[igorlord]

Hi! I have a Whirlpool Gold Side-by-Side Refrigerator, model GD2SHAXKQ02.

The ice-maker is now making trouble instead of ice.

It looks like the ice-maker eject levers are working (they are spinning slowly), but there is no water coming into the ice-maker unit. The water dispenser on the door works fine.

The LED on the receiver board is off, with the door switch and the flapper in any position. However, I also cannot detect the emitter infrared beam!

Now, it is possible that my methodology for emitter beam detection is suspect, but what I did is simply point my cell phone camera at the emitter and watch the screen (no need to actually take a picture). This method can clearly detect infrared from remote controls (try it -- point the remote control at a camera and press a button; it is impossible to miss the bright beam appearing on the screen).

If someone has a similar working emitter, could you try this method and let me know if it can detect Whirlpool emitter beam? (First take a cell phone or a camera and look at any home remote control, and if you can see the beam from a remote control, next try to see a beam from a working emitter).

So, what can cause both boards to quit? Do they feed off some other board for power? Which pins on the emitter and receiver board connectors are power, so I can check them with a voltmeter?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks a bunch!

- Igor

 

[AAA Gutter]

I'm not sure about the emitter and all of that stuff but,

I have a Whirlpool fridge that the water line will freeze where it enters the back of the freezer box.

I use a hair dryer to melt the ice and it will start working again.

Kinda simple.....but maybe...

 

[igorlord]

I found the problem. It is not a frozen water line (that's easy to check -- just disconnect the water connector on the back and blow into the tube).

Also, the solenoid is fine -- swapped the connectors for the ice-maker solenoid and water dispenser solenoid (they are right next to each other) -- dispeser flap activates the ice-maker solenoid but no water comes out of dispenser now any time in the cycle.

The Ice-Maker repair manual was a big help (and this link would do http://www.applianceaid.com/icemaker-modual.html) -- icemaker is getting power, the motor is doing its harvesting cycle, but no voltage ever between V&N! Disassembled the ice-maker and saw a completely burned out power connector (on L trace) to the heating unit! Removed the motor, jumpered the board to bypass the heater (and thermostat), and the manual spinning of the wheel gets me continuity on V-L at the right time in the cycle!

So I bet the optics were ok. Thecircuit must be running the valve solenoid through the heater coils...

I ordered a new motor unit (since I did not feel like trying to solder a new connector). We'll see whether this will fix the problem (I sure hope so).

 

[igorlord]

P.S. I was able to get the LED to light up -- it will only do so when the power is cycled. Then it would light for 5 sec -- "all systems nominal" indicator. So I figure, it is "old style" optics and the icemaker is confused and thinks it is always in the harvesting mode.

 

[sv9779]

If the icemaker is running the optics are ok. They simply kill power to the icemaker so it can't cycle. The water valve is energized through the heater. If the contacts on the heater are burnt it won't be long before it ruins the new motor module. Usually the best solution is a new icemaker. That way all the heater and module contacts are new. If you don't replace the whole icemaker try to clean the heater contacts so they won't arc. There is some current going through there and it doesn't take much pitting for it to start arcing again.

 

[igorlord]

Thanks for a very informed reply!!!

That's exactly what I did: cleaned up the heater (and other) leads and put in a new motor unit. The heater lead had some traces of oxidation (green color), so I cleaned it up. I'll check on it in a year or so (if I do not forget). I paid $23 for a new motor unit, so I'll take a chance. :laughing: