Weird stuff -- update -- (was Electronic Kenmore refrigerator not working, what does this sign mean)

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Did you try cursing and kicking? That's my normal solution to this type problem. Its never helped, but I keep trying it anyway.

Karl

No doubt someone mor knowledgable will have something to add here, but it sounds like the compressor is trying to start against a load. How long was it unplugged while you were replacing the cover? I imagine it should be unplugged at least three ininutes, and probably five. However, I'd also imagine that there would be a timer of some sort to prevent short-cycling. Of course, the thermal protection in the motor would kick in eventually, but my air conditioner, for example, simply will not run the compressor for a few minutes after you plug it in if it had been running just prior to unplugging.

Anyway, I'd suggest that you let it rest a few minutes and then try again.

Take the cover back off and see if anything changes? Mebbe fridge got shoved into the wall, and the cover got bent, and is making something not work?

I'm no fridge expert, but when something stops working when you put the lid on, that tells me the lid is somehow binding something up or shorting something out.

The lit symbology indicates that the internal temperature doesn't agree with the set point. From your description, I'd say that the compressor has an internal problem (stuck valves, galled bearings, dessicant particles in the compressor, etc). Most consumer grade refrigeration compressors aren't servicable, meaning that you need to get your checkbook warmed up for a sizeable deduction from your bank account.

That said, there are a couple things for you to do. First, remove the back cover, leaving the ground wire unconnected, and see if it kicks off again. If it continues to run, connect the ground wire to the chassis. If it kicks off when you connect the ground wire, then you have to find out where the ground fault is. Most likely, that will be inside the compressor. Don't use it in this condition; it is a lethal weapon without the safety ground connected. If you have an AC clamp meter, measure the current on the hot wire going into the compressor. It should kick up to 10A or so when the compressor starts up, and quickly dropping down to its normal running current of a few amps. If the current stays high after a few seconds, that means that it isn't starting normally. The overcurrent relay tripping in a few seconds indicate that fact. In any case, the compressor is highly suspect.

We had an older fridge that'd do this any time the power blinked -- and we live out in the boonies. We learned to unplug it for a few minutes and plug it back in.

That is always my preferred approach. Sometimes it works.

Oddly enough, after waiting for a while, it started fine and is cooling down at an acceptable rate.

Get a refrigerator thermometer (kitchen stuff department of stores), then keep an eye on the temperature.

If there was a lot of water which came out from having it off while you fixed it, and this happens again in a month or so, suspect the defrost/heater/timer.

As someone else said it won't start if it is under a load. It has to rest before being plugged in again.

We have a little device that looks like a cheap surge protector that will not turn on unless it has been off for four minutes.

Geoff.

I seem to remember I was told that you should keep it unplugged 1/2 hour. Karl

Call Sears repair.

Hi, Good to hear the overload relay worked for you, (I read your later post where everything seems to be working ok)

As I didn't trust the freezer after my repair I purchased one of these

JC

hell, my fridge has done that for years... (Really, it has).

The reason is 'high head pressure' and you have to let it sit for as much as 20 to 30 minutes (typically, but can be longer) between startup cycles.

Not odd, high head pressure was doing it. Considered normal in most applications.

Shouldn't take 20 minutes for the head pressure to bleed off enough for a restart. Unless of course there is a partial restriction in the high side. If the system has moisture in the freon the end of the cap tube can ice up causing a restriction. Or some contaminates could plug the cap tube partially. Normally the head pressure should reduce sufficiently to allow a proper working compressor to restart in 5 minutes or less.

re: "when something stops working when you put the lid on, that tells me the lid is somehow binding something up or shorting something out."

In a much earlier life, I used to install and repair Radio Shack TRS-80 workstations. My company also used the Storage Expansion Unit which could house up to three additional 8=E2=80=B3 drives as shown here:

You had to loosen screws, tweak the cover, slap the box, whatever, to get it working.

With hundreds of these workstations installed in everything from offices to chemical processing areas, you can be sure that we did a lot of bench work trying to determine what the problem was in an effort to make our on-site work easier. We never figured it out and were thrilled when they started replacing them with the original IBM PC.

Many of these kinds of things end up being cracked connector solder or chips that fail when heated. BTDT

They cut one corner too many by tin plating the edge connectors, then plugging them into connectors with gold plated contacts. At one time there was a special connector sold that you soldered to the tin plate, and had gold plated contacts to mate with the ribbon cables.

re: "chips that fail when heated"

We know it wasn't heat since the problem occurred immediately after securing the cover and could be fixed by tweaking the case.

re: cracked connector solder

Maybe, if it was a manufacturing defect since it happened on so many, many units.