ice auger stopped working in GE side-by-side

Refrigerator & Freezer Repair
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1

The ice auger on my GE side-by-side stopped working. the motor is good. I removed it from the ice maker and connected it to a 120v power supply and the motor is fine. I suspected a relay on the main circuitboard. Replacing the board however did not solve the problem. Is there another relay somewhere that could be the problem? When placed in the water mode the dispenser lever works to dispense water, but in cube or crushed ice mode the auger will not turn.

2

I hate to sound like a moron, but I cannot find any "freezer door switch at the top of the door opening." The only thing I see is a white protruberance at the very bottom that turns the light off when I push it in (or shut the door). Do you mean inside the freezer, or around the edges of the opening against which the door sits? I looked under the plate that covers the top hinge but all seemed well there. I see no switch anywhere.

In my unsuccessful efforts to disconnect the old motor, both wires broke off. Perhaps I could twist them together but I have only 1/4" to work with. So I’m in the position of being unable to remove the old motor, but broke the old motor in trying, and can’t put in the new motor because I can’t undo the nut that holds the spindle through the hole. It appears they do not want anyone undoing this nut because it has brads on 2 sides that make it impossible to fit a socket over it, and no room to work between the silver tongs. I’m screwed. Any ideas?? Thanks!

3

Dear TM: Thanks for your reply. I might as well put the new motor in even if the old one used to work before I denuded it of wires. Yours must have had a spindle attached to prongs that rotated to turn the coil to make the ice advance, no? How did you get the prongs off the spindle?? Because the spindle extends through a hole in the metal casing that is smaller than the prongs, I can’t even get it off the big metal shelf supporting gizmo. It’s driving me crazy. Is there some special tool I need to get the nut undone, or am I supposed to unscrew the motor and hold the nut still?

Thanks, kuau77