Norcold Fault Code "NO FL"

[terrylogan]

1. I have a Norcold N64X/N84X, 3-way refrigerator.
2. After 30 seconds, I get a fault-code that says "NO FL".
3. I've Replaced the burner tube and burner. I hear a clicking sound for 30 seconds prior to the refrigerator shutting off. The electrode is properly set.
4. The onboard propane tank is full.
Any suggestions on this?? Oh, it works great on AC

I have a 2003 Itasca, Sunflyer, 39T.

Thanks.........

[creativepart]

Have you confirmed that propane is flowing. That's what "No FL" means. Propane is not reaching the fridge.

The easiest way to ensure this is to turn on your propane gas burner on the stove. Light all three burners to insure gas is flowing well.

Assuming that you know for sure that the propane is operating here's some troubleshooting info I found that applies to the NO FL error:

For all of the codes above, the symptoms will be very simply that the refrigerator does not work properly on LP. All LP components could be the cause of this code. If the refrigerator has tried to operate on gas or LP mode and is not sensing the flame, this code will appear.

The first thing you should do is take a look at the burner during the ignition cycle. On the burner box on the right hand side of the cooling unit you'll find a small access door from which you can see the burner/ orifice and the electrode. Turn the refrigerator to auto mode and have it running on AC. When you get to the back of the refrigerator, unplug it from the AC outlet and pay close attention to the burner/ orifice and electrode. The electrode should spark until a flame is lit and once it is, the sparking will stop. If the sparking continues after the flame is lit then your issue is either that the electrode is too far from the flame or that the flame sense circuit on the power board has gone bad.

If you find that it sparks up well but just won't stay lit as long as it should, we highly recommend replacing the burner/ orifice. If you'd like to first try to clean it, we recommend soaking in 90% alcohol overnight and then using compressed air to blow it out. Typically that will get it to work at least temporarily and will let you know if that's where the issue lies. In many cases, cleaning the burner/ orifice does not completely solve the issue and replacement of the part is needed.

[terrylogan]

Burner / Orfice / Burner Tube replaced. The electrode is firing and burner is igniting. It just doesn't stay lit for longer than 30 seconds. A clicking sound of electrode firing heard the entire time the flame is lit (approx 30 seconds).

[creativepart]

So the burner is igniting. It's just not staying lit.

If the system doesn't recognize that the flame has ignited I "think" it will shut off the propane proactively. I'm not 100% sure of that opinion, it's just what I've been told.

It could possibly be that the flame sense circuit on the power board has gone bad or possibly a bad Spark Sense Electrode .

[CaptainBC]

As creativepart suggests, the flame sensing system is confirming that the burner is not firing even though you see that a flame is present. If that happens, the system will shut down. You need to remove and clean the flame sensor in the path of the flame. If there is 2 rods in the flame, one is the spark electrode and the other is the flame sensor. If only one then it is both. Take it/them out and clean and shine with fine emery cloth and reassemble and test.

[tmelsonjr]

does it run while plugged up or with generator ?

[NeilV]

The ignitor uses a coated wire that generates millivolts of electricity once the burner ignites that the controller board reads through the ignition lead so if you use an abrasive to clean it you will be removing the thin coating on it and may cause it to fail by the act of cleaning it with an abrasive. The most you want to do is gently clean any soot off with a cloth.


On a 2003 it would be more likely that the ignitor is no longer generating its feedback current or the controller board has failed however do check/clean the grounds to the unit and verify that at least 12.4 volts is present on the DC power lead before starting to replace parts. Dinosaur Electronics makes some extremely reliable replacement control boards that are also less expensive than the OEM despite their greater reliability and I highly recommend them. If you can find a shop with an ignition board tester they can verify whether the controller board has failed.

[terrylogan]

Going to replace the regulator next. I will see what happens.

[iezzif]

Check to see if you are eligible for a fix on the factory recall list