amana frig ice maker trouble

[cycloneman]

i have a side by side amana

a few days ago the ice maker stopped working. I sent in a moved the arm that turns the unit off and on. I turned it off and then back on and it immed started the process to dump ice. The problem is the unit will not make the dump. I have done the turn off and on thing and now it will not dump at all.

any ideas?

[woolleyworm]

Just want to make sure I'm on the right page with you; from what I gather, the unit IS making ice, but it is NOT completing the "harvest cycle" and dumping it?

Shouldn't be too difficult to troubleshoot this issue. What is your model number of your fridge? Should be on the inside of one of the door panels or on the back panel. There should be a model number on the ice maker also, but you may not be able to see it easily.

[ampaterry]

A LITTLE bit sketchy on details there, cyclone.

In an icemaker, this is the cycle:

1. The individual fingers rotate around until they hit the surface of the ice cubes, and then do one of two things:
A. If the cubes are not frozen, the bars pass through the water and return to the rest position, and the cycle stops.
B. If the cubes are frozen, the bars apply pressure to the surface of the cube, and the small motor is stalled while a heating element is turned on inside the freezing tray. When this element has warmed the tray sufficiently for the cubes to break free, the fingers proceed to press down on the cubes, causing them to raise up on the other side and drop down into the ice bin.

2. The heating element is turned off.

3. The water valve is turned on and the tray re-fills with water. This is a TIMED fill, so must be adjusted for your water pressure.

4. Periodically, a sensor arm is raised up, then lowered again into the top of the ice bin. This is the arm that you can raise to the top position to stop the icemaker from making a cycle, because if it's motion is stopped for any reason (due to hitting ice, in normal operation,) the cycle stops.

In light of this cycle info, can you say at what point yours is failing?

[woolleyworm]

Pretty sure you have an issue with your heating cycle, most likely the element is bad. It's often best to just replace the entire unit when dealing with these types of ice makers, they're not terribly expensive and by the time you put $30 worth of parts and an hour or so of time into an older unit, you'd have been better served to spend the $75 and 30 minutes and get all new equipt.

Once I have the model numbers, I can get some good info for you to compare. Parts costs vs new, etc...

[cycloneman]

what ever tells the fingers to go is not doing so.

mdl number hugh? well I used to sell appliances and am very familuar with where to find the mdl number. However the tag on the door on the inside has 4 model numbers written on it from the factory. WTH is that all about? i will get them all for you hang tight

[cycloneman]

ok i get it now i have to know which size it is to tell the mdl number

[cycloneman]

ok got it from the back of the unit

DRS2462BW

i checked ebay last night and they dont seem that expensive i just didn't know which mdl it was

the ice maker makes cresent shaped ice. quarter moon

[ampaterry]

If the fingers never START their cycle, the arm that senses the presence of ice in the bin might be bent, keeping it from coming down far enough to start the cycle. That, or the switch that it activates is bad.

If the fingers are STOPPED at the point where they are pressing on the ice cubes, wolleyworm is most likely correct; heating element not coming on, so cubes never get loosened enough to move.

If it is the heating element, he is right: replace the unit.

[woolleyworm]

Originally Posted by cycloneman

ok got it from the back of the unit

DRS2462BW

i checked ebay last night and they dont seem that expensive i just didn't know which mdl it was

the ice maker makes cresent shaped ice. quarter moon

Around $80 is what I've found for the guts of the ice maker itself.

http://www.partstore.com/Part/Maytag...4706Q/New.aspx

a couple test points to check if you have a multimeter available before I'd pull the whole thing. Let me know if ya got one.

[woolleyworm]

Here's the schematic to troubleshoot it

http://www.applianceaid.com/icemaker-modual.html

with power OFF, you should have approx 72 ohms betweem L and H. If not, then the element is bad.

[cycloneman]

Can you pull the thing out without turning off the refer? I would like to unplug it and take it down but not sure if i will screw something up.

it is the heating ele or the switch

[woolleyworm]

Originally Posted by cycloneman

Can you pull the thing out without turning off the refer? I would like to unplug it and take it down but not sure if i will screw something up.

it is the heating ele or the switch

Dang, the power of YouTube, this is a great video for ya to see


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6xfzzeEWyw

I would recommend unplugging the fridge while you take it out if you have to. For checking the element resistance, you just need to ensure that the ice maker itself isn't powered up, ie have the ice handle up and do a voltage check first across those test points.

[cycloneman]

great i am just gona order one and get it over with. the video is great too.

thanks for you guys time and knowledge.

yep if you have a problem this is the place to come

[ampaterry]

Don't thank us before you get our bills - -

[cycloneman]

Originally Posted by ampaterry

Don't thank us before you get our bills - -

HA!!!

[mjp28]

Originally Posted by cycloneman

great i am just gona order one and get it over with. the video is great too.

thanks for you guys time and knowledge.

yep if you have a problem this is the place to come

And as a former maintenance guy when fixing anything always, always check the easy things first before tearing everything apart. Fuses, loose connections or wires, switches, stuck parts like solenoids, springs etc.

[cycloneman]

Originally Posted by mjp28

And as a former maintenance guy when fixing anything always, always check the easy things first before tearing everything apart. Fuses, loose connections or wires, switches, stuck parts like solenoids, springs etc.

