I inherited an Amana SXD26VW (same as Maytag, I believe) side-by-side fridge when I purchased my home. Initially, the water dispenser and ice maker were not getting water. Changed the filter, still no water, even though there was pressure in the line, and I could hear the solenoids click when I hit the depenser. Took out the dual-solenoid assembly at the back and checked voltages - both were getting the signal. AHA, MrCheap thinks, this must be a pure plumbing problem - the water valves controlled by the solenoids must be clogged. Take solenoid assemblies apart, sure nuff, the rubber seals in the valve plungers had turned gummie (fridge must have been sitting in someone's hot garage in Florida for a couple of years...). Cleaned the valves, and removed the rubber seals and flipped them over. Works fine now. I have ice!
Spurred on by this moderate success, I find that there is no light bulb in the water/ice dispener cavity (called a "cavity light" on the schematic on the back of the fridge), and MrCheap purchases a 4W 120V night light bulb for $1.99 (actually, a 4-pack). Doesn't work !
I figure out how to pry off the bezel without breaking it, and remove the metal grounded cover from the water/ice levers to access the wiring (watch out, there's 120V in here! :poison:). I checked out all the wiring and switches and bulb socket - all seem OK. Plug fridge in and check voltages without a bulb in the socket, and read 12V AC. So I figure it's a 12V bulb, and go buy a couple. Doesn't work ! With the bulb in the socket, and the cavity switch closed (ON), I read about 30 mV across the bulb. What gives? There's a black wire coming in that connects to one side of all the 'light ON' switches, and the other side of the switches connects via a yellow wire to one of the bulb terminals. The other side of the bulb connects to a white wire, which, according to the schematic, is the neutral from the plug. So maybe the bulb is 120V, but why is it not getting voltage? The only remaining thing to check is the black wire , which, according to the schematic, gets changed from the red wire connected to the hot side of the power plug somewhere along the way. Any ideas? Does this fridge take a super-special (i.e., super-expensive bulb) ? I can't find anywhere online the type/specs for this bulb, and I don't have the old one. Maybe MrCheap will have to buy a whole new fridge so that the light will come on when water comes out... :?
