Heard clicking yesterday and notice that the user interface LEDs were not lit when I opened the door (usually show fridge/freezer settings = 4/4). Pulled the fridge out and located the source of the clicking as the control box. Noticed that the evaporator coils were very dusty so clean them off. Compressor was warm (guess of 120-140F) to the touch. Unplugged the AC and let the compressor cool for about 30 minutes. Started OK and ran for a while and then clicking started again. Pulled out the control box and notice that one or more of the 3 relays on the circuit board were cycling. Ran the 4 on-board diagnostics and all seem to pass (didn’t check the defrost voltage, but both the fan and compressor start on diag).
Read the forum regarding these symptoms and thought perhaps the overload was faulty.
Replaced the relay/overload unit today and the fridge was OK all day (cooled from room temperature and went through several cooling cycles). After about 6 hours, the clicking started again.
I’m guessing that the control board may be faulty or perhaps the compressor is actually overheating at some point and tripping the overload circuit.
Any suggestions? Is there any way to tell if the compressor is actually overheating? I have an IR thermometer but I don’t know what temp is too high.
Hello.
This sounds like an inefficient compressor. I checked the wiring configuration and it has a standard compressor (not variable speed). If the relay has been replaced, I have found that this could be leading up to a compressor failure. The best way to check this would be with a clamp on amp meter at the compressor. I’ll attach the service sheet for your consideration.
Thanks for the suggestion but I have some new information that might help.
I did some more testing, prior to seeing your post and found that the control box relays are cycling with only Plug P1 inserted (P2 and P4 unplugged) and the connector from P1 to the compressor (RD to overload on circuit diagram and WH to PTC Relay) disconnected. As I read the circuit diagram, this means the control board is powered and the condenser fan and bi-metal switch to the defrost heater are connected.
I tried inserting/removing P1 a few times to see if the condition persisted. Usually, the relay cycling behavior would occur, but a few times, after some initial relay action, the relays would go silent and the condenser fan would come on.
This makes me think that something intermittent is happening on the board or on the P1 plug/harness.
Hello,
Connecting and disconnecting any connector repeatedly on an electronic control would not be the best test procedure as you can create a situation where the control thinks something is happening that actually isn’t. In other words, it’s easy to “confuse” the microprocessor.
Also, in your original post you mentioned the user interface was not illuminated as usual. This could point to the wiring or the user interface being intermittently shorting which would overload and kick out the power supply to the display.
The insertion/removal result that was surprising to me was that the board apparently sometimes settles into a “possibly normal” state (no clicking and condenser fan powered up). Can’t confirm it was “normal” since the compressor and other remote circuits were disconnected.
So you may be right about the wiring shorting somewhere but since I only have the condenser fan and defroster circuit connected, would you think that the problem is likely isolated to those circuits and/or the main power to the board (all interfacing through that one connector)?
Would you agree that the circuit board is also a possible candidate or do you think the symptoms are not right for that to be the culprit?
Well, the board could be an issue as it does supply all power to all components on the unit, but after discussing it with my colleagues, we all agreed that there is a very real possibility that the sealed system could have a restriction and/or an inefficient compressor. I certainly hope you find an electrical issue, as this would make this a cheaper repair for you. Let me know if I can further assist.
Just a followup for the benefit of others that may encounter this problem. Changed the control board and fridge started without any of the previous symptoms. Thanks for advice and I definitely recommend buying parts through the parts supplier associated with this forum. At 1/4 the cost to buy locally in Canada its a no-brainer.