fit. The hoses should have Neoprene
O-rings on the ends (8), as seals against the vent housing. If you tear one of these O-rings, they can
be replaced with standard Neoprene rings from the local auto or hardware store. They prevent
exhaust gas from leaking into the van’s interior.
10. Remove all screws from the plastic panel just left of the fridge.
(As you remove the panel and mounting screws, make a quick drawing of their positions to facilitate
their return to the same positions later.)
11. Remove screws from the grill beneath the fridge door.
12. Remove all screws on the side flanges of the fridge, on either side of the door.
13. Tape the ‘door locking pin’, on the chain, to the cabinet, to keep it out of the way.
14. Ensuring that all front screws are removed, gently pull the fridge straight out about ¾ of its depth.
The gas line will purposely bend forward as the fridge is pulled out; be gentle and careful.
15. Once the gas connection is exposed, use two open-end wrenches to loosen the tubing nut from the
fridge fitting. Be careful not to twist the fitting on the fridge valve. Remove the gas line from the
valve connection.
CAUTION: Some propane may seep momentarily from the tubing end, but it should NOT
continuously flow from the fitting. If there is a continuous flow, STOP,and immediately retighten
the fitting and resolve the issue with the external propane tank shutoff. No flow should continue from
this tube!

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(Two wrenches should always be used to prevent over torque and stripping any threads.)
16. Slowly continue to pull the fridge out of the cabinet. It will slide on its brackets and should not scuff
the vinyl flooring. Swing the right rear corner out first. This allows the fins on the left to clear the
cabinet opening. (Remember to reverse this motion when reinstalling the fridge – fins first.)
17. As the rear of the fridge clears the cabinet, reach back into the opening and unplug the 120VAC cord
from the duplex power socket on the wall of the van.
18. Unplug the +12V and 12V Ground wires from the terminal block on the top of the fridge. The +12V
should be violet colored and the ground should be green colored. Ensure that these do not touch each
other or other metal on the van; the +12V lead is always ‘hot’. To protect the end, place tape over the
12V lead to keep it from shorting on exposed metal or wires. Set the wires aside on the floor.
19. Pull the fridge completely out of the van and place it on a work surface. It doesn’t weigh much, so
you should be able to lift it easily, laying it on its side with the cooling fins facing upward.
Let’s proceed with the next steps to fix this problem.
So, What Is the Problem Anyway?
To solve the dilemma, you need to do a bit of examination and troubleshooting first. This requires removing
the burner box cover to get to the burner/igniter/thermocouple assembly. (Your assembly steps may differ.)
1. Looking at the bottom of the unit, remove the galvanized plate directly under the burner box. This
requires removing a screw from the side of the burner box and two on the rear.
2. Remove the screws around the flange of the burner box. Gently separate the box, trying to preserve
most of the glass wool gasket on either half. The gasket must be treated carefully in order to be
reused. If it splits as you open the box, try to keep from losing the material on each half, as this will
come back together, later, to reseal the joint.

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3. Gently pull the lower half away, while keeping the thermocouple, igniter, and gas line attached.
4. Tilt the fridge back to its upright position, with the lower half of the burner box sitting next to it.
Now you are ready for some testing.
There are several issues that could be preventing the flame from staying on. Let’s get the obvious ones out of
the way first.
1. Is the burner assembly inside the box clean? There should be no dirt or dust inside the box.
A typical problem is wasps or bugs nesting inside your exhaust system. Clean it out with a vacuum.
Rust is okay, as long as it is not flaking off and clogging the burner assembly. Chip out any flaking
rust with a screwdriver blade. The burner should have 3 or 4 slots on the top of the tube, directly
under the thermocouple. (See image below.)
2. Is the thermocouple’s “tip” directly over the flame slots? The tip must be over the flame for the
maximum output voltage from the thermocouple.
The vibration of the van may have caused the thermocouple to slip back, away from the flame,
reducing the voltage production. Slide the thermocouple all the way into the case until it stops against
the flange at the base of the tip.
(Thermocouple operation: inside the tip are two dissimilar metals that generate about 30 milli-volts
when heated. This voltage is used at the gas valve to activate a coil that ‘opens’ the gas valve for
burner operation. Its main safety function is to close the valve if the flame accidentally blows out,
preventing gas build up, which could lead to unburned gas. All simple gas valves on water heaters,
etc., work this way.)
3. On top of the fridge, connect a DC voltmeter (capable of reading millivolts) across the outer copper
tube near the flange nut, and the spade lug closest to the flange nut. This will allow readout of the
thermocouple’s voltage when you heat it in the next step.
thermocouple tip
flange ‘stop’

