GE PDS20SFSBRSS Clicking, stopped cooling, fan not turning

I did get to the freezer fan and found that unplugging it had various effects. Sometimes the clicking would continue, sometimes it would not. Sometimes the rear fan shaft would turn slowly. It was easy to stop with my fingers, which would start the clicking. Sometimes I would plug it back in and it would turn. At times there would be a buzz from the compressor area, followed by one sharp click. Then after a period of silence, the compressor would start up, the rear fan shaft would turn, and the coils would heat up, which I assume is normal operation. Also the door open alarm started working with the freezer fan unplugged.

So it seems that the freezer fan is involved, but there may be other issues. I also realized that I have not checked the ptc relay, I had the wrong part. I can’t get the cover off of the actual ptc relay to check or replace it. I might just buy a new cover so I can be more aggressive without worrying about breaking the plastic. But I sure wish I could find the tabs to unlock it.

It does sound like there are two issues going on. The PTC relay may be starting to weaken and the freezer fan may have a short in it causing the primary failure.

None of the wires to the fan are shorted together. The ptc relay female pins show a normal 6.X ohms, and it does operate at times. I am not confident that replacing these parts will fix it. Could it be something else?

The freezer fan has an internal control board that is the usual cause of a short, rather than the wires. If the clicking is coming from the main control, you likely have a dual issue with the main control and the freezer fan. The freezer fan is an identified issue since unplugging it allows some operation to return to the unit.

So I will likely need to replace both the fan and the main board, is that correct?

From everything that has been gone through and the information that has been provided, you are correct.