48" ge monagram refridge not cooling see model # below

[james69z28]

 I have searched everywhere for a model/serial number and there isn't one inside or out, but I found a sticker on the bottom front filler panel that has 4 numbers on it they are:

299c1169p009

then zisp480dxass, ziss480dxass, zsep480dyass

 

I have noticed a rapid clicking off and on for a month or so, you can't locate the exact location, then 2 days ago the freezer was 30 deg. and refridge 40 deg. the next day both sides 47, it sounded like everything was running but i have now torn it into 100 pieces, trying to locat the cooling coil and defroster, everything on the back is riveted, finally got all the panels in the freezer off and found the coils and a defrost pan? plugged it back in it appears the compressor is not running it was behind a cage on top in front of the compressor so i remove 1 screw hidden behind a foam seal and pried the cage out so I could feel the compressor, i couldn't feel any thing, I checked the wires and got 120 vac. I am thinking the inverter/controler on the compressor may be bad and if there is a start relay that may be the rapid clicking? it is difficult to locate anything on this unit, I have repaired many many ref. in my rental houses over the years but this monagram is so hard to find individual components, the round coil behind the compressor is filthy too so I am cleaning it and the fan blowing across the cooling fins is running along with all lights are working.

one of 2 things caused this, may be a coincidence (which I don't believe in) my wife was wiping off the display panel on the ice dispenser 2 days before it quit, and the day it stopped cooling the power company moved a power pole in the yard next door to us but if the cut power I didn't have to reset any clocks but it may have been fast, may have just been a surge?

either way the noise it has been making (like gears not completely meshing, like a relay chatter) is where the problem is. I just saw a video and it says there is a 4-6 volt signal from the control board (where ever it is) tells the inverter to tell the compressor how much to run, so I will measure this. i found the motherboard in a box on the top left, the wires to the compressor inverter measured 2.5 volts across them , both measured 30 and 31 volts to the red. case but 2.5volts at the board and at the connector to the inverter board/case.

if this is supposed to be 4-6 volts as the video showed then it lookas like a bad motherboard but I want to be sure due to the high price?

any help would be appreciated, i looked at the prices on this piece of junk and I saw from $8,500-10,000, it looks like new and hasn't been in the home but about 4 or 5 years, It would hurt to have to totally replace it, it was in the house when I purchased it 2 years ago and hadn't been used much, the previous owners lived in Fla. most of the time.

 

[Vance R]

Do a part search at one of the web part houses to see what the inverter looks like. Should be a be  black or grey box on side of compressor. 2 sets of wires go into the inverter and 3 wire go to the compressor. The larger wire are the 120 vac supply  into the inverter. The smaller wires are the control signal and should measure 4 to 9 volts dc. It's not recommended to try to measure voltage going into the compressor.  If you have removed the inverter you can measure the resistance of the windings.  Measure pin 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 1, these reading should be the same. Then measure each pin to the case, that reading should be infinity or OL on highest range of meter. 

[james69z28]

i measured 2.5v going to the inverter so it appears to not be telling the inverter to run the compressor.

this may not work but I applied 6 volts dc to the input wires to the inverter and plugged the ref. in and still no compressor?

I have narrowed the chattering noise area, it is somewhere under the crisper drawer in the bottom of the ref. side, I don't know what is under there will have to take the crisper drawer out and see, it is hard because i don't have any room due to a kitchen island in front of the door when ref is pulled out of the built in cabinet.

could there be a compresser start relay down there, I really need some drawings or schematics to locate all the items?

I also see the inverter stuffed between a side plate and the compressor it is kindly gold colored i am trying to remove the plate to gain some access to the inverter but having trouble removing 2 screws on the rear left, they back out halfway then act like the threads are bent so they won't fall out? any suggestions on how to get access to the inverter?

 

i am new to this site but wouldn't have a problem sending a phone number if anyone can help, also anywhere I can get drawings?

[Vance R]

Go to one of the web site that sell appliance parts and look at exploded views. From your description in that area of refrig it is possible to be damper or fan.

If you have a inverter there is no start relay. How to videos are at some of the web based parts stores and youtube. 

[james69z28]

i ordered a new inverter because it had 120 v. in but very low output like 1.7 volts or something way low. I did find the slipping gear noise it is the damper located in the bottom of the ref. side, the damper does open and close when I plug the ref. up and unplug it, I think I need to replace the motor or linkage (will have to look at it i) if I get the fridge running first!