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4. Heat the tip of the thermocouple with a flame; a propane torch is recommended, but a cigarette
lighter, or hot soldering iron may also work. The voltmeter should begin to climb to approximately
20-30 millivolts. (Remember, that’s only 0.030 volts!) It is an approximate measurement, but the
voltage should probably be higher than 20 millivolts. If the reading does not change, the
thermocouple is probably bad. If this is the case, remove the thermocouple and retest it over an open
flame, reading with a voltmeter between the outer copper tube and the end contact, soldered to the
extreme end of the tube near the nut.
Unfortunately, Norcold decided to use a non-standard nut on the thermocouple, so the exact same
thermocouple at your local hardware or home center will not thread into the valve. (Why?!!!) If you
are brave, you can attempt to rethread the valve’s threads with the standard thread pitch, or even
riskier, try to ‘chase’ the threads on the valve, with a new, standard threaded thermocouple (not
recommended). Changing the thermocouple threading is up to you, but it is not encouraged.
The thermocouple is 48” (122 cm) long, if you intend to replace it. And of course, you can get the
original part at GoWesty.com, p/n 113737-01-717 for a whopping $44.95 US. (Yikes! The hardware
store variety costs about $11 US.)
If you find an after-market thermocouple the right length, be absolutely sure the threads on the nut
are an exact match for the threads on the Norcold gas valve. Use a thread gauge, if in doubt.
Note: Do NOT use thread sealing tape or pipe dope on these threads! The flange nut will self seal on
the ferrule, when tightened.
That takes care of the burner end. Now we'll move to the gas valve.
inside the burner box
lug closest to flange nut -
on top of the fridge

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5. The thermocouple only puts out about 30 millivolts, so any ‘loose’ connections at the gas valve will
quickly cause loss of thermocouple voltage arriving at the valve end. Using two open-ended
wrenches carefully ensure that the thermocouple is tight where it enters the interrupter, and the
interrupter is tight in the gas valve. It makes sense to loosen the thermocouple first, tighten the
interrupter in the gas valve, and then retighten the thermocouple into the interrupter.
6. Loose electrical connections on the interrupter lugs will also keep the thermocouple voltage from
reaching the valve. Check the spade lug connections and the white wires going back to the relighter
module.
If the above connections are secure, the next steps will now test the actual operation of the burner and valve.
7. Move the entire unit back into the van and reconnect the gas line and 12V wires. Press the OFF
button on the front panel to reset for the next tests.
8. Turn the external tank valve back ON and ensure there are no leaks at the connections on top of the
fridge. Soapy water can be used as a bubble test on the tightened fittings. A sniff test with your nose
works too.
9. Place the burner box on the floor next to the fridge, on a piece of wood or other insulator, to protect
the vinyl flooring. Open the windows or doors, to allow exhaust gases to escape, as you will next be
lighting the burner. Be sure to have plenty of ventilation, though you will only be starting the burner
momentarily. Keep all flammable material away from the burner box.
10. Press the Propane button on the front panel. You will see the igniter spark arcing onto the burner
tube, continuing until you hit the OFF button (or the burner ignites). Proceed once you see the
sparking.
NOTE: The best position for the igniter wire is to have the tip of the wire about 1/8” (3 mm) to the side
of the last slot of the burner. This ensures the spark intercepts the gas flow, but does not overheat and
oxidize the end of the wire in the flame. To reposition it, grab the wire with pliers, where it exits the
insulator, and use another set of pliers to bend the wire, preventing stress at the egress point on the
insulator. When finished, the igniter wire should be just outside of the blue flame, which will be tested
below.
11. Press the Safety Valve button on the front panel, holding it down for at least 20 seconds. Release it to
see if the lamp stays on and the burner stays lit. If it does, you are done, you have fixed the problem.
Try it many more times before you decide it is fully functional.
Otherwise, press the OFF button and continue.
If the burner does not stay lit, the next steps will determine how to make a change that will ensure proper
operation.
12. Remove the two spade-lugged wires from the interrupter and temporarily short the lugs on the
interrupter together with a jumper or conductive tool. (See the location of the ‘white’ wires in the
diagram with the voltmeter, above.)

