Diagnosing a Bad GE Board - Part 1: Fan Motors
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- čas přidán 26. 03. 2018
- Hi everyone!
If this video saved you from having to call a service technician to repair your refrigerator, please consider becoming making a donation to my channel here:
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This video will be part 1 of a multi-part video series focusing in on how to diagnosing a failed GE control board when you have problems with either of your fan motors not running.
Most of the GE side by side refrigerators are going to use either a WR55X10942, WR55X10942P, or some very close variant of this board.
GE Control Board WR55x10942
amzn.to/3JpQyQe
WR60X10185: (4 wire with no sensor attached)
OEM GE Part: amzn.to/3KwDFVR
Cheaper Aftermarket Replacement: amzn.to/3uoc3MW
WR60x10074 (4 wire with thermostat attached)
OEM GE Part: amzn.to/3H6LcbM
Cheaper Aftermarket Replacement: amzn.to/377ePxp
If you have not found it already, you should have a wiring diagram tucked in to the temperature control box in the upper refrigerator section. This can be accessed by removing the two screws with a 1/4in nut driver.
As it relates to the fans, common symptoms of a failed control board include:
- Fans that will not run
- Fans that pulse and will not maintain consistent speeds
- Burned resistors on the main control board
- No response from any of the components other than the lights inside the refrigerator
Time Marks:
0:26sec - Location of control board
0:54sec - Unplug from power warning
1:10sec - Testing supply voltage to control board
2:00sec - How to turn on fan motors for testing - Entering Linear Protection Mode
2:22sec - J2 Plug identification and pin out order
3:03sec - Testing supply voltage of 12-14vdc to fan motors
4:48sec - Testing supply voltage to the fan motors
5:25sec - Testing supply voltage to the condenser motor
5:11sec - Unplug refrigerator from power and J2 plug removal
6:30sec - Testing fan motor circuits
7:28sec - J2 wire identification
7:44sec - Visual inspection of burned resistors
8:15sec - Wiring diagram and wire function for a 4-wire WR60x10185 evaporator fan motor
9:47sec - PWM Fan motor tachometer test (Blue Wire) Hz/Frequencty Test *Pulse WIDTH Modulation* Whoops.
11:10sec - Close Up of J2 connector and Recap
12:36sec - Please subscribe! :) - Jak na to + styl
![Refrigerator Not Cooling - How to Fix - What to Check [2020]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ocOW2GYxdTE/mqdefault.jpg)
Hi Everybody, Welcome!
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Thanks so much! Andy
You helped me rule out a board and pinpoint me to a bad evaporator fan motor, and I cannot thank you enough. Such invaluable information! Very detailed and concise, not to mention the video angles were spot on haha. Great job.
Super excellent! Really clear and methodical and complete. Thank you so much. Minor tip: I think PWM is pulse _width_ modulation.
I got my G.E. Cafe' fridge for free from a frustrated neighbor that couldn't get the "PROS" to fix it right. I fixed it up for a couple hundred and love it. Save 4K from having to buy one. :) Freezer fan was freezing up due to moisture and mother board had to be replaced (weak power supply). These must be replaced at the same time. Just had to replace the MOBO again because the door's water and ice dispenser stopped working along with the LED lights. That was due to a recent lightening strike wounding the board and finally that power supply dying. Sensitive electronics for sure on these smart refridgerators.
Andy, thanks for all of the great diagnostic videos. I couldn't have fixed my GE refrigerator without you. When my refrigerator compressor and fans stopped working I checked the compressor overload and start relay first and the overload broke in my hand. However, replacing both parts didn't fix the problem. Thank God I found your videos that helped me locate the problem: the fans weren't getting any voltage even though there was no visible sign of any damage. Replacing the control board fixed the problem but there was one complication. I had ordered an aftermarket control board because they offered free returns but it kept cycling off and on every minute. I think it may have been overloaded because the large resistor in the evaporator fan drive circuit ran extremely hot. I replaced it with an OEM board and now the refrigerator works great. Thanks again for your help.
Andy, your videos are excellent. Thankyou. I have a GE SxS with the freezer working but not the refrigerator section. I followed your video and found 800 ohms on the fan power circuit which I think is what your video showed and you said it should be around 1.6 K ohms. I could easily see the fan on the squirrel cage and it was working. So I painfully took the freezer drawers, ice maker and panels off to find the other fan. Not easy because my freezer is a large drawer at the bottom with a big Stop sticker telling me not to remove the 5 screws on either side of the pull out bracket. I tested the fan motor and found it to be 1.6K ohm. I also tested the tach circuit using the Hz setting and it worked. Thank you for showing that. I also tested the squirrel cage fan and it was also 1.6 K Ohm. On your schematic shown on the video you show the power lines for the two fans to be in parallel. So the 800 ohm reading you and I got are correct for two 1.6 K Ohm motors in parallel suggesting the motors are ok. You said the 800 ohms shown on your video suggests a bad fan motor. I plugged both fans in and powered up. They both work and after an hour my fridge was clearing working. By 2 am I had the fridge all back together and my wife and I did a good cleaning. Thanks to you I saved hundreds, I am not exactly sure why the second fan stopped and now working but at least I know what to look for and I have a very clean and working fridge. Just wanted to suggest your comment about 800 ohm on the parallel fan circuit may be wrong. Let me know if I did not understand correctly.
Awesome info Merv, I appreciate the detailed follow up and i'm sure this will help someone else out there. I'll be sure and pin this comment and try and highlight it during that moment in the video. Thanks!
As for your specific issue, you might want to check the temperature sensor for the refrigerator section. The evaporator fan will cycle on and off (whenever it needs to) based on temperature in the freezer section and the refrigerator section as well. If the control board isn't getting a correct signal from the refrigerator temp sensor - it may not realize it should be circulating air to the fridge section at that point. Just a thought I had.
