Me again with the fridge problem

[Question]

Hi all, my original post is below;

"I have a problem with my fridge, it is a side by side. The top half of both sides are not cold, all the food in the top half of the freezer side is thawed and only the stuff in the bottom half of the fridge side is cold. Anyone know what could be causing this? Should I call someone in or just go look for a new refrigerator? Thanks."

Since then I have pulled off the thin piece of metal that covers the cooling coils(???) and defrosted the freezer. After putting it all back together the fridge ran great until today, frost is forming again on the metal cover. Both the fridge and freezer ran amazing since the defrost. Am I right to assume the defrost timer is broken? Or could it be something else? Please give me your opinions as I am very new and inexperienced in fixing things. Thanks

[Art Todesco]

I think I posted something after your original post. After doing what you did, mine ran fine for 2 years and then did it again. There are usually only 3 components involved (unless it's one of those new one with microprocessors, etc.). They are the heater, a thermostat and the timer. With an ohmmeter, the heater should read a fairly low value, well under 100 ohms. The thermostat button should be open when above freezing, closed at low temps like those normally found in a working freezer. On mine, both were good. I actually saw, with the meter, the thermostat change from closed to open as the ice melted away. If you unit ices after a few days or weeks, keep checking.

[Ken]

Is the fan inside your unit running so that the cold air is being circulated??

[Question]

Yes, the fan is working. I am going to start changing parts that are related to the problem, starting with the Defrost timer. Anyone know where I can locate this? I have searched the fridge with no luck. Thanks in advance.

I have purchased the new timer, I can't find anything that resembles it in the fridge, unless they gave me the wrong one. My fridge model # is GSS201EMA and it is GE.

[Ken]

My refrigerators always had the timer mounted on the back of the unit.

[Art Todesco]

Mine was at the top, but it was a built-in KitchenAid. The compressor and condenser coil were also on the top, so I'm probably not much help here. My new time looked very different from the broken one and in addition it worked somewhat differently.

[stan]

Only once many years ago our defrost timer failed. (Mid-size ordinary fridge with freezer at top and compressor down below). We temporarily rigged a switch to operate the defrost function until a replacement timer came in from Sears. I seem to recall that the small electric clock type motor that drove the time went open but that it was possible to turn the timer, which buried, can't remember where, manually. And yes; as we discovered the problem the fridge had 'iced up'.

[The Daring Dufas]

I've seen the timers at the bottom behind the grill, mounted high or low on the back and next to the interior thermostat.

TDD

[Stormin Mormon]

Could be the timer, or one of a couple of other parts. Or, it could be a wiring problem.

[someone]

My guess it's the defrost thermostat that's bad. This device is designed to allow the defrost heater to come on when below a certain temp and turn off when above a certain temp. If it's bad, it won't let the defrost heater do it's job and over time frost will clog the coil. The thermostat should be closed in normal cold mode to let the heater get some juice to heat up. You can find this thermostat burried in the ice that formed probably.

Gene

[someone]

What turned out to be the problem with the unit?

[Stormin Mormon]

Offset wobbler had slid off the shimmy shaft, and was knocking against the motor berring. Tighten with allen wrench, and apply a drop of Locktite to the set screw threads. Easy fix.