Brand:Samsung Model Number:RS261MDRS/XAA 01, built in 2013 Main Symptom:food freezes in any location in fridge What happens & when:Overnight certain items freeze regardless of where they are located in the fridge. The freezer freezes food just fine. After replacing the damper assembly, it seems to have slightly improved. Originally the eggs froze, now they’re just very cold. A container not full of yogurt froze overnight last night, after the damper was replaced, but a pint of half and half only half full did not. Items that freeze can be located anywhere in the fridge, not just the drawers.
My local repairman suggested the damper on Samsungs are known for going bad. Since there was some improvement, could this part be defective? Or is there another part that might do it?
Error Code (if any):
Parts or tests already tried: Part Number: AP4578401 was ordered from ya’ll and replaced. I have vacummed the coils in the back not long before this started. I looked at the back of the unit again and can’t see anything out of the ordinary there
Photos / video link:
For a Samsung RS261MDRS/XAA-01 (2013) with the symptom:
Food freezes in all areas of the refrigerator compartment
Most Likely Causes (in order)
1. Refrigerator Temperature Sensor (Fridge Thermistor) Out of Range
The refrigerator thermistor tells the main board the compartment temperature. If it reads warmer than actual, the control keeps cooling and food freezes.
Checks:
Compare displayed temperature to an actual thermometer placed in a glass of water in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Look for temperatures below 32°F (0°C) even when set to 37–40°F.
Common repair: Replace the refrigerator thermistor assembly.
2. Damper Door Stuck Open
The damper controls how much freezer air enters the refrigerator section. If stuck open, excessive cold air continuously enters the fresh food compartment.
Checks:
Listen near the air vent/damper area (upper left rear of refrigerator section).
Strong continuous airflow even when refrigerator temperature is already cold suggests a damper problem.
Food closest to air vents usually freezes first, though severe failures can freeze food everywhere.
Common repair: Replace damper assembly.
3. Main Control Board Misinterpreting Sensor Inputs
If the thermistor tests good, the main PCB may be incorrectly driving the damper or compressor.
Checks:
Verify thermistor resistance matches Samsung specifications at known temperatures.
Check for diagnostic error codes.
Common repair: Replace main control board.
4. Incorrect Temperature Settings / Power Cool Enabled
Less common, but verify:
Refrigerator setpoint is 37°F–38°F.
Power Cool is OFF.
No recent control panel issues.
Fast Diagnostic Tip
If everything in the refrigerator freezes regardless of shelf location, the refrigerator thermistor is the first component I would suspect on this model, followed by the damper assembly.
Parts Most Commonly Needed
Refrigerator thermistor (temperature sensor)
Refrigerator damper assembly
Main control board (only after sensor and damper are verified)
The temperature sensor (thermistor) ( Samsung DA32-10105U Refrigerator Temperature Sensor | Genuine OEM Part ) used by the main control board to monitor refrigerator temperatures. A failed sensor can cause freezing food, warm temperatures, excessive frost buildup, or erratic cooling.
Testing DA32-10105U
1. Unplug the refrigerator
Always disconnect power before testing.
2. Access the sensor
On the fresh food side, remove shelves and the evaporator cover from the rear wall. The sensor is clipped to the evaporator tubing or mounted nearby, depending on location.
3. Disconnect the sensor
Unplug the sensor connector from the wiring harness.
4. Measure resistance
Set your multimeter to Ω (ohms) and measure across the two sensor leads.
Typical Samsung NTC thermistor values:
Temperature
Resistance
32°F (0°C)
~27 KΩ
41°F (5°C)
~22 KΩ
77°F (25°C)
~5 KΩ
A good thermistor’s resistance changes smoothly as temperature changes. If the reading is:
Open (OL)
Shorted (near 0 Ω)
Far from specification
Does not change when warmed/cooled
the sensor is defective. Repair Clinic notes that this sensor can be tested with a multimeter while changing its temperature.
Quick Ice-Water Test
Place the sensor tip in a cup of ice water for 5 minutes.
Measure resistance.
Expect approximately 27 KΩ at 32°F (0°C).
Warm it in your hand and resistance should decrease noticeably.
Replacing DA32-10105U
Tools
Phillips screwdriver
Small flat screwdriver
Needle-nose pliers (optional)
Procedure
Unplug refrigerator.
Remove food and shelves from the refrigerator section.
Remove the rear evaporator cover.
Locate the DA32-10105U sensor clipped to the evaporator tubing.
Disconnect the sensor connector.
Release the retaining clip and remove the old sensor.
Install the new sensor in the exact same position on the tubing.
Route the wiring exactly as original.
Reconnect the harness.
Reinstall the cover and shelves.
Restore power and allow 24 hours for temperatures to stabilize.
The DA32-10105U is the correct OEM temperature sensor for the RS261MDRS/XAA-01.