Some of the best quality video and instructions I've seen on all of you tube! Very helpful descriptions and showing details. Thank you.
Hello Andy ,
Thank you once again for your videos and your response ! I checked the voltage at the MB like you said, and everything had voltage. I bought the condenser motor replaced it plugged the refrigerator and the motor turned on !! What a relief 😅 I’ll be watching your videos to further educate myself on repairing my GE frig .
Thx 🙋🏽♂️✌🏻
Nice work Samuel!
I'm so glad it helped you.
Stay in touch.
One of the most informative and well explained videos I have seen on CZcams.
Appreciate the work you put into it.
I'm an automobile tech and with your help I was able to fix my refrigerator thank you for your help :)
Nice work Juan! I'm glad to have helped in a small way. Stay in touch.
Excellent video tutorial Andy. Being an old school appliance tech it’s nice that you can turn to a tutorial like yours. I’ve been in the trade for over 37 years. Today I had my first inverter compressor problem. I have a compressor analyzer that I have used for years, but from my understanding you can’t use it on an inverter compressor. In this case everything was running except the compressor. It was another person who I just happened to find and I was very grateful. Videos like yours and the one I viewed today can teach an “old dog new tricks” I’m subscribed to your channel now.
Joseph Folsom hey Joseph!
You’re most welcome. Thanks for the kind words.
Yeah, the inverter compressors are a different animal than the typical relay style.
The inverter board has one task, to provide power to the compressor, but before it turns on, it must get a low voltage signal from the main board. It’s got 2 small wires leading from the main control and sends something like 3.5vdc (I forget exactly) but if you’re getting this voltage the main board is doing its job. If the compressor still does not come on, it’s a failed inverter board (or in theory could be a failed compressor).
But, annoyingly you can’t do your typical Ohm test between the 3 compressor pins. The tester you have wouldn’t help here I think.
Stay in touch!
GREAT Job! Hubby is not home and your video made me NOT AFRAID to tackle this by myself. I read every single question in the comments and didn't find this one: Problem: evaporator fan pulsing on and off every second or so - everything else seems fine. I followed along the video step by step and everything was as expected, but once I got to the part after you remove the harness and check the Ohms between R2-3 (white) and R2-8 (red), the reading would go back and forth between 0L and 3.0 - it just depended on how I happened to orient the harness, or which way the wires got jiggled. I was very careful and certain that the electrodes maintained contact with the metal inside the wire holes in the harness while I moved or jiggled (and also tried using the easily accessible metal stripes on the back of the harness with same results). The reason I was moving and jiggling is because at first, the reading was 0L, but when I shifted my weight, it popped up to 3.0. So then I replicated this by moving the harness and/or the wires while keeping the electrodes in certain contact. On the one hand, your opening comments put pulsing fans in the motherboard category. But on the other hand, I got 124VAC and 13VDC in the previous steps - so NOT the motherboard. And THAT's why they call me Miss On the Other Hand!
Im developing a business plan for TwelveSprings RV and Repair and am "self taught" mechanically not through trade school or other. Andy, you are teaching for the sake of your viewer, not for your own sake. You've set yourself apart from many onCZcams, including myself. I've liked and subscribed, and will likely make an offering to honor the work you do empowering people to help themselves and others.
Hi Andy, I was a full time Appliance Service Tech, and have since moved on to Data Center Support, but did retain a small number of customers. One thing that is very difficult for me is trying to keep up with the latest and greatest appliance technologies. Unless you are factory authorized, you are just very limited in that category.
What you are doing is much appreciated by folks like me. I left the business full time about 18 years ago, just when variable speed fan motors were coming out, and never really did figure out how they worked. You explained it in a way that was easily understood. Thanks for your help
Thanks so much for the kind words and am so glad the information is helpful!
Things are getting more and more complex every day and yet we complain that things don't last as long as they should.
Being a able to preheat your oven from the store, a 2nd washing machine where the pedistal once was, a giant $1000 iPad on my fridge door for my 2 year old to break, no thanks!
Sheesh!
I am so impressed with your technical knowledge and your willingness to share. Appreciate you!
My GE side by side stopped working. The compressor was hot. I figured the thermal protector had shut it off. I cleaned the dust and dust bunnies off the condenser cage and put a fan blowing onto the back of the fridge. This got the fridge to start working again but I knew something was wrong. Using your video I started diagnosing the circuit board. I had power going to the evaporator fan but it wasn’t working. So I knew I had to replace the evaporator fan. I purchased one at a local appliance store and installed it. My fridge works great again. THANK YOU!!!!
wcjcnc you’re most welcome! Great work. Stay in touch. Andy
Andy - thank you very much. GE side by side, model PSS27SGMBBS.
The problem started with a clicking sound. Replaced two capacitors...still clicking; replaced a resistor, clicking disappeared, but caused a burnt part of the main board (Q13) after I plugged it in. Watched many videos including all yours in diagnosing the problem. Replaced the main board, three times as it was not sending enough voltage to the fans. The refrigerator still did not start. Replaced evaporator fan. Still no start. Replaced start relay, still no start.
Then.... I found one of your comments very helpful...which was "the fan motor could be robbing some voltage from the main board." That was it. I unplugged the J2 then the refrigerator started up. Turns out the refrigerator has a bad condenser fan pulling voltage from the main board.
Going on my 4th week in repairing this thing. Luckily I have time due to COVID-19 lockdown. Thank you very much. Waiting for the part to arrive. Hopefully that will be it. Your videos are very helpful and informative.
E Jimenez awesome work! Let me know if you run in to any issues!
That was exactly what I needed. I am now sure what I have to replace and saved a bunch of $$$. Thanks A LOT!
