GE Refrigerator PFE29PSDASS condenser fan cycling

[ReluctantRepairMan]

~5 yo GE Fridge - PFE29PSDASS (side-by side w/ freezer on the bottom).

Starting a week or so ago occasionally hearing a fan 'cycle'...run for 2-3 seconds, then spin down and immediately back up.

As of today it's doing it constantly.  I've confirmed it's the condenser fan, which is at the bottom/back of this model.  The fan spins, so it's not stuck.

I believe (based totally on listen) that the condenser is running the whole time...it's just the fan spinning up to what sounds like full speed for 2ish seconds, then down not quite to a stop, then immediately back up.  I've vac'd all the dust and crud out of there w/ no effect.

likely to be a bad fan?

motor controller?

thermostat of some kind?

 

how do I tell.

[ReluctantRepairMan]

any chance it's supposed to cycle like that and I never noticed because that fan doesn't usually make enough noise to tell?

[Hiroshi]

This is a newer style GE, but the main control board still controls fan motor rpm.... It should change speeds (between 1000-2100 RPM), but not like you are describing.

I am not 100% experienced in all the ways the computer type fan motors can fail, up til now, if the motor runs at some point it has meant it CAN run in general- and to go after the main board with the bad fan motor circuit. 

you can put this machine into diagnostics and run test 49

Push Water, Crushed, and Cubed simultaneously for 3 seconds- select "yes" to enter service mode.

it will read 00  and  00- use the freezer up key to scroll until you are reading  00  and  49- then push Water to start test.

this should run the fan at 75% speed.  Pushing Water again should stop test.

use the freezer down key until it reads   00   and   16- then push Water and this should exit service mode.

If the fan runs smoothly in service mode, it is definitely the main board, in my humble opinion.

Part number: WR55X26529

[ReluctantRepairMan]

thanks.

I tried test 00-49.

The little display screen reads 'test result' and an number- which I suspect is the fan speed.

The number is bouncing around between ~1700 and ~500, and the fan is audibly cycling at about a 1-2 second frequency between spinning up pretty fact and slowing down (not quite to a stop...but you can hear it going whirrrr...spin down...whirr up....spin down).

ran test 00-49 again...spun up to 1739...steady for 5ish seconds then down to 0 (and no noise).

after exiting test mode, it's back to cycling the condenser fan on a 2-3 second period.

[Hiroshi]

 I would replace the board first, sounds like it is not modulating the pulse width properly, but since this is a 4-wire fan, you can likely test it with the GE fan motor test with a 9V battery...if the battery can run the fan smoothly, replace the board, if not, replace the fan motor.

the video is embedded in a recent post in the same Appliantology DIY section we are posting in (ignore the Maytag part):  

 

Maytag MFI2568AES Test the Evaporator Fan with 9Volt Battery?

 

[Chat_in_FL]

I consider this little bugger to be the root of all evil. Although it deals mainly with the FF evaporator fan, the feedback to the main board causes all kinds of chaos....

[dennis_hvac]

having a same issue on pfe29psdass,  rpm pulsing on a condenser fan motor , did the a new board solved an issue? 

thanks

[Mike Emelio]

Im having the same issues and wondering did the new board fix the issues or did the fan need to be replaced also.

I have run the same diagnostic checks as mentioned above and fan cycles at aroudn 1700-1750 then will drop down to 400-500 and 1100 -m 1200's

If its the circuit board was there any type of programing that needed to happen or is it a plug and play

Thanks

Mike

[remedy510]

Old thread but did the board fix the issue with these refrigerators with pulsing condenser fan motors?