[james69z28]

got the new inverter board in the mail, both sets of wires were the opposite polarity (by color) the 120 vac shouldn't matter but after I installed the board using my original harnesses the dc set had the black wire on the opposite terminal and when the compressor still would not run i reversed them and the compressor still will not run. i did check the windings all 3 read approx. 6.4 ohms and no short to ground? it appears to me that the compressor may be locked up, unless anyone has any other ideas? I don't want to waste money and work replacing the compressor if it could be something else?

I don't mind replacing it, I work on home hvac all the time and have all the tools I just have never had any luck charging a refrigerator due to the small amount of charge and I need to find and order some valve/connection fittings to solder in, anyone have a part number for fittings that work good for you?

[Budget Appliance Repair]

On 1/25/2020 at 4:27 PM, james69z28 said:

i measured 2.5v going to the inverter so it appears to not be telling the inverter to run the compressor.

 

On 1/23/2020 at 6:41 PM, james69z28 said:

I just saw a video and it says there is a 4-6 volt signal from the control board (where ever it is) tells the inverter to tell the compressor how much to run, so I will measure this. i found the motherboard in a box on the top left, the wires to the compressor inverter measured 2.5 volts across them ,

And you replaced the inverter board???  Why???

I thought from the above post you already determined that the main control wasn't sending the correct voltage signal to the inverter board?

Sounds to me like a main board not sending the correct voltage to the inverter to tell the inverter to turn the compressor on.

On 1/25/2020 at 4:27 PM, james69z28 said:

this may not work but I applied 6 volts dc to the input wires to the inverter and plugged the ref. in and still no compressor?

This won't work, the low voltage signal being sent to the inverter board from the main board is a PWM (Pulse Width Modulated) signal.

[james69z28]

thanks i later found that out, put on a new inverter and signal measures 6.5 volts, it appears that the compressor is locked up?

[james69z28]

about to order a new compressor unless anyone has other suspected part being bad? compressor coils all read like 6.4 ohms, no opens or shorts to ground so i'm thinking it is just locked up. i have never had a compressor fail on any refridge or home hvac, I know thousands get replaced when they aren't really bad so that is why I really don't want to replace it until I am sure it is bad?

[james69z28]

I talked to a man who has sold GE appliances for 30 years, he told me they have a 10 year compressor warranty, so I call GE and guess what the warranty ran out about 2 months ago, just my luck!

[Vance R]

The last check would be to measure current draw. Unplug unit, plug back into outlet. The inverter will try to start compressor, you see this in the current draw. Believe the inverter will try 3 time and then lockout if the compressor doesn’t start. 

[james69z28]

i tried this and it didn't show any current, it went to 1 amp them virtually nothing?i did see a post about a different ge model that everything looked ok but there was a relay on the motherboard that starts the compressor? i understand the inverter starts and runs it but there may be a bad component on the motherboard that is not telling the compressor to run, can't there? have you ev er experienced this?

[Vance R]

The inverter needs 120 vac which is present all the time refrig is plugged into wall. Also needs control voltage, believe it is 6 to 9 volts dc to turn on. 

[darren412]

James your a grasshopper and new to this type of diagnosis procedure from what I'm reading here on your question. At least thats what it's sounding like James.  I commend you for your efforts in wanting to fix this fridge.  I have been actually in the same exact situation you are in when I first started out. I learned  with a membership through Appliantology The exact knowledge and procedure to tackle this exact problem your having. Now I can do exactly what your trying to do with this fridge and figure it out in minutes now as oppossed to taking way to long to diagnose which part is the correct part to replace !   I also no longer get all excited and nervous and feel like I need other techs to tell me the exact thing I need to do in this situation.  You have taken on a refrigerator repair issue that is actually very simple and clear cut to figure out. You can do this in your sleep  when you are educated on the proper procedures on trying to figure out whether you have a bad control board here or a bad inverter board here or a bad compressor here. Its a matter of deduction that would take you all of 5 to 10 minutes to figure out when your armed with the proper knowledge to attack the issue your having with this fridge.  Not sure if you have a membership or not with appliantology but if you don't , I highly reccomend you get one. Your questions and answers are all over the place here and it can be quite expensive and embarassing to a tech who is not armed with the proper information going into a service call. The teachings here will put you on the right track brother.  Good Luck with the issue your having.    

