There are a few steps that you can take to help you diagnose your rv refrigerator, besides the obvious ammonia smell inside the refrigerator or yellowish residue around the burner assembly.

1) Bypass the electronics and run the cooling unit direct. This is the tell all. To do so, locate the heating element on the back of the refrigerator. It can be found exiting the side of the insulation pack (the round or square sheetmetal tube, usually located on the right hand side of the unit facing it from the back) about 6 to 8 inches up from the bottom. Trace the 2 wires from the heating element to where they plug onto the circuit board and unplug them. Next, connect the 2 heating element wires to a heavy extension cord (you will have to cut the end off of the extension cord and wire the extension cord to the heating element). Now, plus the extension cord into a external 110 volt power source (your house or shop, not the camper itself), and let it run overnight after you level the refrigerator up. Check it the next day....if it is cold, then your cooling unit is okay and the problem lies in the circuit board, electronics, or elsewhere. Now, when I say cold, I mean it should be COLD as you have bypassed the thermostat and run the cooling unit wide open. The refrigerator compartment should be like a freezer. If there is no, or very little, cooling then you have a bad cooling unit.

2) Check the door seals. Using a dollar bill, open the door and place the bill between the door and the frame. Close the door on the bill and gently pull the bill out...you should feel resistance on the bill. If you do not feel any resistance, then you have a bad door seal. Repeat this process all the way around the door.

3) Check the fuses on the circuit board. Remove the plastic cover on the control board. There will be 2 or 3 automotive type fuses on the circuit board. Check and replace as necessary. Run the refrigerator again. If it still does not operate, check the fuses again. If they have blown again, then you have a bad control board.

4) Check the thermostat. Difficult to do, but it can be done. On older capillary tube thermostats, check for any cracks or kinks in the tube. If you see a blue tint to the tube, then it is cracked and bad. On newer thermistor tyoe thermostats, you will have to ohm them out. I will be happy to provide you with the resistance...just email me.

5) Check the vents....side and top. There must be an adequate flow of cool air over the coils for them to operate properly. Any bird or dauber nests in the vents can block this airflow.