The freezer on my GE GSS23SGSB side by side Fridge/freezer recently stopped cooling down to the correct temp. I removed the evarporator panel in the back of the freezer and found the evaporator coils completely frozen over. I defrosted the coils and put everything back together. 3 weeks later the freezer started warming up again. I removed the cover and the ice was back. I check the defrost heating element with a multi-meter it was an open circuit. I replaced the heating element 22 hrs ago but frost and ice are already starting to build up again.
Is there a way to force the heating element to come on to verify it works?
I checked the thermometer when the freezer was at room temp and it read approx 6000 ohms.
I cant find the defrost timer. I think it might controlled by the units control board but im not sure.
Seholme, you’re on the right track. With your tests and the parts you’ve replaced. your issue Could be in the "motherboard"
AP4436216
Your evaporator thermistor
AP3185407
should have a resistance of 5K ohms resistance at 77 dgrs.F.
And the defrost limit thermostat should be a "closed" circuit, below 110 dgrs. If all’s OK then the Issue will be in the control board.
Here’s a quick test note:
"With the refrigerator running, unplug it and remove the motherboard cover in the back. Locate the power connector in the bottom, left. Pull the connector off the motherboard and put a wire jumper between the connector pins that mate with the motherboard pins labeled line and def. Plug in fridge.
If you now get defrost action in the freezer, you motherboard is probably bad.
If no defrost, you have either a bad defrost heater, or defrost thermostat.
In this way, you will be able to confirm which parts are bad."
And here’s a basic diagnostic/test programming information as you requested.
[ATTACH]4400[/ATTACH]
Good Luck and Thanks
Thank you for the diagnostic sheet and the suggestoins.
Since the test codes are the least invasive i would liek to start with them, but i dont understand how to start the test. The instructions say "Press ay button other than a temp adjust button to begin the test." There are no other buttons.
When i put in 1, 4 to start defrots nothing happened. The displays didnt flash and heater never turned on. That being said i couldnt figure out what other button to push to start the test.
I tried some other test codes to see if any worked and none of them did anything.
What am i missing?
— Begin quote from seholme1;727544
Thank you for the diagnostic sheet and the suggestoins.
Since the test codes are the least invasive i would liek to start with them, but i dont understand how to start the test. The instructions say "Press ay button other than a temp adjust button to begin the test." There are no other buttons.
When i put in 1, 4 to start defrots nothing happened. The displays didnt flash and heater never turned on. That being said i couldnt figure out what other button to push to start the test.
I tried some other test codes to see if any worked and none of them did anything.
What am i missing?
— End quote
Seholme,
You’re not missing anything, This is my fault, I didn’t notice that the "diagnostics" programming steps did not get included in the previous post. I’ve attached the complete diagnostics section of the service manual to this response, and you should be fine from here on out.
Sorry, for the inconvenience.
Good Luck and Thanks,
[MODEL]GSS23SGSBSS[/MODEL]
https://docs.google.com/a/appliancepartspros.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=136e9fc0b44b6220&mt=application/pdf&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3Dc83d0a8ec9%26view%3Datt%26th%3D136e9fc0b44b6220%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dsafe%26realattid%3Df_h1gi3rf80%26zw&sig=AHIEtbQQEHf1-pSHoxqgNKnU0yrkENzLfQ