I agree and i will say that i did get the unit to work a couple of time by turning it off and on with the ice level bar. I do believe it is in the switch because now i dont even hear the motor coming on that spins the fingers. I might play with it tonight but more than likely i will get a new one and take this one outside with the shotgun and make target practice with it.

[ampaterry]

Originally Posted by cycloneman

I agree and i will say that i did get the unit to work a couple of time by turning it off and on with the ice level bar. I do believe it is in the switch because now i dont even hear the motor coming on that spins the fingers. I might play with it tonight but more than likely i will get a new one and take this one outside with the shotgun and make target practice with it.

At one time, I was having FITS getting the timing right on my car.
I finally took it to a shop and had them set it -
When I got home and checked it, I found that my dwell meter was off - - WAY off!!

I hung it from a tree limb by the lead wires, and shot it until there was nothing left but the aligator clips on the branch.

There is, indeed, great satisfaction in that.

[woolleyworm]

Originally Posted by cycloneman

I agree and i will say that i did get the unit to work a couple of time by turning it off and on with the ice level bar. I do believe it is in the switch because now i dont even hear the motor coming on that spins the fingers. I might play with it tonight but more than likely i will get a new one and take this one outside with the shotgun and make target practice with it.

if it's the switch, you can jumper it out to cycle the unit manually. Just get a piece of 16 or 14ga wire about 6" long to use for a jumper.

[cycloneman]

Well to update ya

I got the new one in the mail today and it took no more than 5 min to replace it. I think the unit has to bet cold before it starts to work. Took a while but i just got my first dump of ice out of it. It took a few hours before i heard the water run into the machine. But it is working correctly now.

Thanks everyone.

My next project is changing the blower motor on my central heat a,/c.

Ill let you all know.

[mjp28]

Originally Posted by cycloneman

Well to update ya

I got the new one in the mail today and it took no more than 5 min to replace it. I think the unit has to bet cold before it starts to work. Took a while but i just got my first dump of ice out of it. It took a few hours before i heard the water run into the machine. But it is working correctly now.

Thanks everyone.

My next project is changing the blower motor on my central heat a,/c.

Ill let you all know.

Not too bad a job, are you talking the blower in the furnace unit that blows up in the plenum over the "A" coil?

Last year I had to change out the fan in my outside unit I've had since it was installed in 1988, not bad for all those years. The replacement motor was a slightly higher RPM in the new one but no big deal.

[cycloneman]

Originally Posted by mjp28

Not too bad a job, are you talking the blower in the furnace unit that blows up in the plenum over the "A" coil?

Last year I had to change out the fan in my outside unit I've had since it was installed in 1988, not bad for all those years. The replacement motor was a slightly higher RPM in the new one but no big deal.

I noticed the blower motor not working a week or so ago. Not a big deal cause i have more than one way to heat and cool the house. But I do want to fix it. When i am ready i will start a thread about it. I also could use to replace the evap core it has been out for a couple of years. The compressor is a few years old but really never used. Like i said i have more than one way to heat and cool.

[geds]

I stumbled into a great repair resource website when repairing my dryer: http://www.repairclinic.com/Shop-For...592&Ref=382157

The advice is free and the parts they sell are less expensive than I could buy locally.

[mjp28]

Originally Posted by cycloneman

I noticed the blower motor not working a week or so ago. Not a big deal cause i have more than one way to heat and cool the house. But I do want to fix it. When i am ready i will start a thread about it. I also could use to replace the evap core it has been out for a couple of years. The compressor is a few years old but really never used. Like i said i have more than one way to heat and cool.

OK no problem and there is a lot of info online including YouTube instruction videos and manuals, schematics, whatever.....easier than years back when you hoped to buy a manual and go from there.

And like I always say....And as a former maintenance guy when fixing anything always, always check the easy things first before tearing everything apart. Fuses, loose connections or wires, switches, stuck parts like solenoids, springs etc.

In your case here check the thermostats, any relays and connections. Also while you're at it clean, oil and do any other routine maintenance items.

Have fun.

[cycloneman]

Originally Posted by mjp28

OK no problem and there is a lot of info online including YouTube instruction videos and manuals, schematics, whatever.....easier than years back when you hoped to buy a manual and go from there.

And like I always say....And as a former maintenance guy when fixing anything always, always check the easy things first before tearing everything apart. Fuses, loose connections or wires, switches, stuck parts like solenoids, springs etc.

In your case here check the thermostats, any relays and connections. Also while you're at it clean, oil and do any other routine maintenance items.

Have fun.

I will certainly be in touch when i am ready. I have checked all the breakers, but you make a good point. I wonder if they grabbed a leg off the fuse outside at the compressor for the blower motor. I have seen strange things before.

I have replaced 3 ac units in vehicles before and I know how the house units work. So i am not totally blind I just never got into a home unit. I have a vaccume pump to suck down the system. The reason I never fixed the ac years ago is because i had a guy come in here to give me an estimate and he did not give me a firm price. He told me that he wasn't sure if he could get a new evap and threw numbers at me. Told him to get lost. I allready had window units in all the bedrooms cause we (my family) like it real cold. So all i needed at the time was a 12K btu unit for the living area and my problem was fixed. The window units are cheaper to run too. So that is where i am at. SO i think i will fix both heat and ac when i am ready.