Awesome! You’re welcome. Stay in touch.
Beat control board diagnostics video I’ve seen so far. Great camera position to see the probe contact points. The rest of these jokers are not teachers who show diagnostics without seeing the probe contact the wire terminals. You’re legit! You care that there is understanding Thank you
Many Thanks to Andy and Grace Appliance for their 8 Videos on Diagnosing The GE Refrigerator Control Board. ... Thanks so much for these 8 excellent videos. They clearly showed me how to access the needed places so I could conduct successful testing. These are great!!! Signed Henry Gurr
Thank you very much for your video. It will help me begin my refrigerator diagnostic testing.
Thanks Jeff, you’re most welcome. Stay in touch!
This video was instrumental in saving me a costly repair the only difference for me was that I have purple wires on j2 and not red thanks a ton for your to the point video !
I can't say more and different of the most comments. Your videos are very informative and clear. thank you very much andy.
awesome vid. the schematic towards the end was worth it enough, but nice simple troubleshooting steps brings it all together.
Thanks a million Eric, it means a lot. I'm so glad it helped.
Going to try to fix GE fridge now with the help of you videos. EVAP resistor R43 is burned on board
A damn good video....Shows more than most, and the camera work is excellent....Thank you for the info and the video.
Thanks for the kind words Vern! You’re most welcome. Stay in touch.
Thank you for your videos am a technician in training and your videos are really help full
Awesome Alex!
Yes, I try and make videos that I wished were put there when I first started. Not so much how to disassemble andreassemble, but how to troubleshoot and diagnose quickly.
I'm so glad you enjoy them!
I've moved and my internet connection is awful here so uploading new videos seems impossible here. I'm still trying to find a solution. :(
Stay in touch!
hopefully you get a better connection god willing you are going to find a solution and yea i was looking for the same thing how to troubleshoot fast and easy and i got that from your videos. :)
Man thank u that's how u explain how to test and fix stuff u the man...thanks now I see with your great great video how to test and fine the problem to fix my mom side by side refrigerator evap fan..and I did just that ...thanks
YOUR THE BEST THANK YOU . FOLLOWED YOUR STEP BY STEP. MY BOARD WAS BAD. I HAVE A GE PROFILE ARTICA.
Lenny Richardson you’re most welcome! I’m glad it was helpful. Stay in touch.
Your videos are Great! Thanks Andy.
Benjamin Smith thank you so much! I'm in the process of moving currently so it may be a bit sporadic in the next few weeks but more to come soon.
Thanks for the kind words!
Clear and straight to the point
Andy thank you so much, you are an angel!
You're most welcome! I'm glad to be of some help. Thanks for watching.
your awesome. thanks for explaining in detail
Finally a good troubleshooting video
Rafiekjhaw, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the kind words. Stay in touch.
thankyou Andy your explanation are very pro..and it helped me a great deal..have a prosperous 2019
Awesome to hear genarofan! Stay in touch.
Wow what a great video thanks very informative 👍
Good video!. Thank you for the very detailed info.
Hey Chris, you’re most welcome. I’m glad you found it helpful. Stay in touch.
ANDY !!! YOU ARE AWESOME !!! Thank you for your precise descriptions and video shots!"-)
thanks for your video great help .because of this video have save big money thanks
Awesome Jose! I'm so glad I could help.
Nice work with videos and details. Very professional....A+++++👍😁
Great Video Andy ,Thank You..
You're most welcome. I'm glad it helped. Stay in touch.
Great video... two small points with regards to terminology " linear protection," is actually 'liner protection." in other words, the evap fan runs once doors are open for a period of time (there's actually two timers) to protect the fridge liner from heat from the lamp as well as from condensation . And pwm is" pulse width modulation " as it's not modulating the wave, as a square wave will still be a square wave, but it is modulating the width of the wave. Both are small points but their names make it easier to understand what they are, in fact, doing. However" linear protection " is certainly something people need to prevent them from purchasing LG Fridges that feature their god awful linear compressors. 🙂
Regardless, a fantastic explanation of this board..
Great info! Thank you for that. The PWM, I caught myself after the upload, but ehhh that’s CZcams I guess. I miss being able to add annotations to the video after. Ha!
Liner Protection! That makes a ton of sense! I’ve seen some built in fridges with failed door switches that ended up melting the lining due to this exact issue.
Thanks for the kind words and great info. Stay in touch.
Andy
@@GraceApplianceI've worked on countless of these things yet I still have to visit service manuals and tech sheets from time to time, your video and visual representation has helped cement some of that info.
Also, although I prefer voltage tests over resistance tests any day of the week and twice on Sundays , your fan motor resistance test suggesion from the board is something I never tried but is now a part of my arsenal! Always learning! New subscriber!
Hi Andy, Thank you so much for the great vids. I had an issue with heat on the side wall and the separator wall (between fridge and freezer) on our GE PSC23MGPAWW. So, I checked the Condenser fan and found it consistently runs at low speed (4.4v). Main check shows 13.96 v J2 3-8, so I ordered a replacement fan motor (cheapest part first!) as everything else works just fine. Not sure if the Condenser fan motor is a variable speed like the Evap motor. So, was this the right way to go (new motor) or should I just cough up for a new control board as well??
Great video!! Thank you so much
Very informative and very well presented.
Thanks Tony for the kind words!
Stay in touch.
@@GraceAppliance I got home from work today and plugged it in, heard noise but not compressor. Checked for 12v power from wr55x10942 board at dispenser board, only had a minimal fluctuating voltage. After 10 min the compressor started. Note it wouldn't do this for last
20 hours after power failure. Checked voltage again at dispenser, ~14vdc now. I have a new main board ordered, but would like to repair this one for spare. What is likely culprit power supply or one of the relays? Nothing obvious on board... Thanks again for the help.