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13. Press the Propane button (E), then the Safety Valve button (A), on the front panel. The burner should
light and the panel lamp should remain on. If the burner stays on when the Safety Valve button is
released after 20 seconds, the relighter module is the culprit (it was bypassed in this experiment).
You can stop here and replace the relighter module, or proceed with an alternate solution that will solve the
problem, for a lot less expense.
If you measure the interrupter circuit wires coming from the relighter module, with an ohmmeter (after
unplugging them from the interrupter), you will see approximately zero ohms when: the Propane button is
pressed, the Safety Valve button is pressed, and the flame ignites. If you then plug the wires onto the
interrupter lugs, and measure the same resistance when the flame ignites, the resistance may become higher;
> 10 ohms. This will not work. The 20-30 millivolts from the thermocouple must pass directly through the
interrupter without any resistive loss.
Inside the relighter module, the interrupter circuit may not be switching on fully (a switching circuit that is
not fully saturated or closed). This must be close to zero ohms for the thermocouple voltage to pass through
the interrupter without any loss. The relighter may have various ohmic values, at different times, leading to
intermittent operation and a very frustrating experience trying to get the burner to stay lit. And if the burner
turns off due to the thermostat reaching its ‘cold’ temperature (set by the knob), it may not restart when the
thermostat clicks back on to start a new cooling cycle. Below is a fix for this that eliminates the problem
without replacing the relighter module.
The Fix
The interrupter circuit inside the relighter module is supposed to go to zero ohms when the flame is detected
by the module. It does this by detecting the resistance through the flame itself to the grounded structure of
the burner assembly. If the flame goes out, the relighter automatically starts sparking again, in an attempt to
relight the flame - say, if the wind blew really hard into the side vents on the van and blew out the flame – a
possible scenario. If the thermocouple is still hot (it has some thermal mass), the flame will relight
immediately, and all is well. If the flame is blown out long enough, the thermocouple will cool down and the
gas valve will shut off until reset by the user, using the front panel buttons (a manual start procedure as stated
above). This is all meant as a failsafe to restart or shutdown the flame when disturbed.
(BTW, once you have everything working again, blow out the flame while it is running and you will see the
relighter automatically re-ignite the burner. Cool, eh?)
If you don’t want to buy a replacement relighter ($$), here’s a cheaper solution that works.
Purchase a 12VDC relay at the auto parts store; one that has at least one “normally open” (N.O.) contact.
They are quite common, but listed below are some possible sources for relays.
This relay will be energized when the Propane button (E) on the front panel is pressed. The “normally open”
relay contacts will short the lugs on the interrupter, replacing the white wires from the relighter module. The
white wires should be permanently taped up and set aside – they will no longer be used.
This relay circuit replaces the relighter’s internal switching circuit, which fails to fully saturate/close – for
whatever reason – a weakness in the design.

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The interrupter’s sole job is to cut off the gas supply, whenever the fridge is not being used in Propane
mode. The new relay will do the same task, but with guaranteed success, because it too will be energized by
the Propane button, but disabling the gas valve when the panel control is off or put in other modes.
Below is a description of how to install this auxiliary relay and fix the flame sustaining issue.
Installing the Relay
You need a relay with a 12VDC coil that is SPST, N.O. contact, also referred to as a ‘1 Form A’ type.
If you have a 12VDC coil relay, with any ‘normally open’ contacts, use it.
Below are some suggested resources for parts.
Radio Shack: (www.radioshack.com, search for ‘relay’)
12VDC/30A or 40A, SPST Automotive Relay
Model: 275-001 or 275-226
~ $7 US, online
(handy, because it has a screw mounting tab and spade lugs for wiring it in – recommended)
(contact current rating is not important because this circuit carries a very small current)
Model XX-SRS relay socket to go with above relays, if you want to plug the relay into a socket
instead of using female spade lugs plugged directly onto the relay’s lugs. (Extra fluff.)
~$6 US, online
Any of the other 12VDC relays on their web site will work, but will require soldering the wires to
solder lugs or pins. The better, simpler way is to use crimped-on, Quick-connect, spade lugs.
Digi-Key: (www.digi-key.com, search for ‘12vdc relay’)
On the relay page, apply a filter for ‘12VDC’, ‘Automotive’, and ‘Quick-connect’ to take you
directly to the type needed.
Some recommended part numbers:
PB685-ND, $2.59 US, online
255-1828-ND, $4.30 US, online
and any others of this type will work.
You may find one at your local auto parts store. Buy it and save on shipping. Remember, it only needs to
have a 12V coil and one set of “normally open” contacts. Just about any auto relay will work; they are very
common.
Also helpful, is the use of 2-to-1 spade adapters, with ¼" blades, to add additional wires at Relighter
terminals T1 and T3. Thanks goes to Paul Gloger for this suggestion. See his suggested wiring details below.
Radio Shack: (www.radioshack.com, search for catalog number below)
Quick-Disconnect Adapter Set (8-Pack)
Catalog #: 64-3064
$1.99

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“Propane” button
Wiring Diagram
N.O.
12VDC
Relay
(coil polarity is unimportant)

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Physical Connections
Remove WHT wires from interrupter.
Insulate and set aside.
N.O
.
12VDC
Relay
(coil polarity is unimportant)

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Final Drawing and Suggested Wiring Details - from Paul Gloger
Wiring colors above are suggested for ease of identification, but other colors may be substituted.

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Installation and Testing of the New Relay Circuit
1. Remove the +12V and 12V GND wires from the terminal block and set aside, ensuring the +12V
does not short to any other metal or wires with some temporary tape as insulation.
2. Remove both white wires from the interrupter lugs and either cover the ends with tape, or cover them
with shrink tubing. Coil them up and set them aside. They will not be used any more.
3. Tee off of the 12V wire coming from the Propane button. Make sure it is the wire going to the
relighter, not the one coming from the fuse side of the Propane button. Smaller gauge wire can go
from this point to one side of the relay’s coil; polarity is unimportant.
(Note: use of an automotive, crimp-type, wire tees is encouraged. Try not to use wire nuts – this
wiring should be treated like any other automotive wiring connections.)
4. Tee off of the GND lead to the lamp and connect it to the other side of the relay’s coil.
5. Connect the two “normally open” lugs on the relay to the lugs on the interrupter.
All of the connections on the relay will be carrying small currents, so smaller gauge, vinyl insulated,
16-20 AWG automotive wire is sufficient. Color is not important; exercise your own creativity.
6. Make sure all connections are insulated, covering with electrical tape if necessary. Fasten the relay to
the top of the fridge with a screw, strap, or glue; a small mound of silicone rubber will also work.
7. Plug the +12V and GND wires, from the van, back onto the terminal block on the top of the fridge.
8. Push the Propane button on the front panel. The igniter should begin arcing to the burner.
9. Push and hold the Safety Valve button in and watch for the burner to quickly light. Continue to hold
the button in for at least 15 seconds.
10. Release the Safety Valve button and the flame should remain on. If not, recheck your wiring to the
relay.
11. With the flame burning, blow out the flame and ensure it re-lights automatically. If it doesn’t, the
relight module may be bad.
12. Push the OFFbutton and ensure the flame goes out and all activity ceases. If this works, you have
successfully completed the fix. If not, thoroughly check the wiring steps above, for the new relay.
13. Turn OFF the external propane tank valve and ensure the gas is off, by trying to light a stove burner.
14. Remove the van’s 12V wires from the terminal block, setting them aside. (Still got that piece if
insulating tape?)
15. Disconnect the gas line and pull the fridge out.

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16. Tip the fridge on its side and reapply the burner box and base cover. Ensure that all wiring and the
gas line are not abrading any sheet metal.
17. Tip the fridge back up, connect the van’s 12V wires, plug the 120VAC cord into the van’s duplex
socket behind the fridge, and reconnect the gas line.
18. Turn the external propane tank ON and check for leaks.
19. Push the Propane and Safety Valve buttons, and watch for the indicator light. Wait 15 seconds and
release the button. The lamp should remain on. If it does, push the OFF button, ensure the burner
goes out, and prepare to push the fridge back into position.
20. Swing the fridge back into the opening and slide it back until it lines up with the mounting points.
21. Reattach the vent hoses at the rear.
22. Before replacing the mounting screws and the panels under the sink, run a test of all three modes of
cooling (propane, 12V, and 120VAC), with the fridge in position, to ensure operation before
completing the laborious reinstallation process.
23. Plug the van into 120VAC and run the fridge off AC for about an hour (or longer) with the
temperature knob set at 3.5, or the 6 o’clock position. This should bring the inside of the fridge to
approximately 40 deg F (4.4 deg C).
24. Change to 12V mode and ensure the inside temp stays at or lower than 40 degrees.
25. Change to the Propane mode, light the burner by pressing the Safety Valve button, and let the
refrigerator run until fully cold. Set the temperature knob to the 6 o’clock position.
26. Next, ensure the burner shuts off when temperature is reached. This may take an hour or less to reach
the set point. The LED should be off when the burner has cycled off. Or, you can look for the flame
through the sight glass on the front of the burner box, underneath the left rear corner, behind the grill.
27. Once the fridge reaches the cold temperature, and cycles off, turn the temp control to max, and ensure
the burner re-ignites and the lamp comes back on. This ensures the thermostat is controlling the
burner correctly.
28. If all works well, complete the reinstallation tasks, reversing the removal steps above, to finish the
job.
Tip: To ensure no debris or critters get into the vents of the refrigerator or furnace, remove the outer
plastic vents and place stain steel window screen over the openings before reapplying the flue covers.
This will keep your burner boxes clean and working right.
Success! Go camping with a working propane refrigerator!