Brand: Frigidiare
Model Number: FGHB2866PFJA
Main Symptom: Not Making Ice
What happens & when: No new ice being made. Ice in tray, but not being dumped into ice bucket. When “Ice” is selected, and dispenser tab pushed, tray turns, but no ice in bucket to dispense into a cup.
Error Code (if any): Not seeing any error codes.
Parts or tests already tried: None
Photos / video link:
On the FGHB2866PFJA, since there is already ice frozen in the ice maker mold but it isn’t dumping the ice into the bucket, I’d start with the ice maker/harvest system rather than the water valve.
The fact that the dispenser auger turns when you press the paddle is a separate function. That tells us the dispenser is responding, but it doesn’t tell us whether the ice maker itself is harvesting.
First, make sure the ice maker is turned ON and check the temperature around the ice maker. It generally needs to be around 10°F or colder before it will reliably harvest.
Press and hold the Freezer + and Freezer – buttons together for about 10 seconds.
Release the buttons when the display changes and enters the service/diagnostic mode.
Use the Freezer + or – buttons to move through the available diagnostic tests.
Select the ice maker motor/harvest test.
Run the ice maker motor/harvest test and watch the ice maker. The ejector should rotate and push the frozen cubes out of the mold and into the bucket.
If the ejector doesn’t move during the forced-harvest test, even though the mold contains fully frozen ice, I’d suspect the ice maker assembly or its power/control circuit.
If it does complete the forced harvest, but won’t harvest automatically afterward, then I’d look more closely at the ice maker temperature sensing/control side. The ice maker may not be recognizing that the cubes are cold enough to harvest.
That forced-harvest test should be our best next step before replacing anything.
Completed the forced-harvest test and the ice was ejected without any problem. Tested the refill function also and the ice tray was successfully filled again, but after the ice cubes were formed, the tray doesn’t automatically empty again. Did the forced-harvest process again, only this time I didn’t redo the water refill process, and once I switched out of the diagnostic mode, it never filled the tray with water again. That’s where it’s at right now: no water filling the tray, and no subsequent emptying of the tray once ice is formed. Thanks for the help.
That test result narrows it down quite a bit. Since the ice maker harvests normally when you force it and fills normally when you command the fill, the motor/mechanism and water supply/valve are capable of working.
The problem is that the refrigerator is not automatically initiating the harvest and refill sequence.
On the FGHB2866PFJA, I’d focus next on the ice maker’s temperature sensing/control side. The ice maker has to recognize that the mold has reached the proper temperature before it will automatically harvest. If it never gets that “ice is ready” signal, it can sit there indefinitely even though the cubes are frozen.
One important point about your last test: after you manually harvested the ice but did not perform the diagnostic fill, I would not necessarily expect it to immediately refill when you exit diagnostics. Normally the fill is part of the automatic harvest sequence. Since you manually interrupted that sequence in diagnostics, the empty mold by itself doesn’t prove there is now a separate water-valve problem.
I would do one more simple test:
If the cubes become completely frozen but never harvest automatically, while a forced harvest continues to work perfectly, I would suspect the ice maker assembly/its internal mold-temperature sensing circuit rather than the water valve.
Also, if you can tell me the actual temperature in the ice-maker compartment, that would help. If that compartment isn’t getting cold enough, the ice maker may never receive the temperature condition it needs to start an automatic harvest—even though the water appears frozen.
Is this conversation helpful so far?
Took the steps you indicated, and I do have some ice this morning, but not much. The freezer temperature is, and has been 0°. It looks like it’s making ice some times, but not near as much as before, given that I filled the tray with water around 7:00 pm yesterday evening. Again, thanks for the help.