Tony Brown hey Tony, I’m not sure if you have watched the video on troubleshooting a front control board, but if the compressor does not run, you can unplug the front board. If the compressor then comes on, you’ve got a failed front touch panel.
If no change, then yeah it’s probably the main board.
More than likely it is one of the relays on the main board. Also, the medium sized capacitors are troublesome on these boards. So, if you’d swap out the relays and caps, you’re most likely back in business.
The main headache with rebuilding these boards is that they are coated in what’s called a conformal coating like a clear coat which ends up binding the components to the board. So, you have to use more force than you’d like to remove the parts which can damage the solder pads and makes it non rebuildable.
That’s been my experience anyway.
I hope that helps.
@@GraceAppliance I'll check it out. Thanks!
Outstanding video
Very Awesome video! easy to follow, easy to do, even for some very technical tests! Great job!!!
Now, On to my issue... Freezer went out, cold at bottom, no so cold at top (thawing out) fridge was freezing food at bottom, normal at top. I replaced the defrost heater element, thermister, thermostat. everything seemed fine for about 6 weeks. Now, the freezer iseems to be working fine and the fridge is getting warm at top, cold still at bottom. Frost on freezer back panel.
Ok, with that out of the way...on to your tests
GE Hotpoint model HSS25GFPA WW
unplugged. blue to orange ohms- 20, +/-1
unplugged. white to red .8xxK ohms
unplugged. white to yellow/black OL
unplugged. White to yellow OL
plugged volts white to red 13v
plugged white to yellow 12.5v
plugged white to yellow and black 12.5v +/-.
All the fans seem to be coming on and working, your board test seems to show a good board. My next step is to run a jumper to run the defrost element to get it to defrost.
NOTE, I have not removed the cover for the coils in the freezer this time around.
NOTE, I can see light coming from the freezer from the fridge side when i open doors and click the switch off, so if there is a damper door, its open
NOTE, I dont have 2 green resistors side by side...I have 2 ceramic looking ones...One pink, One grey
UPDATE: I jumped the wires for the heating element and it is glowing, So I let it run for a few minutes, un-jumped. A couple hours later, jumped again... The frost is disappearing on the back panel and I can actually feel cold air coming into the fridge side at the top vent....Good news I hope....
Hey sorry I missed the comment. CZcams comment section is THE WORST!
Anyway, the 4 components that relate to your fridge defrost are:
The heater (working)
The high limit thermostat (working since heater comes on)
Defrost sensor (replaced already?) on top of the evaporator.
& your control board.
Since you've verified the heater & high limit are both working, if you've already replaced the defrost sensor (I'd be sure to use a legitimate GE part here) it only leaves the control board as your culprit.
I hope this helps.
@@GraceAppliance awesome. Thank you. The control board tests good. Maybe defrost sensor? I replaced the thermostat (clip on) and replaced the thermister at the top of the coil, but there's another at the bottom. I'll look into defrost sensor. Thank you so much!!!!
So, I just watched your video on checking the defrost sensor...Nothing. No readings on the ohm meter. So I should replace the defrost sensor and is that the same as a thermister? I DID replace one already, but it came with other parts. Should I order OEM GE part and order 2?
Jason ochs hey, just so I’m not confusing things with the names of the parts...
You’ve got a high limit thermostat which looks about the size of a stack $4 of quarters. If your heater glows with the jumper wires, both the heater and this part are good. This part does not dictate when the heater comes on, only turns the heater off should it get too hot.
The defrost sensor is actually the part that tells the board how long to keep the heater on. It’s located on top of the evaporator and you’ve only got one of these. Roughly the size of 1” long and 1/4” wide. White in color with two white wires leading to it.
This should defiantly not be open like you mentioned. Defiantly replace this with a GE OEM part and you should be good to go.
:)
Great video Tks for the info
Hi Andy. I am working through the videos to troubleshoot my 15 yr old fridge. I was able to borrow a meter with Hz/Freq setting but when I looked at all the steps to access the evaporator fan motor I am wondering if I can test at the control board with power applied. When I do that I read 0Hz. It also has a % setting that I guess is duty cycle of the PWM and that also reads 0. I did verify that the meter works, reading 60Hz and 50% duty cycle on the input power. Both fans are running but temperature is about 32 in the freezer and 50 in the fridge. Condenser fan is 2.18k and Evaporator Fan is 1.60k.
Good information sr
Excellent video !! Thanks !! Liked !! Subbed !!
Great video!
Burrows & Co. thanks!
Thank you so much Andy for your detailed video. I am just trying to understand on J2 moler contactor you put your black lead on white wire and red lead on red wires I am trying to understand and wanted to confirm my understanding, it will show the voltage is being supplied between 12v to 14v for both evap & cond fan motor correct? Because later you tested evap & cond fan separately from white to yellow/black and yellow.
So white and red should show between 12 to 14v DC for both fans and then separately white to yellow/black and white to yellow should be 12 to 14v DC as well. Did I understand correctly?
By the way where did you get that kind of small probes for your meter or if you did, how did you make them? Mine is very thick and regular looking and I do not want to shove that into the molar connector.
Also you showed how to test power coming to the board can you please tell me what do you call those moler connectors? Are there any #s that indicates that those are power supply connectors?
Hi, you’re welcome and thanks for watching.
You are correct, the red and white wires are the supply voltage for both fans which is then distributed to each fan motor as determined by the board. Here is a follow up video after having replaced the board and will show you correct voltages as I’m testing.
czcams.com/video/jX2AnQL3yi4/video.html
As for the questions about the plugs, the extent of my knowledge about the plugs is that they are made by a company called TE Connectivity. At least the white plugs are and imagine they all are. They are very similar to Molex brand connections, but different in measurement. Also, the pins inside the connector are quite different between these two brands. Looking on mouser.com will get you in the right ballpark for the needed part numbers.
Another thing to note is that the lower 1/2 of the board is going to have A/C voltage (120vac) and the upper portion of the board deals only with DC voltages (13vdc and less).
To my knowledge, There are no component level schematics for this board. Only pin out diagrams. So, the majority of what I know has been through what’s available via tech sheets and trial and error....much error. Haha
Great video… Thanks, my board is on the bench now and puts out 13.5 V but will not like display when
Inside fridge… I also noticed my 400 V caps
Only have 180 V on them… Is this normal? I plan on loading down to 13 V with a 10 ohm resistor to try and put the supply under load
Thanks a zillion for this tremendously helpful video. I have a question regarding an evaporator fan of a top-freezer GE Profile. Ever since I replaced the fan, it runs nonstop. It's constantly on and doesn't shut off or cycle at all. The freezer temperature has already dropped below -12°F and going. According to the manual, the freezer temperature should range between -6°F and 6°F. Also when I open the freezer door, the fan speed doesn't change (as I've heard it should when the freezer door opens.) I'd appreciate any tips. I've set the temperature to the recommended 0°F several times using the front display panel, but after several hours, it's still going down. The original fan didn't have a sensor, but the new one does, and I connected it with the metal clasp to the evaporator. My suspicion is faulty sensors or the board, but I'm not sure how to test for that. Do these fridges have a diagnostics mode that can be activated?
This was FANTASTIC! I was thinking maybe my board had failed as my evaporator fan did. I was going to just visually inspect the board (not an electrical guy) to if I could find a failed resistor or capacitor. This is the right way. Do you have a board repair video as I am going to test my board just like you showed me and I am sure my board will be bad (my condenser fan is running) but the evaporator is not? Thank You!!!
He has a video on diagnosing bad control board. It was done awhile back scroll down to his videos and you will find it. I just watched it
Extremely helpful thank u
Glad it helped! Stay in touch.
great video
Andy, Thks for great video, my GE fridge stopped working completely, Compressor doesnt start, NO pwr, only light is on. Am sure the control board is bad as i see R43 resistor has browning on the board & a big capacitor has oozed out like a white caulking material on board. My Q is does the bad board cause fridge to behave with above symptoms. I did already replace a new starter relay & the capacitor along with it still NO turning ON.
Thanks for the great video. BUT
Obviously you know from experience or you have data sheet for this particular fridge. BUT Where do you/ we find the data sheet that identifies which plug goes to which motor. I may case a Kenmore Elite bottom freezer, fans work in test mode but not in normal operation?
Hi Andy: just received the main control board today and replaced the bad one with it right away. Everything seems to be normal, except the freezer evaporator fan motor socket only reads 1.2 DC volts. Please advise what might be the problem at this point. Thanks!
Mr. Andy,
More info on my problem of a couple hours ago. Thanks to your compressor video, and another gentleman’s with an inverter on the compressor, I diagnosed the problem as the inverter on my frig. I got readings on the three leads of the compressor of 8.1, 8.1 and 7.9. Can you verify these readings for a GE ZISS420DXASS?
But I need go back to getting a reading of 836 (your commented bad reading in the video was ~818) on the ohm test which you said should be 1500 to 3000 ohms and you said that with such a low reading I have there is a fan circuit issue, BUT both my fans work and seem to do so with speed.
Will be nice to hear what you think!
Thanks in advance,
Jim
I have a question on fan testing. Both my fans spin, but when testing like you show. I have 12.9v at my condenser lead, and 6.9v at my evaporator or vice versa? If I unplug the fridge, then unplug the j2 plug. I plug the fridge back in and test the pins at the board, I get 12.9v on condenser and evaporator??
Thank you for the video. I am having trouble with my GE GSL25JGCBLS side by side refrigerator and like Merv Swan I also get 800 ohms. Only thing is that I taken out both fan motors (condenser and evaporator) but do not get any Hz reading when I do the test you showed. Both fans do turn on and spin.
I have done the visual inspection of the board and it seems fine. I have been getting good voltages to both fans. I have good voltage coming from the wall 122 V.
Is there a reason why I am not getting any Hz reading. I noticed that on the condenser fan there are only 3 pins are being used which connect to the Red, Yellow and White part of the motor going to the control board., Btw my evaporator fan in the freezer has an extra connection for the light bulb not sure if that affects it.
Thank you for your video and any advice will be greatly appreciated.
P.S. Where do you get your wiring schematics?
M M hi MM, sorry to hear about your issues with the refrigerator.
I’m not entirely clear about what issue you’re having. So, neither fan are turning?
Don’t worry too much about he Ohm read out at the fans, I’ve heard from others that the 800ohm range is no problem.
The 4 wire fan should be getting a Frequency response as this is the motors tachometer and if this fails the fan won’t work properly.
The 3 wire fan has no tach and it just measures for Dc voltage from the board. In either fan instance, if you’re getting proper voltage to the fan plug the fan should be turning. If not, you’ll need to replace the fan motors. The light circuit that you mention is of no consequence.
You should see links in the description to both of the these fan motors.
I’ll be traveling for a few days, but if you wanted to email your model number to GraceAppliance@gmail.com I can respond with your technsheet which will have schematics you could look at. Thanks!
Let me know if you have any questions.
Great video very informative! Could you make one on how to test defrost system from the board? Thank you!
Hey Robert,
Thanks very much!
There is one in fact:
czcams.com/video/XeZfpB7ok90/video.html&lc=UgzL-H37sk30oEvH_hl4AaABAg
Let me know if you have any questions!
Andy
Sorry mr Andy, since I have started corresponding with you i had e few error in my text I hope you forgive me for those, i meant my fridge is not cooling up, but the freezer is fairly running okay. Thanks yours sincerely Majid HOSSEINI.thanks again for your videos and your positivity and educational tips on fridge freezers.
No problem Majid,
Are you seeing any heavy frost build up on the back wall of the inside of the freezer?
No mr Andy I opened the freezer door and I don’t see any frost like you said, at all, but when I leave it off for 30 minutes or little bit longer and run it for 45 minutes it doesn’t do its job properly it’s my fault then again I can’t let run constantly, that is my way of being on the safe side, any way did you read my another text about the company that I phoned to come and repair it for the second time!?
Great video, can this be done on a Kenmore elite board the same way or are the wires different.
Great vidio thanks
Andy, Thank you so much for making these videos!!!!! I have followed each step, I am still unclear on somethings. My fridge is GE profile refrigerator model GDSL3KCYCRLS serial number TT305913. I have some browning around R43 on the board but when I use my testing meter on the J2 connection I am reading 12.5 volts to fan motor. I only have two fans in this model. the top is fridge and bottom freezer. My refrigerator is completely warm and freezer appears to be fine. I have setting adjust control board in the top fridge for both freezer and refrigerator. My meter doesn't have a hertz setting so I wasn't able to follow with the tachometer reading. I'll continue to search for more of your videos hoping to find a solution
nikeM80 hey! You’re most welcome and I’m so glad they’re helpful.
Sorry to hear about the fridge issues. The good news is that your freezer is doing alright. That rules out a lot of more expensive issues.
Now, it’s a matter of air flow that’s causing your issues since the refrigerator shares it’s cold air from the freezer.
So, I assume it’s the evaporator fan that you took that reading on so the board is doing its job in supplying correct voltage.
The main things that can affect air flow would be:
A defrost issue (I.e. heavy snow build up on back wall inside the freezer)
A bad fan motor (or board, sounds like yours is good) is your evaporator fan turning?
Bad damper motor or damper door is frozen shut/broken
Food blocking vents
Do you see any frost build up inside the freezer section?
@@GraceAppliance I am going to order and replace the fan only Panasonic Evaporator fan., as the board seemed to pass all the meter tests
In my case' every thing is working except the compressor and condenser fan they are not kicking.
I have buring marks behinde the contorl in the metal frame, but surprisingly in the board back side nothig abnormal.
The marking located near the capacitor but they seem ok and I can't test them because the board is sealed with layer.
Any ideas?
I tried to jump start the compressor and it worked with its fan.
Please help me understand! Is the yellow/black wire on J2 (pin 4) the positive lead for the evaporator motor? when you showed us the evaporator motor you explained that the yellow is for motor speed control......
Hello. Great vid. My unit wasnt cooling in both fridge or freszer. There was quite a bit of ice on condenser unit and i noticed my evap fan was very quiet and barely blowing any air. I checked the defrost heater by jumping j11 and j9. The heat turned on and seems to be fine. I tested the control board with the help of this video. All tested fine, power in, power out. When i did the ohm test for the motors the ohm test for the evap fan was only .730 ohms . This leads me to believe the evap fan is bad and need to be changed. Please let me know if im on the right track. Thanks
Where did you buy your meter test leads? Did you rig them up? I always have a hard time shoving my leads in DC wire harness 😅.
Very good
Just found your video and still have questions with our GE Fridge, GYE22HSKMSS. The evaporator fan is only running in short bursts. We replaced the fan but that did not help. Digging deeper, at the fan connector in the fridge, we have 13v from the red & black wires but the 5v coming from the yellow wire is sporadic. I'm guessing this 5v is what triggers the fan to start up? Is this an indicator of a bad control board? My J2 port doesn't look like this and I cant figure out which connector on the board is for the fans.
Hey,
So it is likely going to be a failed board.
On your board you will have 2 larger green resistors.
Do these look discolored or burned at all?
If your meter has a Hz (frequency) setting there is also a test you can use to confirm that your fan is sending the appropriate feedback to the board to let it know its in fact turning.
I don't remember off the top of my head, but in my fan video I show how the tach function works for these PWM motors.
Let me know how those resistors look.
Hello,
When following your resistance test (@7:00) on the J2 plug between the white common wire and red wire, I get a reading of 0.003 k ohms.
When plugging in the fridge to test for voltage, one of the relays on the control board makes an intermittent clicking sound. I noticed that everytime this clicking sound occurs the condenser fan would spin and come to a stop shortly after. DC voltage readings between the common wire and each motor kept fluctuating, failing to reach the desired 14V.
When I test for continuity on the J2 plug between the white common wire and the yellow wire (condenser fan motor) I get OL reading. When testing between the white wire and the black/yellow wire (evaporator fan motor) I get continuity. Is it safe to assume that my condenser fan motor needs to be replaced since there is no continuity?
I too had low resistance testing the fan motor circuit, .888k ohms. I’m thinking it’s the evaporator fan motor. It does spin but I’m not getting any tach readings from it. Did you figure out your problem?
@@mikeparker8610 my evaporator fan motor burned and had to be replaced
Hi Andy, As per this video, on two occasions when we had power failures, my GE side by side refused to come on. fortunately after around eight hours on both occasions it restarted as normal. during the down period I checked the 13 VDC as per the video and found that the voltage was swinging like in the video. could the non restarting of the unit have anything to do with a thermistor or the evaporator fan? Once it restarted the 13 VDC supply is fine and the unit is functional.
Your comments if you can would be much appreciated. ...... Mike
Hello Andy. I have watched your videos and have learned immensely from them. Thank you!!!
I do have a slight worry since I replaced my control board(WR55X10529) with (WR55X10942). My Refrigerator/Freezer SxS Model # GSS25QGSC CC has a little different wiring on the J2 plug.p1-Blue,p2Red-jumper from p8,p3-white,p4 yellw/black, nothing @p5,p6,p7, &2 red p8. I do not know how to test for my condenser fan for voltage. My fan doesn't seen to be working even after an hour of cooling. I placed a small desk fan on the condenser and compressor to try and keep from overheating. Had to wait 3 weeks for the new control board because of Cov19, and do not want to damage it. When I installed the new board , the instructions said to cut a wire in J1 connector pin 2 to Eliminate Thermistor wire. This note said only applicable for bottom freezers and a few Encoder models w/ serial 3 prefixes, which did not match mine. I did not cut the wire.
Anyway, with no yellow wire in pin5 of J2 , i am lost. Tested J2 Voltage and Ohms (p3-p8) all good readings. Any ideas?
Hey, I'm almost certain it will. Be between the white and red (p3&p8) that would be your condenser fan circuit, but am not able to find a diagram for your exact model.
How you can verify is to either do your voltage test directly at the fan motor plug itself which is probably the easiest. Tell me what color wires you have coming in to the fan motor behind the fridge.
Also, you can (with the fridge unplugged) verify which wire leads to which pin on the board by performing an ohm test between each wire and the corresponding pin on the board.
Your red wire should be your constant 12-14vdc and the white is your neutral.
Thanks for the excellent videos. Where did you get the test leads for the fluke 116? I have that meter already but would like to purchase the leads.
Thanks for the kind words!
Yes, the 116 is a choice meter... I've had mine about 7 years now and wouldn't change a thing! So much so that I think I may have changed the battery just once. LoL
The meter leads I have are stand alone leads vs an adapter you add on to your existing leads. If I had to choose again, I'd probably get these for the sake of less room on my diagnostics bag where space is a premium.
Amazon affiliate link: amzn.to/2STBy4B
Also, if you don't already have one, a super nice thing I have for my fluke is one of these hanging magnets for the meter. It sticks to the appliance and just makes life so much nicer.
Amazon affiliate link:
amzn.to/314PSde
Hi Andy. Great video. I am in a pickle and maybe you can help. I followed your test and the board is supplying power to my evaporator fan. But my fan is not working at all. I have bought 2 oem new motors and still never turns on. Any idea what maybe wrong? I did the self diagnostic test T8 and t4 that check the fan and thermistor and they both passed. Freezer cools fine. Just no airflow to fridge. Any idea. Please. Thanks in advance
Hey Andy, does the voltage reading applicable to the electrolux french door refrigerator control board as well
Andy......My Samsung Side by side fridge: since some of the veggie and diary products in my cooler got really icy, so I increased the cooler temp by 2 degrees to 40 F. The next day, I noticed the freezer led temp display 0 F started flashing. So I powered the fridge off at the breaker and waited 2 hours before powering it back on. The fridge was on, compressor was running, cooler temp was preset at 38 F so I left it at that and freezer temp was preset at -4 F, so I adjusted it to 0 F. However, after running for 3 hours or so, the led display showed freezer temp at 48 F and it showed cooler temp at 34 F. The compressor doesn’t seem to stop. Please advise what should I do at this point.
Thanks a bunch!
Hi Guang,
If you'd like to send me your model number to Graceappliance@gmail.com I can look for your tech sheet and reply with that. This will help with some troubleshooting tips.
If you have a single evaporator, it could be a defrost issue on the freezer side, but the tech sheet will help us determine this.
Thanks
I have a kelon fridge board with signs of burnt around the diode and capacitor parts but the components are physically ok.how do I trace the faulty components?
hai,
thank you for very good and usefull informative video. my refigerater evaperater fan is not working.as per your video i followe dby tested all voltage level of pin j2..red wire i found 12 v but yellow to eveaperator wire is showing only 5V..can u suggest me any solution?
Hey! Thnaks for the kind words. I'm sorry to hear you're having issues with your fridge.
Check out this video. It explains that the voltages will vary based on what speed the evelorator fan should be running as it's a variable speed fan motor.
See if when you jump it if it speeds up to full speed and let me know what you find.
czcams.com/video/PwsoOpUbxvk/video.html
I need help with my Ge fridge. When the evaporator fan is connected, the control board makes clicking noise but when it is disconnected the fridge compressor turns on. I replaced the evaporator fan with a new one but I still get the same clicking noise. What could be wrong? The relay overload has already been replaced.
Great Video. The trouble I am having is the front display panel is not working, and neither is the ice/water dispenser. Any suggestions?
TheRoostking hey!
If you haven’t watched it yet, check out this video:
czcams.com/video/ViFpwH6_WrM/video.html
Also, there is a troublemaking connection plug behind the kick panel near the freezer door hinge. This tends to get corroded and should start there. Plug this in an unplug it about 10x and see if that improves things. If so, you might consider removing the plug and hardwiring it by soldering the wires together. Let me know what you find. Thanks!
Hi Andy......do you think I might also have a problem with the defrost bimetal thermostat ? (the part that has 2 brown wires connected to it and it’s sealed in a clear plastic pouch, it’s wired in parallel with the temp sensor, sitting on top of the evaporator coil.)
I don't based on your previous comments. As I recall, you got a fairly low resistance which is good. It should read roughly .03 ohm.
Where do you find the schematics for these boards? I have a model No: 0158-06-03A.
GEA Part No: 200D5837G004
Directly above the square IC is a 8 pin chip, i can only assume is another 6287 6642 because it appears to be melted, but all the other 8 pin chips are 6287's. It is listed on the board as u11. I can't find the schematic.
I read a comment of yours from the motor test video and you said pull the motor plug and test the voltage with the motors disconnected, sometimes the motors will pull the voltage low. When I did this I got 13v! So the board is good right?
Also, mine only had one yellow wire. Not sure what to make of that.
