Hi Brian,

1/ Why? All motors in your refrigerator are DC.

2/ No, you have to test a questionable motor.

3/ Unfortunately not. This test result shows that the motor is not shorted. According to GE it is not possible to say if the motor is good by resistance test.

4/ So because you are not sure about the motor I would recommend to replace both parts.

Gene.

You are welcome Brian. Keep us posted.

Gene.

Hello again,

The saga continues.
The new controller board came in, and I got to my sister's house to install it. At that point (with a new condenser fan motor (not turning), original MB, and a floor fan to keep the coils and compressor cool, the fridge and freezer have been working Ok, and showing the temps as set, for a couple of weeks now.

I did DC voltage tests on the old MB, before removal. The test at J-2 all showed expected voltages, and I did not see any obvious fried resistors, etc....

The new GE board (from APP - which came a day after it shipped!), was slightly different from the old one, and it came with a printed installation sheet.

I followed the printed instructions meticulously (except for the step I'll mention), for this bottom freezer model.

The disconnect, removal, reconnect and install of the board went as planned.

I plugged in the power and the heard and felt the compressor come on, and could see the condenser fan spinning. At this point it had been power off about an hour. As all looked Ok, I did other things, while waiting for it to cool back down to set temps - but temps, as indicated in the LED displays, hardly dropped at all. The compressor felt hotter than I expected (now that the fan was working), so I put the floor fan back to help cool it.

After a good hour, plus, the fridge was showing 56 degrees (initially at 53, though it felt colder in the there), and the freezer was showing 4 degrees, down from 6).

Then I did the V-DC tests on the running new board, and they looked right (though the lead for the evaporator fan showed 8+, where the old board had shown 12; but I understand 12, 8 or 4 are Ok).

The only step I skipped on the install sheet (Step 4), was cutting a "Green wire in capacitor board". The problem is that the instructions and their diagram did not match what I found. There was no capacitor plastic housing from which to cut a green wire. I see a capacitor mounted to the left of the power cord, with a two prong connector, and neither wire is green

When the temps weren't dropping, I figured I'd try unplugging this capacitor. I did, and it seemed to power up just as before - but still showing high temps in the fridge section.

Though all this, I could feel slight air (not a strong flow), through the fridge vents.

I left it in this state for the time being. My sister will pass along temp readings in the morning.

Disappointed that though the fan is now spinning, unit is not performing as expected. Also disappointed in GE instruction sheet not covering this setup; and for not including a troubleshooting list.

I took several sets of pictures to document the repairs. I'll post these later - either to help you help me, or to help others facing similar situation.

Thanks,

BRN..

Hi,

I'm told that the fridge is showing 54 degrees (set to 37), and the freezer -10 (set to 0). It does sound like air is being kept from fridge, and that keeps the compressor cranking trying to cool it.

Please pass along suggestions on clearing the air path.

How do I check, fix the damper door?

Can frost/ice be jamming the air way?

If it needs defrosting, can the fridge section be turned off, leaving the freezer running to keep items frozen?

Should I leave that capacitor near the compressor unplugged; and should I disregard the instructions to cut the wire that's not there - I don't want to blow out the new MB.

Just how hot is too hot for the compressor? If the condenser fan is running (as it is), should the top of the compressor get too hot to keep your hand on it?

Thank for all the help,

BRN..

Thanks richappy,

I'll be stopping by there later today. I'll connect the capacitor - and I take it that I don't have to alter anything else in that area, as the model doesn't coincide with the diagram on the install sheet.

I'll check for instructions on damper door assembly.

We'll go from there.

Thanks again,

BRN..