Side by Side in-door ice maker does not dispense ice. Motor doesn't run, no noise, no hum. Makes and dumps ice fine. All lights (Interior, water & ice dispense, panel including lock/unlock and cube/crushed, filter, etc., work fine, water dispenses fine. With ice removed from the bin, the auger rotates freely, and with motor removed, the motor shaft/coupling assembly rotate freely.

I suspect there is a problem with either the Dispenser Control (though all functions except ice dispense work) or the motor/PTC. (most probably the PTC?)

I have circuit diagrams and multimeter.

Testing so far:

• Pins- on all motor molex connectors were cleaned with no effect.
  
• Motor- removed and bench tested good with 115VDC to pins 1&2. No binding, runs smooth in both directions. Current draw was nominal w/in limits.
  
• Dispense micro switch (on controller board)- tested ok using meter probes on switch leads.
  
• With motor installed, there was no measurable DC voltage at (the back of) either of the two motor connectors when calling for ice.
  
• With motor removed the PTC (pins 7 & 5 on the motor connector) meters as an open circuit.

In order to determine whether the Dispense Control board or PTC in the motor is bad I need to know:

• What should PTC resistance be, as measured at the motor (pins 7 & 5) with the motor disconnected?
  
• If PTC is open circuit, does that mean it has failed?
  
• If the PTC is an open circuit (failed) does that prevent the Dispenser Control board from providing 115 VDC to the motor?

Any other ideas/suggestions?
Thanks.

UPDATE. Further testing- I put a 7W light bulb across the PTC leads at the connector near the dispenser control- the motor worked fine! The PTC which is mounted inside the sealed plastic motor enclosure, must have failed.

Now I want to know why Whirlpool would put a small part that can fail inside a sealed housing where you can't get to it!?!?!?!?! To replace a relatively inexpensive part (PTC) I must replace a working motor!!

There is a possibility, since the dispenser was intermittent for a few months before it quit completely and would work for awhile after a sharp rap to the freezer door, that a wire is loose or a PTC terminal is bad, rather than the PTC itself. I will attempt to open the plastic housing. It is worth a shot, since I must replace the motor anyway if I'm not successful.

UPDATE #2 I was able to get the motor module apart without damage. I found one PTC lead had separated from the small PC board. I re-soldered it, reassembled the motor module, and after a successful test, reinstalled everything and I now have a fully operable ice dispenser!!

I just pried the motor housing apart. I don't remember what I used- butter knive, screw driver, chisel?Just work carefully and slowly or you will crack the entire housing.

I glued it back together with a little model glue (actually it was ethylene dichloride) , the thin watery stuff that solvent welds many plastices, but since it is not critical that the housing be water tight, you can use regular model glue or super glue.