Electronic Kenmore refrigerator not working, what does this sign mean

[Ignoramus20906]

I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I bought it from a private party over a year ago and it has been working great until now. It seems very well made, overall.

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

It is right above the word "Kenmore", is red and looks like a crossed lock and an exclamation.

The temperature in the unit has been rising since then and clearly, it is not cooling anything. Right now both freezer and fridge are at 46 degrees F.

I tried calling Kenmore, but could only speak to dummies who are forbidden to give any diagnostics.

My question is WTF does this sign mean? It is meant to tell me something.

Thanks

i

[Pete Keillor]

Don't know, but it's obviously a bar across a thermometer symbol. Could mean anything from "it ain't cooling" (Duh.) to the thermocouple/thermopile/temperature sensor's dirty. Manual ought to say if you can find one. Good luck.

Pete Keillor

[Ignoramus20906]

Pete, the manual is here:

but it is not saying anything.

i

[Gunner Asch]

This may be of some assistance in determining your code.

It gives a listing of who actually made your applience, so you can then look for their trouble codes

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

[Pete Keillor]

Yup, that's pretty useless. Maybe there's a service manual, but a cursory google didn't turn up anything useful. There's still stuff you could inspect, like is the compressor running, and are the coils dirty. Since it's showing the temperature, it probably isn't the temperature sensor.

Pete Keillor

[Tim Wescott]

That's a picture of an English bobby. Obviously the food's been rioting and they've hauled the compressor of to quod.

[wmbjkREMOVE]

Check the condenser fan motor (under the grill at the back most likely). Those things tend to be weak, even a barely motivated dust bunny can stop them from turning. I had it happen to my fridge recently. The fan motor would only start if I gave it a little help. Dismantled the motor (not designed to be serviceable, but no sweat), cleaned and reassembled, and it worked fine for a week until the new one came. About $30 delivered. If you discover that the fan is the culprit and can't get it going while waiting for the replacement, then just aim a portable fan so that it moves air across the coils.

Wayne

[Ignoramus20906]

I had a Eureka moment.

I understand what the sign means.

It means not much. It is a crossed thermometer and it means that the fridge is unable to hold the preset temperature. Duh.

Why is it unable to do so, is the $64,000 question.

I opened up the back. I observe the following:

1) The condenser fan is running 2) The compressor (big heavy black part with copper pipes going in and out of it) is quite hot to touch and is seemingly not running. i

[Bill]

Sometimes there are hidden coils in the freezer. An electric heater on a timer will defrost these. If that is not working, it will be a solid block of ice.

Try putting all your food in ice chests and let it defrost for 24 hours with doors open (unplug it). Then plug it back in and see if it works.

If it works for a few weeks, then same problem again, then suspect the defrost heater/timer.

As to fixing, if it is an old refrigerator, get a new one as those save electricity and will pay for themselves in 5 years or so.

[Steve Barker]

Well it may just be the picture, but it looks like the freezer is set to

45 degrees.

[Ignoramus20906]

It is not "set" to 45 degrees, what was displayed is the current temperature.

i

[Ignoramus20906]

Here are my findings:

1) The condenser fan is running fine 2) The compressor motor buzzes, then overload stops it, to restart in a few minutes 3) The compressor motor is HOT 4) Inside of the relay does not look burned.

I see four possibilities:

1) The capacitor is bad 2) Something in the relay assembly is bad (unlikely, since this seems to be a run capacitor). 3) Somehow the compressor cannot pump, due to problems with cooling coils or whatever other internal blockage 4) [the most dreaded possibility] the compressor is seized.

To eliminate 1-2, I have ordered a new capacitor and a new relay assembly (since I broke some holding plastic lugs when removing it). The cost was relatively small ($34.95 for everything with shipping).

Hopefully, I will get that stuff around Monday (they are in CA, I am in IL).

We can live with it, because it is our second (garage) fridge, and we also have a upright freezer.

If that does not help, I would expect this to become an expensive repair, and I would have to call a tech to replace the compressor, or even junk the fridge.

i

[ignator]

I'm confused, if its electronic then it would be thermo-electric, and not have a condenser, evaporator, or compressor. But as you have indicated it has these. So I'm guessing the electronic, is the electronic thermostat only. You indicated the compressor is hot. Sounds like the start relay is fubar, and some current limit does not trip a clicks-on switch. And start relay is now a misnomer as these have been replaced with thermistors. Most likely this is the faulted device. There should be a wiring diagram on the back side of this refrigerator, hope it does. If it's a defrost problem the diagram would show this circuit. ignator

[ignator]

I'm confused, if its electronic then it would be thermo-electric, and not have a condenser, evaporator, or compressor. But as you have indicated it has these. So I'm guessing the electronic, is the electronic thermostat only. You indicated the compressor is hot. Sounds like the start relay is fubar, and some current limit does not trip a clicks-on switch. And start relay is now a misnomer as these have been replaced with thermistors. Most likely this is the faulted device. There should be a wiring diagram on the back side of this refrigerator, hope it does. If it's a defrost problem the diagram would show this circuit. ignator

[gpsman]

Reboot and call me in the morning. -----

- gpsman

[Ignoramus20906]

Electronic control panel with pretty buttons.

Yes.

Yes, there is a thermistor puck inside the relay assembly.

[Archon]

I had the same problem recently, its the overload relay, actually thermistors as previously noted.

This thread is for a different model but will help

Your part would seem to be:-

replacement fixed mine , still running 12 months later.

JC

[Ignoramus20906]

Archon,

I hope fervently that you are right. I bought those parts:

Part Number: AP4074064 Part Number: AP4013414

Shipped from CA to IL, I will probably get them on Monday. I am very anxious.

i

[Michael Kennedy]

If they last 5 years....

[Bob Villa]

I didn't see any response to Bill's suggestion about the freezer not defrosting (I have had this happen-timer can also fail while defrosting, heat the freezer, defrost everything and melt plastic!)