KitchenAid Fridge KRFF507HPS02 Ice Make Issue - Stopped making ice, failed test 59 (motor). Replaced and still having issues

[ingrjc1]

Hello,

My ice make stopped making ice about a week ago.  I ran service tests and test 59 failed the counter clockwise test.  I ordered a new ice maker and replaced.  I took the opportunity to replace the fridge filter at the same time.  After new ice maker installed, I am still having issues.  Motor test passed now.  But I cannot get it to begin a normal cycle.  I can manually have it fill (test 45), and it will eventually make the ice and eventually harvest ok.  The harvest test also passes (test 57). 

Here are my current symptoms now -

Water supply is freezing in the ice maker.  I have to blow hot air in now to get even the fill test to work.

After it fills, it will eventually harvest, but very small ice cubes.

After it harvests, it will not fill again on it's own.  If it let it sit long enough and then try test 45 again, it will not fill the tray with water until I use the hair dryer again for about 10 seconds to melt the line.

A few questions:

Under normal operation, should it immediately fill the tray with water after harvest?

What is a fix for the line freezing inside the ice maker?

Could this new ice maker be bad?

 

Thanks for any help.

[pwikoff]

6 hours ago, ingrjc1 said:

Hello,

My ice make stopped making ice about a week ago.  I ran service tests and test 59 failed the counter clockwise test.  I ordered a new ice maker and replaced.  I took the opportunity to replace the fridge filter at the same time.  After new ice maker installed, I am still having issues.  Motor test passed now.  But I cannot get it to begin a normal cycle.  I can manually have it fill (test 45), and it will eventually make the ice and eventually harvest ok.  The harvest test also passes (test 57). 

Here are my current symptoms now -

Water supply is freezing in the ice maker.  I have to blow hot air in now to get even the fill test to work.

After it fills, it will eventually harvest, but very small ice cubes.

After it harvests, it will not fill again on it's own.  If it let it sit long enough and then try test 45 again, it will not fill the tray with water until I use the hair dryer again for about 10 seconds to melt the line.

A few questions:

Under normal operation, should it immediately fill the tray with water after harvest?

What is a fix for the line freezing inside the ice maker?

Could this new ice maker be bad?

 

Thanks for any help.

There is a fill tube heater in/on the ice room box.  Maybe it was displaced or wasn't plugged back in?  Correct temperature in all compartments is critical for ice maker operation.

[ingrjc1]

Thanks.  I did make sure I plugged this back in.  Isn't the purpose of that heater to quick heat the ice tray to enable ice harvest?  Would that have any effect on the tube freezing? 

[pwikoff]

36 minutes ago, ingrjc1 said:

Thanks.  I did make sure I plugged this back in.  Isn't the purpose of that heater to quick heat the ice tray to enable ice harvest?  Would that have any effect on the tube freezing? 

There is a piece of foil tape that has a little heater in it that is used to prevent the fill tube from freezing.

 

[pwikoff]

1 minute ago, pwikoff said:

There is a piece of foil tape that has a little heater in it that is used to prevent the fill tube from freezing.

 

 

41 minutes ago, ingrjc1 said:

Thanks.  I did make sure I plugged this back in.  Isn't the purpose of that heater to quick heat the ice tray to enable ice harvest?  Would that have any effect on the tube freezing? 

The ice maker itself will have a separate heater for releasing the ice and then there may be a 3rd heater on the front fascia where the ice falls out the little door

[ingrjc1]

OK, I see the one on the fascia. I am going to pull the ice maker back out and visually check the heater near the fill tube.  During test 58, I could feel heat coming out of the opening so it seems the main heater is working.  Maybe my issue all along was this heater on the tube.  Thanks.  Will check back after I do this next step. 

[pwikoff]

9 minutes ago, ingrjc1 said:

OK, I see the one on the fascia. I am going to pull the ice maker back out and visually check the heater near the fill tube.  During test 58, I could feel heat coming out of the opening so it seems the main heater is working.  Maybe my issue all along was this heater on the tube.  Thanks.  Will check back after I do this next step. 

I don't see a resistance spec for the heater but in service test 19 it should receive 120 VAC

[ingrjc1]

OK.  put everything back, but did not see any visual issues.  I noted the big heater under the ice tray, the second heater in blue foil around the tube spout, and the third heater in the fascia door.  I am just going to let it sit now and see if the water fills on it's own.  There is nothing in the tube to freeze right now.  How long will the fridge sit there before it starts a cycle?  What triggers it to fill the tray?

 

Thanks for all the help and I will run test 19 if it still fails to operate.

 

Thanks again.

