Fridge section of dual evaporator KFIS29BBMS00 not cooling well

[roffman]

Hello, first time poster.  My Kitchenaid fridge is not working well.  The freezer seems to be functioning normally.  The fridge evaporator is not defrosting.  I shut it down and melted the ice last weekend (and it filled the lower drip tray) then re-started and it's icing over again and coming out the vent slots.  I found a thread from about a year back that helped me find the tech sheet and I ran all the appropriate diagnostics and there were no faults (thermistors, fans, compressor....etc) .  In doing so, I was able to cycle the upper evap. fan so that seems to be functioning normally even though of course the flow was weak due to the ice.  Could it be something with the part of the system that meters out cooling between the freezer and fridge?  Any additional help would be greatly appreciated!!  One additional nagging problem is that the ice maker is not producing ice since I shut it down last weekend.  Those diagnostics checked out as well.  Thanks!

[lvasquez11]

Part number: WPW10277799

j

with tech sheet in hand ohm out thermistors at control board n report info .

diagnostics will not report out of range sensors 

[16345Ed]

He is absolutely correct.

Diagnostics only checks for open or shorted thermistors. 

If the thermistor tells the computer it's 38 in the fridge but it's really 45 or vice versa you can see the issues that can create. 

We also like to do the voltage tests as outlined on the tech sheet because sometimes they fail only under load. 

[roffman]

Thanks, and makes total sense.  I see the locations on the wire diagram for "RC thermistor" and the "RC evap thermistor" on the main board so I assume I unplug the connectors and do a resistance check there per the first post.  I only see 3 temp values and their corresponding resistances on the tech sheet.  Since I can't control the temp in the fridge, how do I know the resistance is good for example, if the fridge is at 48deg?  Also, per the second post, I found the output voltage for the pin locations as 1.5 - 5VDC max.  How do I perform that check please?  Thanks again!

[roffman]

Oh, sorry also, why would this be related to the anemic function of the ice maker and likely my freezer?  There was some ice this morning, but not a lot and the pieces were small

[16345Ed]

So we have new symptoms?

Freezer issues were never mentioned in your original post...

 

Now you need to test all thermistors. 

The voltage tests you need to back probe with microleads while connected.

 

You can ball park the ranges. 

But what's best is to place thermistors in ice water slurry which is 32 degrees, then you get accurate reads  

 

[roffman]

okay thanks, actually I did mention it in the last sentence of the original post about it not working well since I shut it down last weekend.  I did cycle through the diagnostics for the other elements (fan, motor...) but I will check the thermistor as well.   Thanks  Jim R

[lvasquez11]

I just repaired once with corroded wire harness causing fan to not run. 

I cleaned out harness n applied some dielectric grease on it 

Part number: 5304485963

 

 

 

[lvasquez11]

If freezer temp is starting fail you might also have the beginning symptoms of the seal system failure.

Parts n Labor would be covered under the manufacturer 5 yr warranty 

[roffman]

thanks, I was able to cycle the fan on and off during the diagnostic test, so I figured I could rule that out.  I of course will check the harness when I get it pulled apart.  Unfortunately, it's a big enough job that I need to plan out so I'm limping along with a dorm fridge for temp sensitive foods.  I like the thought of the temp sensor path for the upper fridge.  Is it possible that the upper evap is affecting the freezer performance (since they share the same compressor)? Also, would a failing seal cause visible frosting at the failure?

[lvasquez11]

 

 

Run ice maker test 65  n report back. 

Seal system failure would be lost of freon from fresh food evaporator- very common on dual evaporator unit. 

Low frost pattern on freezer evaporator 

[roffman]

On my tech sheet, test 65 is for pantry thermistor.  I did run a series of tests starting with harvesting and then backtracking through other steps.  Everything was normal except "Ice maker codes which returned "E5 = Timed Ice Making".  Not sure what that means, but "E0=No Errors" I'm guessing is what I should see

[roffman]

So I looked up the E05 error and this forum and others and they lead to the seal system failure although you mentioned (my model and s/n are affected), the problem seems to originate in poor freezer performance, not fridge evaporator though.  My freezer is currently around 6 deg F (although should be 0).  It is still weird that ice production seemed fine until I manually defrosted the beast by unplugging it.  Is there a particular contact for warranty issues?  May be time to call the pros if it is indeed under warranty.  I purchased in late 2012.

[lvasquez11]

E5 = making ice based on time. 

Low charge - long run times to maintain temperatures could cause fresh food evaporator to ice up

temp in freezer will gradually go up

 

[roffman]

when I get the chance, I will pull the cover and look at the freezer frost pattern.

Temp this am was around 10 deg F

I have a call into our appliance salesman for warranty work recommendations.  Do you think it's worth the effort to check the thermistors, or does error change the course?

Thanks for the help, really appreciate it.

[roffman]

One more question please:  Per your  comment about making ice based on time, is that a mode that it reverts to when there is a cooling issue?  Near as I can understand, the ice is made by pumping cold air up to the ice maker through a duct using a dedicated fan (correct?).  When I shut down the unit to defrost, how would that have made the ice making process worse?

[Hiroshi]

Shutting down a refrigerator equalizes the pressure on both sides of the sealed system and usually speeds up a leak that was on the low pressure side (as equalization means relatively higher low-side p.s.i.)- as the cooling ability drops the fan and ice system have a longer run-time to make up for it, I believe the Sub-Zero shared condenser uses this same idea to prompt the "clean cond" icon... 

[roffman]

Thank you all for the great information.  Service tech confirmed the problem was with the sealed system.  He then explained that some adhesive or sealant that was used in one of the joints was not compatible with the refrigerant and so the joint fails.  He went on to say this was a design issue with Whirlpools from that time and that the materials problem has been resolved with the replacement parts.  Also, the new evaporator comes with the thermistor assembly, so if there was also a defrost problem with the fridge portion of the system, it will be 'fixed' as well.  Thanks again!

[Hiroshi]

We appreciate you updating the thread and giving it closure for future readers!