Samsung Refrigerator Ice Room Fan Inop.

[coand]

Samsung Refrigerator model number RF4287HARS /XAA

Error code: 40e

Ice Maker not making ice due to ice room internal temp at 45-50 degrees. The freezer and refrigerator are both working properly.

Ice room fan is not running cooling the upper ice room, it occasionally cycles on and off for a few seconds and then stays off for a while. Voltage is around 8v when its on.

I have the service manual but it is very poorly written, terrible "engrish", and does not actually walk you through the repairs or service.  The manual even has pictures of a different PCB.

Any help is greatly appreciated.   

[johntech]

Voltage to fan should be between 7v and 12v on cn76 1 and cn76 2 at main board. Sounds like you have the voltage and need a new fan but I would confirm voltage at the board while in forced mode.

[coand]

Thanks John,

the voltage at the PCB is what occasionally cycles on and off.  The fan spins whenever it is getting power. How do you put the ice room fan in forced mode?

 

The typical cycle is off for approx 10 mins then 2 sec on 6 sec off for five cycles or so. What could be causing the fan to cycle on and off At the PCB?  Is there a sensor that may be bad. The service manual doesn't mention any. Thanks for your help. 

[johntech]

Erratic fan operation is normally caused by a bad control board. To put into forced mode press energy saver and power cool buttons simotaniously for 8-12 seconds till control beeps and goes blank. Then release buttons and press power freeze 1 time and you should be in forced compressor and high speed fan mode. Recheck for fan operation and voltage. Press power freeze again for med speed and retest, then press a third time for low speed and test again. If you press power freeze again you will be in forced defrost mode.

[johntech]

You could also test the fan with a 9v battery. If you google search "test evaporator fan with 9v battery" you can find samurai's video. I belive he's testing a Ge but it applies to your fan also but the wire colors may be different. 

[coand]

I really appreciate your help. The fan works when I jumper it with a 9v battery. So it's not the fan

When I checked it in forced mode I did not get any response in FF 1 or FF 3. But in FF 2 it ran through the 3 seconds on, 10 seconds off cycle for the first minute. After that is stopped. Do you think it's the PCB? What else controls the fan on/off function other than the PCB? Thanks again. 

[coand]

Update:

I am at a complete loss, I swapped out the MAIN PCB for a new one and still have the 40e error code.  Ice room is still warm and the fan pulses on and off occasionally.  Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

[AlboGator]

Sorry for showing up late to the party. It's starting to sound like a wiring problem if it's not the fan. With Samsung it's usually not the board but again we see that the hard way. I'd check the feedback from the fan when it's on. The board may not know that the fan is working and killing power to it in a protect mode. From what I've tested it's around 2 volts dc I want to say on the feedback circuit. You can check that with the 9V battery but the voltage may differ. First thing to check is if there's any voltage being returned on the 3rd line. 

[BrewHobbyTech]

I don't know much about Samsung's, so this is just a guess.....something I'm throwing out there. Does the Ice room have a thermistor in that section? If it does I'd try replacing that and see what happens. 

[AlboGator]

Just now, BrewHobbyTech said:

I don't know much about Samsung's, so this is just a guess.....something I'm throwing out there. Does the Ice room have a thermistor in that section? If it does I'd try replacing that and see what happens. 

It does and there's an error code for it. It's part of the auger assembly. 

[AlboGator]

7 minutes ago, AlboGator said:

It does and there's an error code for it. It's part of the auger assembly. 

Of course you know thermistors won't code unless they are open or short, so it could be out of wack. 

[Quick]

We learned some good stuff here huh AlboGator. I can tell you took the courses. You sound sharp. 

Quick

[BradE]

Have had to replace a few of these auger assemblies for various reasons lately. I agree that the fan is working but the feedback circuit could be bad.  I have sold enough that I actually stock this now

 

Part number: DA97-05246G

[AlboGator]

On 9/2/2016 at 9:35 PM, Quick said:

We learned some good stuff here huh AlboGator. I can tell you took the courses. You sound sharp. 

Quick

Thanks, I have fun working with electronic projects so it's all kinda related. Technology is awesome but has it's hickups and the fun part is finding them and figuring out how to fix it.

[BrewHobbyTech]

While researching some of these newer refrigerators, and also other appliances(which all have computer boards).....there is a problem with (dirty electricity/feedback/interference/white noise), which I understand because I took two years of electronics back in the early 80's. I've noticed that some, and I'll note that some Samsung refrigerators do have a separate board(best to do it this way), or is integrated with their main control board to eliminate or at least filter out most of this problem.......but now, instead of having 2 or three computer boards........now there's another one we have to contend with. 