[ingrjc1]

Found my own answer.  I see that it wont fill the tray until the proper freezer temp is reached. 

[ingrjc1]

I am figuring out that the ice tray may not be getting enough water.  I can run test 45 twice and it fills the tray adequately.  But only running once, or letting the system fill on its own make very small ice cubes and does not seem to start another cycle in its own.  It only did two harvests overnight and the second harvest had very small ice cubes as a result of the system filling the tray.  I am also wondering if this could explain the tray tube freezing if the valve has failed and is "trickling" water to the tray.  So, I am going to replace the supply valve on the inside of the fridge that supplies the ice tray and water dispenser.  I just don't think the tray is getting enough water.

[ingrjc1]

Reaching out one last time before I abandon the DIY approach.

Ice tray is still not getting enough water.  I get tiny ice chips upon harvest.  I can run test 45 twice and it will fill the tray to the normal amount.  Once last night, the tube was also frozen.

History:  Stopped making ice a few weeks ago.

I replaced the ice make initially - it failed test 59 repeatedly

I also replaced the filter

With no luck getting water to the tray, I replaced the internal valve that feeds the water dispenser and ice maker

With still no luck, I replaced the tube heater as I noticed the tube was freezing

Still just getting tiny ice chips and intermittent tube freezing.

I want to stop throwing parts at this, but don't know what to do next.  There is good flow at the water dispenser.  No kinks in the line.  The fridge has not been moved. 

Any ideas?  What tell the fridge the tray is adequately filled with water?  Is there a sensor?

Thanks.

[Nathaniel Peterson]

4 hours ago, ingrjc1 said:

Reaching out one last time before I abandon the DIY approach.

Ice tray is still not getting enough water.  I get tiny ice chips upon harvest.  I can run test 45 twice and it will fill the tray to the normal amount.  Once last night, the tube was also frozen.

History:  Stopped making ice a few weeks ago.

I replaced the ice make initially - it failed test 59 repeatedly

I also replaced the filter

With no luck getting water to the tray, I replaced the internal valve that feeds the water dispenser and ice maker

With still no luck, I replaced the tube heater as I noticed the tube was freezing

Still just getting tiny ice chips and intermittent tube freezing.

I want to stop throwing parts at this, but don't know what to do next.  There is good flow at the water dispenser.  No kinks in the line.  The fridge has not been moved. 

Any ideas?  What tell the fridge the tray is adequately filled with water?  Is there a sensor?

Thanks.

This is going to sound stupid but after replacing the parts did you unplug the refrigerator to reset everything. Replaced an icemaker and valve last month. Got a callback and called tech line and they said if on dedicated circuit and it's not turning on the fill tube heater under normal operations that the front stealth user interface needs replaced because it's losing its countdown algorithm and resetting/ or stopping. If not on dedicated circuit he said replace the rear main board. When I called the customer with the part to come out and put in they said it was working. All I did other than test was turn off the breaker. Maybe you'll get lucky and that'll work for you. 

[ingrjc1]

thanks.  will try that and get back

[Nathaniel Peterson]

14 minutes ago, ingrjc1 said:

thanks.  will try that and get back

Before you do that check through diagnostics the bucket sensor, heater, and on certain models they have a test whether or not it's cold enough during harvest. If all that looks good then do the reset. Then do the ice maker harvest test then the fill tube test, if fill tube is frozen run the fill tube heater in diagnostics for about 2-3 minutes then redo the fill test. If the fill test works after initiating heater that proves the heater isn't open circuit. If I recall correctly the ice bucket sensor is hooked up to the stealth UI on the big connector on the right side of board check that if the ice bucket status is wrong.

[Nathaniel Peterson]

Just now, Nathaniel Peterson said:

Before you do that check through diagnostics the bucket sensor, heater, and on certain models they have a test whether or not it's cold enough during harvest. If all that looks good then do the reset. Then do the ice maker harvest test then the fill tube test, if fill tube is frozen run the fill tube heater in diagnostics for about 2-3 minutes then redo the fill test. If the fill test works after initiating heater that proves the heater isn't open circuit. If I recall correctly the ice bucket sensor is hooked up to the stealth UI on the big connector on the right side of board check that if the ice bucket status is wrong.

Not sure where to find the wiring sheet to put in diagnostics but it should be under kick plate on right side. Legally or per manufacturer contract I'm not supposed to tell you how to do it but it should say on that sheet. 

[ingrjc1]

Thanks for the tip.  Power cycle must have reset the cycle for the tube heater.  Working great now.  I guess I replaced a valve and heater unnecessarily, but glad to solve this.  I never powered down the fridge doing any of the troubleshooting after the ice maker was replaced.  Thanks again for all the help!