APP Tech Tip
If your RS261MDRS/XAA-01 has heavy frost behind the refrigerator evaporator cover, check:
DA32-10105U refrigerator sensor
Defrost sensor assembly
Defrost heater
Evaporator fan
Many RS261 series cooling complaints involve more than one failed component
It looks like that thermistor is included in the damper assembly I already replaced. Since there was some improvement, might that be defective and could it be replaced under warranty? Of course it might be the control board too
I don’t understand. In the assembly there are 2 plugs, one with red and black wires and one with blue and blue wires. There wasn’t anything else plugged into that housing when I removed the original. I can remove the light cover and take a photo of that housing if it would help
After further review what you have there is the air damper cover not the actual air damper the blue wires are the thermostat (thermistor) we need to determine the part number for the damper
Here’s the image of the wires plugged into the housing. Those wires were part of the assembly cover damper part I ordered and received. The Samsung part is DA97-0806A.
Here’s an image of the old one that had been replaced. Based on videos I have seen, I am under the impression the thermistor is one of these wires. If that is not true, let me know and I’ll go down the path of testing the current one’s resistance. but would need help in how to get at it.
When I click your link that is not what I ordered. That part looks like what I saw to the left side of the fridge compartment after I removed the cover assembly. I saw people on youtube replacing that part on very different samsung refrigerators but did not see that part in the wiring diagram on APP website for the refrigerator view.
Is that the thing to change then?
The next question is, I know you recommendation is educated, but even after replacing this, what are the odds the issue will not be fixed? Trying to decide on repair vs replace
Yes that’s the actual air damper motor assembly what you changed was the cover assembly that houses the thermistor and LED lights. you probably so some improvement because you jostled the air damper while removing the cover
I got with our local appliance repair guy and see what happened. He sent me the Samsung part number for the assembly cover saying that’s what Samsung told him. He is saying now he was sending the part number for the air damper cover. So, spend another $200 on the right part. Darn it, bad luck. Thanks for the attention and help, would not have figured it out without ya!
Is there a warranty on parts? The air damper motor assembly worked great, but now the fridge is cold but the freezer is thawing. The light comes on when I open the door to the freezer, so it’s getting power. Unless it could be something else?
The model is RS261MDRS/XAA 01 with a build date of 2013
Yes — it could definitely be something other than the damper. In fact, since the refrigerator side is now cold but the freezer is thawing, I would not suspect the new damper first.
On the Samsung RS261MDRS/XAA-01, the cold air originates at the evaporator in the freezer. The freezer evaporator fan then circulates that air through the freezer and toward the refrigerator.
The freezer light coming on only tells us the refrigerator has electrical power. It doesn’t tell us whether the freezer fan, defrost system, or compressor/cooling system is operating correctly.
First thing I’d check — freezer evaporator fan
Open the freezer and listen for the fan. Depending on operating conditions, you may need to hold the freezer door switch closed to make the refrigerator think the door is shut.
Give it 20–30 seconds.
You should hear the evaporator fan running and feel air moving from the freezer vents. Samsung locates this fan behind the lower rear freezer evaporator cover.
If you don’t hear the fan, that’s where I’d concentrate first. A failed evaporator fan is specifically listed as a cause of warm freezer/refrigerator temperatures on this model; the compatible fan assembly is DA97-08061A.
Next, look at the freezer’s back wall
This is an especially useful test.
Look at the inside rear panel of the freezer:
Heavy frost/snow on the panel: strongly points toward a defrost problem.
No frost and no fan: concentrate on the evaporator fan/fan circuit.
No frost, fan running, but freezer getting warmer: we need to see whether the compressor is actually cooling.
Normal light coating of frost and fan running: airflow may be restricted elsewhere.
A defrost failure can gradually pack the evaporator with ice until airflow becomes severely restricted. The likely areas are the defrost heater, defrost sensor/thermistor, wiring, or ultimately the control board.
One very useful test
If you’re comfortable removing the freezer’s inside rear panel, unplug the refrigerator first and expose the evaporator.
Don’t use a sharp object to remove any ice.
Look at the evaporator coil before thawing anything.
A healthy refrigeration system that’s been running should have a fairly even frost pattern across the evaporator. If the entire evaporator is buried in solid white ice, we’re looking at a defrost failure.
If there’s little or no frost anywhere, despite the compressor having been running for quite a while, that’s a different problem — compressor/sealed-system operation becomes much more likely.
So based on what you’re describing, I wouldn’t buy another part yet. My first two checks would be:
1. Is the freezer evaporator fan running? 2. Is there heavy frost/ice on the freezer’s inside rear panel?
Tell me what you find on those two checks and I can narrow this down considerably before you spend any more money.
After I wiped the water from the floor, I waited thinking maybe the door wasn’t closed all the way. So I open the door and press on what I believe is the door switch in the photo. Oddly the light didn’t go off. I checked around the door frame to see if there was another switch and did not find one.
I opened the fridge and could not locate a similar button switch.
I did hold the freezer door open and pressed the door switch button for more than 55 seconds. I heard no fan come on. But I should take all the food out for a better test.
Since the light didn’t turn off, I thought it was worth mentioning.
There is water on the floor of course. When I had the door open, I held the switch pictured below and the door-open warning chime rang
