[timgren]

Last night, we noticed our trusty 8 yr old Whirlpool side-by-side stopped cooling. Of course one day before Thanksgiving, it was FULL, and we quickly moved the contents of the fridge to our screen porch since the outside temp was 37 degrees. The good news is that this fridge is used as the "over stock" fridge, and is located in our finished basement kitchenette, so with a quick review of the upstairs contents, we were able to save all the frozen stock, and discard the things that even the wife couldnt recongnize.

Now that our bellies are full, we are faced with the issue of what to do with left-overs.

The symtoms are quite simple. The unit doesn't cool...either side...at all. The blower is running, lights work, but that's about it. I have always been vigilent about keeping the evaporator coil clean and free of debris but this is a just a full shutdown of the cooling system.

I've had good luck repairing our rear-projection TV this year, saving us an estimated $500 repair bill, and I'm hoping the same can be done with the Fridge. I've responablely comfortable 'under the hood' and diagnosing electronic components -- but this is my first attempt at a refridgerator.

Any ideas on where and how to start looking?

Update:
The model number is actually: ED25LFXHW00

Also, the fan inside the freezer is running. The blower under the unit is running. I can hear the compressor trying to cycle on (also visable by the dimming lights) but then clicks off after about 3 seconds.

[richappy]

You might have a bad start winding in the compressor. Remove compressor side cover and pry off the start relay, if you have a meter, check for continuity between the two pins. If open, just order a new one. Be aware that the compressor may still not run with a new start relay, but it's worth a try.
Also, check any compressor pins for a short to ground.

[timgren]

Thanks Richappy.

I pulled off the compressor start devices today, and I'm betting it shouldnt rattle, and have tiny pieces come out when I shake it.

The device deos read open across the two terminals, and none of the compressor pins (3) show any short to ground readings.

I've ordered a new start device, but the part number and appearence is significantly different from the original, which always makes me worry.

The part number stamped on the device is 220413. But the part comes up as AP3873993, and the photo looks nothing like the part in my hand. (which is white, and other then the relay, is pretty much self contained.) The description is correct however.

Thanks for the help...I'll post the results when the part arrives in 3-5 days.

[richappy]

The new part should be identical in performance to the old one. The critical component is the overload klixon contained in the unit. It limits overload energy to prevent start winding failure during overload conditions.
You can call the supplier and ask if the unit is in fact identical electrically.
If you are not satisfied, you can opt for the factory specified part which will be more expensive and may take longer to get.