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pnamajck  
#1 Posted : Sunday, October 18, 2009 11:52:32 AM(UTC)
pnamajck

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i've had the side-by-side for 5½ - 6 years . . . now it seems the relay and adjoining component burnt out. sickly-sweet smell and intermittent ticking.

after relay was taken off, one of the compressor's three prongs contained some crap that has not come off. i tried wd-40 and have also tried box-cutter (knife) . . . i then tried butane lighter . . . impervious to all my efforts. presently i am trying a rotary tool (dremel) with grinding nib . . . but very slow going.

so . . . basically my question is this :
noticed metallic under the soot (burn-off) . . . is it possible this is solder from the connector ? if so . . . would a five-dollar electronic solder iron from radio shack be acceptable / efficient ? how about a propane torch ? just don't wanna' cause an explosion or ruin things more.

thanks for any / all feedback.

btw . . . the compressor is a sealed egy-90 model.

i have no camera to take pic of the compressor . . . but scanned the relay :
photobucket.com (lo-res) or photobucket.com (hi-res)[URL="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x275/pnamajck/images_internet/image_600dpi.png"][/URL]
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denman  
#2 Posted : Monday, October 19, 2009 6:47:23 AM(UTC)
denman

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Here is the wiring diagram
http://www.servicematters.com/d...0Sheet%20-%202255373.pdf

Before going any further I would check the compressor with a meter.
If one of the windings is burned out, you are wasting your time trying to clean the pins.

presently i am trying a rotary tool (dremel) with grinding nib . . . but very slow going.
This or some emery cloth is probably the best bet.
If you try anything involving heat you risk disconnecting a winding in the compressor.

Also heat will only work if it is solder/lead (silver or grayish) that has dripped/melted onto the pins. Odds are high that this is not the case and what you have is the metal from the connectors often copper actually welded to the pin. It will not come off with heat.
THIS FORUM IS DEAD!!!!!!!
pnamajck  
#3 Posted : Monday, October 19, 2009 11:45:54 AM(UTC)
pnamajck

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first off . . . 'ppreciate your interest in my issue, denman . . . as well as your quick return.

the refuse to the prong is shiny / silver in appearance and seems to have the consistency of lead . . . which is why i came to the conclusion it was solder. the metal female clip which accepts the male prong . . . what metal would that be . . . nickel ?

good thing you suggested that i do not utilize any devices that involve heat. honestly . . . i was ready to take a propane torch to the terminal end. to dissipate heat from reaching the compressor, i would attach a vise-grip to the inside half of the prong. the outside half would get the flame but the vise-grip would act as a heat-sink and keep the major heat from advancing into the compressor.

along with the pdf schematic, you suggest i check the compressor with meter . . . i suspect you mean voltmeter or do you mean multi-meter (amps) ? i flunked out of electronics school . . . but am willing to learn. voltmeters seem to be invaluable around the home.

when i check the compressor with meter, i would be checking only the three prongs on the compressor ?

looking at the schematic, i notice the symbol for the compressor . . . in which there are four input / terminals.

the gn/yl is for the ground and attaches to the compressor approximately four inches away from the three prongs.

m / s / c are the other three . . . but there is no legend for these codes. (aside from the gr/yl wire, i have two white wires (sharing same connector) and one red wire.)

wait . . . the wiring in the schematics . . . if i follow the wiring diagram around .. . . it seems that c stands for red wire . . . and m / s are both sharing white wires. am i correct . . . i think so ?

okay . . . which prongs do i attach the meter to . . . what value would i set the meter on . . . would it be amps or ohms or volts ? what number on the readout would i look for ?

am waiting your next reply, denman . . . much thanks.
denman  
#4 Posted : Tuesday, October 20, 2009 4:14:52 AM(UTC)
denman

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i suspect you mean voltmeter or do you mean multi-meter (amps) ? i flunked out of electronics school . . . but am willing to learn. voltmeters seem to be invaluable around the home.
A digital multimeter will measure volts AC & DC, low amps and ohms (resistance).
I know I use my meter on a regular basis.
see METER below

when i check the compressor with meter, i would be checking only the three prongs on the compressor ?
Yes
Here are a couple good sites with fridge repair info:
http://www.applianceaid.com/refrigerator.html
Refrigerator Repair Guide: How To Fix a Refrigerator - ACME HOW TO.com

looking at the schematic, i notice the symbol for the compressor . . . in which there are four input / terminals.
Looks like they are showing the ground wire

the gn/yl is for the ground and attaches to the compressor approximately four inches away from the three prongs.
You are going to want to check the windings to this wire. It should be an open (infinite resistance). If not one of the windings is shorting to ground.

