Kitchenaid Ice Maker Problem

[barrybum]

I have the exact (and I mean exact) same problem as described in the last post in this thread - https://appliantology.org/topic/53118-whirlpool-icemaker-gi15nflts2-service-manual/.  Kitchenaid KUIS15NRTSO.  Basically, not enough water is being dispensed into the reservoir to make ice.  Already replaced water level sensor.  Diagnostics show that it can tell an empty reservoir from a full one.  Water dispenser runs for 35 seconds, but doesn't come close to filling the tank.  The water dispensing solenoid needs to stay on much longer.  Seems like the controller is shutting it off too soon.  The ice maker behaves the same with the water level sensor unplugged.  The ice maker make ices and drops it onto the cutting grid without a problem if you manually fill the reservoir.  Next stop - replacing the controller board??  Thoughts?  Thank you in advance for any suggestions.  

[16345Ed]

How’s your supply water pressure?

[barrybum]

Fine to the house.  I would described the flow out of the water fill tube as significantly more than a trickle, but it is not gushing out of the tube.  I would guess that less than 8 oz. is dispensed in the 30 seconds the water is dispensed.  This is certainly something that I could check.  No obstructions in the fill tube portion in the ice maker.  It is certainly in the realm of possibility that there is some obstruction in the line around the solenoid - I haven't checked.  The ice maker has been running continuously in a house for 8 years (i.e., not in a hot garage).  We are on city water with not much minerals.  

Having said all of that - one would think the purpose of a water fill sensor is to compensate for variable fill rates, but I am hardly experienced in this area . . .

[16345Ed]

I’ve seen saddle valves (where supply line for refrigerator is tapped into water line) clog and reduce water pressure. 

Turn off water supply, Unhook water line at back of refrigerator and put it in a bucket, turn on water supply and observe water pressure. 

[barrybum]

Thanks for the response.  It turns out that the problem lay with the solenoid/water valve (part no. W10217917).  The solenoid has some type of circuit board attached and is labeled as being a "smart valve."  I saw some description somewhere that it has a flow meter in it, and that the controller tells the valve the amount of water it wants and the valve itself decides when it has delivered the amount communicated to it.  The flow out of the water dispenser in the machine is much greater now, so maybe there was just some type of obstruction in the old valve as you suggest.  Why this machine has such a sophisticated valve AND a water level sensor in the reservoir is beyond me.

At any rate, I'm back in the ice business.