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aschaffter  
#1 Posted : Saturday, October 10, 2009 7:49:50 PM(UTC)
aschaffter

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Joined: 10/10/2009(UTC)
Posts: 2

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!!
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mr coffee  
#2 Posted : Saturday, July 10, 2010 4:15:29 PM(UTC)
mr coffee

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Joined: 7/10/2010(UTC)
Posts: 2

Hi,
Could you say a bit more about how you got the motor housing apart (and back together for that matter? Hacksaw, prying, and where?) I think I have exactly the same problem with a bad PTC.

Thanks much,
mr coffee
aschaffter  
#3 Posted : Saturday, July 10, 2010 5:01:41 PM(UTC)
aschaffter

Rank: Member

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Joined: 10/10/2009(UTC)
Posts: 2

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.
mr coffee  
#4 Posted : Monday, July 12, 2010 5:02:23 AM(UTC)
mr coffee

Rank: Member

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Joined: 7/10/2010(UTC)
Posts: 2

Thanks for the tip and great post.

It does seem illogical to make the protection device so inaccessible.

Thanks for sharing your know-how. The information on what is inside the motor housing is pretty limited.
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