For the rest of your questions see the links they explain it better than I can.

METER
You can get a decent digital multimeter for under $20.00. You do not need fancy though it is nice if the leads are a couple feet long.
If it saves ordering one unnecessary part it has paid for itself and you end up owning a useful tool.
Most places will not let you return electrical parts so if you order it, you own it.
A couple things to watch when measuring ohms and continuity
1. Always remove power from the machine otherwise you could blow your meter.
2. Always disconnect at least one side of any device you are checking. This eliminates the possibility of measuring an alternate/parallel circuit path.
3. When checking for closed contacts and continuity use the lowest scale (Usually 200 ohms). Then try higher scales. This scale is 0 to 200 ohms so if the device you are measuring is 300 ohms this scale would show an open circuit which it is not, you are just measuring outside the scale's dynamic range.

There is a good STICKY at the start of this forum about it's use.

THIS FORUM IS DEAD!!!!!!!
pnamajck  
#5 Posted : Tuesday, October 20, 2009 2:19:44 PM(UTC)
pnamajck

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reviewed the links you proffered, denman . . . bought cheap ge analog mm from walmart . . . the three prongs are fine . . . as is the ground. [ reference ]

so . . . for the next couple days will be removing the burnt-on material for the one prong. guess if kenmore realized we subscribe to this invasive hands-on approach . . . they would quickly modify their products to be even harder to access . . . sheeesh. (it's the prong behind the others.)
pnamajck  
#6 Posted : Saturday, October 24, 2009 5:34:27 PM(UTC)
pnamajck

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denman . . . this is to serve as a heads-up.

was unable to remove all the crusted solder from prong . . . as it was the prong in the rear and very difficult working on. i also decided not to use propane torch to melt the refuse. since the sediment was only on the end of the prong . . . i ended up cutting off that half of the prong (rotary/diamond tip). additionally, i further secured the capacitor by tying a plastic cable tie around both it and the compressor.

the fridge is working fine and cycling on / off as normal . . . noticed bit of difference in the sound that the new relay makes . . . but is performing fine.

again . . . thanks for all your support 'n advice, denman . . . if i knew as much as you guys do . . . i would be happy to help out here in the forums.

forum.appliancepartspros.com . . . thanks for this service . . . it really helps we underdogs.
denman  
#7 Posted : Sunday, October 25, 2009 12:39:17 AM(UTC)
denman

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You are welcome

Thanks for getting back to us

if i knew as much as you guys do . . . i would be happy to help out here in the forums.

I am sure you know quite a bit and your participation in the forum would be welcome. I am not a pro appliance tech but know a few things and try to help a few people out when I can.
THIS FORUM IS DEAD!!!!!!!
pnamajck  
#8 Posted : Sunday, October 25, 2009 9:47:30 AM(UTC)
pnamajck

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okay . . . not so final.

even though the fridge is working fine . . . the original appliance came with part #2169373 which is a capacitor and connects with the relay in some way. i have not installed / replaced this part . . . as it also burnt with the other items.

do i need a capacitor . . . and if so, what is the function of the capacitor ? (below is identical part.)

Part Details - WHIRLPOOL Run capacitor, part number: 2169373
denman  
#9 Posted : Sunday, October 25, 2009 10:19:38 AM(UTC)
denman

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THIS FORUM IS DEAD!!!!!!!
pnamajck  
#10 Posted : Monday, October 26, 2009 5:42:24 AM(UTC)
pnamajck

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'ppreciate that follow-up, denman . . .

after considering the options . . . i decided to leave the current setup as it is.

Start and Run Capacitor Function - All About Circuits Forum
"Chances are that your motor is starting slower than it used to, but the change would be so small, you will not notice without an o-scope. There is a small chance that the electric motor may have a reduction in it's life-span, but it's probably negligible. Nothing will come of this that has an effect on the pump itself."
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