Hi mr Andy this is silly i should have told you about my problems with the actual refrigerator right from the beginning it has all started when i noticed the change in the way I was running ;the temperature on my refrigerator rose from 3 up to 7 and right after that I mean after a while same thing happened to the freezer temperature on the control panel and some of my stuff in the refrigerator had frozen so I turned off my fridge and took them all out of fridge to clean out my fridge, it took me a quite a while before I could manage to put my stuff back in the fridge and turn it back on again; the temperature on freezer dropped back down to number3 but not on the refrigerator; remained at 7and I couldn’t change it because i wouldn’t have moved by pressing it, still do you think there was any fault with the control board?
Sorry an error on my part, i want to put it right, in my text i should have written i noticed the change in the way it was running.........
Electricity was lost in my area after that the refrigerator does not turn on. The scoreboard, where the temperature is regulated, does not shine. 10 months ago there was such a situation. then the refrigerator turned on. the scoreboard is located on the front left door of the GE refrigerator. Any ideas on what it might be or what I should check? thanks.
Great videos. Keep up the great work. Would you be able to do a video on how to fix the actual circuit boards?
Thanks!
Is this what you need?
czcams.com/video/E_HChSIIif8/video.html
@@GraceAppliance Thats a great video as well. I didn't know if you could do a video where you replaced resistors or capacitors. Where you are fixing a broken circuit board.
My GEGSL25JFXBLBD evaporator fan motor is spinning backwards change do you main board already still the same please help
The Defrost bimetal thermostat which is sealed in a plastic clear pouch, I never tested it. Cuz it is wired in parallel with the temp sensor and I didn’t want to isolate it. Somehow, the temp sensor was tested to be fine.
Andy, you have a great methodology for explaining several issues, but I can't find anything showing the panel removal for my French door model PFSF6KPX BBB (black). That front panel doesn't come out the way shown, is flat faced, has one screw underneath the ice/water edge, and doesn't budge. How does one remove that - so I can get to the ice path spring-loaded door which is always open?
msnetsvc hey, here’s a video that should make things more clear.
I hope it helps:
czcams.com/video/6bTbK9Ztmck/video.html
Thanks, exactly what I needed. This is a great site.
Hi,
Great Video. Based on the test procedure my control bd only has 10.43 vdc output to the condenser fan...to little to operate the fan correct? F
an rated at 11.5 vdc
I would expect it to still run.
Bad fan motor would be my diagnosis.
You may disconnect the fan and test the voltage again. You may find it's full voltage at that point.
Hi Andy sorry it took me so long to reply as I was waiting for my new digital multimeter to arrive. I checked the new recently replaced relay as you suggested and got 112 vac, the compressor runs consistently and the condesor fan turns on but after about 10 minutes. The new evaporator fan still does not turn on. Would you have any other suggestions?
Mike Robledo
No problem.
I’ve got the service manual which I’m glad to send your way if you needed it. Feel free to send me an email to GraceAppliance@gmail.com and I can reply with that.
It will be a big help in walking you though how to enter the service modes which you can force run almost every feature on the refrigerator.
For instance, I’d start with a force run of the evaporator fan motor which would rule out the fan motor and control board (and associated wiring). You say both are new, but I’d want to just see it in action.
The refrigerator evaporator fan circuit is the plug CN75 pins number 3 (orange) and the other meter lead on CN10 pin 3. You should get between 7-12vdc.
Then CN10 pin 3 & CN75 pin 6 (brown) should measure between 2-3vdc and indicates that the fan is indeed turning.
We can start there. I’d assume these parts are both good and it’s likely going to be a failed temperature sensor that’s at fault by not telling the board to supply voltage to the fan. Or, a failed door switch as the fan would not spin if the door were ‘open’.
Thanks,
Andy
should the evap motor always turn on when the condensor fan is on?, because I have warm spots on my top shelve in the freezer. also i have water freezing at the bottom shelve in refrigerator side. I put 0 Fahrenheit and 37 Fahrenheit as recommended, my side by side refrigerator actual temperature is 0 Fahrenheit in the freezer and 47 Fahrenheit in the refrigerator.
Hi Addis, no the evap fan doesn’t always run with the condenser fan motor.
It certainly could be related to the evap fan motor with these symptoms, but I’d also look closely for a temperature & defrost sensor issue. I have a video on how to test and replace a defrost sensor which is where I’d start. These sensors dictate when the evap fan comes on.
Also, I’d rule out a defrost issue first by inspecting the evaporator coils behind the panel inside the freezer. You should see a light coating of frost on most of the rows of coils.
A damper door issue could cause refrigerator temp issues, but not freezer issues so I don’t immediately suspect that.
Excellent tutorial thank you. I have been following your diagnostic video with my 16 year old son. (We never did this before) We are trying to repair a GE profile side-by-side refrigerator model# pss26nswc ss. We ran into several issues with the diagnostic testing. In step one we were checking for a 120 volts coming into the board. The meter only read 114.5 volts? (was the green ground wires supposed to be reconnected after we took off the back of the refrigerator? In Step 2 and 3 everything was good we were reading between 12 and 14 volts on the meter. However in step 4 we were supposed to be checking for between 12 and 14 volts. You told us to put the black probe in the third slot which is white and you told us to put the red probe in the fifth slot which is yellow. But there is no yellow wire. Apparentlyour circuit board is different from the one that you show in your video. Any suggestions. Thank you. Dan and Christopher
Hey Daniel,
Your incoming voltage is fine. 114vac is no problem.
If you want to send me a picture of the what your plug looks like, I'm happy to take a look and see if I can help.
Graceappliance@gmail.com
Thanks! Andy
I need water feature related parts. Not getting current at valve. Checked everything making sure it works. But it seems to be a board issue and I can find schematic anywhere