As a tech......if whatever appliance(s) are adding this extra board, you know there's a good reason for it........and I'm gonna be giving an estimate for replacing that board along with whatever other board and/or wire harness I believe needs to be replaced. From what I researched so far it's only an extra $40 or so.......

Anyone have any experience or opinions on this matter??  

 

 

 

 

[Hiroshi]

you can filter noise with a Ferrite Bead Kit   Part number: 8190596

[coand]

I'm still buying ice... at least the freezer is still working just the ice room is too warm. 

How would I check the feedback circuit, where is this located and what value should it be?  How would I check out if the Auger Assembly is bad?  I tried to test out the thermistor attached to the auger assembly but am not sure if it should have continuity (or not) or what the resistance should be. 

 

Any answers are greatly appreciated.

[AlboGator]

20 hours ago, BrewHobbyTech said:

there is a problem with (dirty electricity/feedback/interference/white noise)

The noise filter is there to keep emf from going back to the power lines, not so much to keep it out of the appliance. 

 

[brunomav]

On ‎29‎/‎08‎/‎2016 at 9:35 PM, coand said:

I really appreciate your help. The fan works when I jumper it with a 9v battery. So it's not the fan

When I checked it in forced mode I did not get any response in FF 1 or FF 3. But in FF 2 it ran through the 3 seconds on, 10 seconds off cycle for the first minute. After that is stopped. Do you think it's the PCB? What else controls the fan on/off function other than the PCB? Thanks again. 

I’m facing exactly the same problem. Do you have any update? Have you tried to change the Auger Assembly already?

[brunomav]

On ‎02‎/‎09‎/‎2016 at 10:41 PM, AlboGator said:

Sorry for showing up late to the party. It's starting to sound like a wiring problem if it's not the fan. With Samsung it's usually not the board but again we see that the hard way. I'd check the feedback from the fan when it's on. The board may not know that the fan is working and killing power to it in a protect mode. From what I've tested it's around 2 volts dc I want to say on the feedback circuit. You can check that with the 9V battery but the voltage may differ. First thing to check is if there's any voltage being returned on the 3rd line. 

How can I check if there's any voltage being returned on the 3rd line? What and where is this 3rd line?

[AlboGator]

6 hours ago, brunomav said:

How can I check if there's any voltage being returned on the 3rd line? What and where is this 3rd line?

You'd need a schematic to check it at the control board. 

[brunomav]

On ‎26‎/‎09‎/‎2016 at 6:00 PM, coand said:

I'm still buying ice... at least the freezer is still working just the ice room is too warm. 

How would I check the feedback circuit, where is this located and what value should it be?  How would I check out if the Auger Assembly is bad?  I tried to test out the thermistor attached to the auger assembly but am not sure if it should have continuity (or not) or what the resistance should be. 

 

Any answers are greatly appreciated.

I solved my problem! Just replaced the fan and the new is working 100%!  I thought it was the therno fuse (brown wire), but I don't know why the problem was the fan! Decided to forget about understand it and be happy again! Regards

[eggman56]

I'm having a very similar issue (if anyone is still following this thread) on my RFG298 I'm getting an Ice Room Fan error. I tried replacing the ice maker and main board and the error persists. 

Is there actually a separate Ice room fan? Looking at the parts diagram there doesn't seem to be. I want to try replacing the fan next but I don't know what exactly to replace. Is it the main fan near the compressor? If that was bad wouldn't I be seeing other problems? If I do replace the fan I assume I'm not going to replace the plastic fan blades. Should I replace the SUPPORT-CIRCUIT MOTOR?

If anyone is still around I'd appreciate the help.

Thanks

[coand]

So my Issue ended up being the lower fan unit that sends the air up to the upper ice room. I had originally ruled this out since it was able to test run off of a 9v battery but it turns out that even though the fan would run it did not send the correct signal back to the board that it was operating.  I replaced the fan and was good to go.  it is located behind the freezer drawer inside of a plastic and foam shroud.   Hope that helps.  

[eggman56]

On 5/16/2017 at 11:00 AM, coand said:

So my Issue ended up being the lower fan unit that sends the air up to the upper ice room. I had originally ruled this out since it was able to test run off of a 9v battery but it turns out that even though the fan would run it did not send the correct signal back to the board that it was operating.  I replaced the fan and was good to go.  it is located behind the freezer drawer inside of a plastic and foam shroud.   Hope that helps.  

Thank you. I will look into that.