Samsung "French Door" Refrigerator, Model no. RF260BEAESG/AA Backpanel Fan Not Functioning

[7Katz]

Greetings Sensais:

Grasshopper seeks help with above-numbered model:

Previously there were sounds during normal operation like that of a motor winding down and decelerating (fan?).  About a week ago, it became much quieter.  I then noticed that the temperature did not rebound as quickly.  The evaporator fan (part of the main compartment back panel), had ceased to spin.  I activated the power defrost setting to thaw the coils (which were badly iced up).  I pulled the panel, checked it (visually), re-attached it, and turned the unit back on.

I then heard a repeated bumping sound (like somebody knocking on the unit) coming from the upper-mid portion.  The knocking sound repeated about every 5 seconds.  I again pulled the back panel and this time manually rotated the black fan's blades.  I heard a clicking sound and felt a slight hesitation of the fan as I did so.  There was no ice present as far as I could tell.  The blades spun freely but the motor did not power on afterwards.  Temperatures were set to 0 degrees F and 34 degrees F, respectively.  The main compartment temperature briefly read at 68 degrees F while the freezer read 0 degrees F.   After powering off and then back on, the temperature of the freezer quickly went to -8 degrees F while the main compartment slowly declined to the lowest temperature setting of 34 degrees F.   Regardless of what (freezer) temperature setting I selected, the default temperature remained at -8 degrees F.  At first I thought of replacing the whole back panel but that seemed a premature (and expensive) call.  Was the fan the culprit?  I didn't know.  I reviewed some You Tube videos which said problems with the (interior) back panels have been common.  I have a Service Manual PDF (screen shot attached).  I noticed that my model (ESG) is not listed.  One video showed a method using magnets placed strategically on the top of the doorway to bypass the door switch to send voltage to the fan and testing the juice coming from the harness.  I had thought of running a continuity test on the fan.

I read in the service manual that self-diagnostic modes will identify malfunctions and briefly appear on the display after powering on.  I did not see a number (or numbers) after power-up.  I tried simultaneously pressing the different buttons on the display in accordance with the manual, which was not very clear (to me) on which buttons to press.  An illustration showed the buttons to actuate, but the text appeared to mislabel them and be inconsistent.  The display on my unit is at the top of the doorway and is horizontal.

I removed the metal cover (on the back of the unit) to access the primary control module(s).  The assembly looked different than the modules I saw in the YT videos.  I have attached a photo with the LED indicated.  Of course I realize features and configurations vary from model to model.  Some of the videos showed an activation button on the motherboard adjacent to LEDs which blinked troubleshooting sequences after actuation.   I did not observe a similar activation button on my model.   One LED, yes, but no button(s).  While the fridge was on, the LED lit up solid for approximately 20 minutes, then turned off for roughly the same time.  I did not see any blinking.

What are the differences between, say, my model number and RF260BEAESL/TA?  Any ideas what the letters mean?

At this time I an unsure of a method which will show me a specific diagnostic code.

So.. While I have a functioning fridge, it is reminiscent of a 4-engine plane with 3 engines running.

Anything would be appreciated.

TIA