[james69z28]

well i waited until i got a new motherboard and compressor kit, upon installing the motherboard the compressor runs finally, both fans run but the compressor gets warm but all lines out of the compressor stay basically at ambient temp. this appears to be a bad compressor, so i just finished putting piercing valves on the low and high side lines and with the compressor running I don't understand what is going on? the suction side reads approx. 75 psi and the high side reads -24psi?  I looked to see if i had installed the hoses backwards but the low side is on the stem out of the compressor that the new compressor info sheet calls the charging port, the high side is connected to what the sheet calls the purge port and states it is high pressure but it reads -24 psi when running?

either this is stuck valves in the compressor or there is a restriction somewhere these are the 2 best guesses of what is going on?

I don't care to join as you suggest but right now I need a refridgerator working it has been down almost 2 weeks now! I am going to go ahead and swap the compressor and drier tonight or tommorrow then evacuate and charge then see what pressures I get, I don't know what else it could be because I can let the compressor run for 30 min. and the coils do not even get cool!

[james69z28]

the other thing is whatever stopped the cooling must have damaged the motherboard because the compressor did run once I replaced the motherboard?

[james69z28]

had a so called repair tech come out and he did not know much. he said compressor is running but it is so smooth you can hardly feel it. he said i had a restriction in the sealed system because the low side read - 24 in mg. and the high side read approx. 220 psi. which i had assumed but i was not sure the compressor was running?

i went back today and removed suction and outlet lines from compressor and pulled the new dryer out. I got a new line connecter adapter,  so I blew nitrogen all through the lines in both directions and got good flow out of all lines including the capillary (which was where i suspected the restriction) then when i blew out the dryer to check it the capillary end WAS plugged., it appeared that the solder got inside of it when i soldered it in. I cut it off about 1/4" and it is now open. I flushed everything out with refrigerant line cleaner, blew lots of nitrogen through it all, re-soldered everything back in place, checked for leaks all was perfect.

I recharged thinking all was cured, started the compressor and same problem it just pulls the low side to a vacuum , no cooling at all , the refrigerant is not flowing through the system!

the only thing I can think of-- is that when i blow nitrogen through the lines at the  beginning and when releasing the nitrogen,  I can hear a liquid gurgling in the evaporator, it almost has to be oil, but even when pushing the chemical cleaner through it it comes out clean on a napkin, i can't get anything out of it?

I am thinking that this is preventing flow from the compressor, maybe the compressor can't pull the refrigerant through it? I don't know it is driving me crazy!

I even said i would pull the evaporator out and clean it out and either put it back in or install a new one but i can't figure out a way to get to the lines the evap. is too tight on all side to the top case and the only way you could pull it out would be to remove the top outer case and back of the fridge, I just don't see how it can be done???

this is a GE Monagram with all the works up on top, have any of you guys replaced an evaporator in one? if so what is the method??

I am losing my patients big time on this piece of crap but I am into it about $2,000 so far and I don't have $12,000 more to just replace it??

 

 

[Vance R]

Been a few years, believe you can pull the evaporator down alittle to get to the tubing and cap tube.  Can't remember how much slack is in the tubing, should be able to pull some into evap area.  Maybe David Jero will chime in, he used to work for GE. 

From your previous post 220 psi on highside indicates air was in the system at that time.

[james69z28]

finally got it fixed, problem was like i thought the compressor was not running (even though the tech I paid $100 to asses told me the compressor was running) when he convinced me the compressor was running it took me down several wrong paths. I had let too much silver solder get into the capillary when soldering in the new drier. pulled all joints apart looking for a restriction which I found, I flushed the entire system out with cleaner then dried out with nitrogen, reattached and still no compressor running and no cooling! I gave up and called a sealed system tech, he said compressor was not running due to high head pressure, he cracked the high side line with unit turned on and nothing came out of the high side port, we evacuated system and found the high side connection was completely stopped up, we put a new drier in and charged , has been working perfectly for 5 days now! only thing not doing right is the water dispenser must be frozen up because i can't get any water out of it, this has happened before but i can't remember how i fixed it?

Thanks for all the replies, maybe this will help someone in the future!

[myrepairman]

What a nightmare! Can  you recap what all parts were replaced and maybe draw some conclusions as to what happened originally? Also, other than soldering technique, are there any mistakes you made that you can share with us to help us better understand these monsters?