GE SS Fridge GSL25JFPA BS damper keeps closing.

[Fridger]

Came to a customer which told me some time ago a technician replaced control board, thermistor and freezer fan. After plugging it in it runs, damper opens and after maybe 4-5 hours damper closes while compressor is running so I get only about 50-60F in the fridge section. Technician gave up on it even he got compensated plus parts.

I discovered wrong freezer motor they installed, they installed condenser motor with different voltage and perhaps wrong direction of spin, fan blade was too small so they broke the original and put there blade from smaller fridge. 

So I installed original fan motor and blade, changed all thermistors, refurbished a control board I got from e-bay for parts and fridge runs same way as with the newish board they installed, replaced intermittent freezer and fridge door switches and damper. I checked OK for 120V signal when doors open on J76 and 7. Doors closed - no 120V.

Damper closes again after some hours running so I am stuck. It looks like it is in the Liner Protection Mode but door switches work/new so I took the fridge home for private investigation before doing these aforementioned additional replacements. I brought the customer temporary fridge which sits in garage as spare fridge. I could give up but I don't want to, too stubborn.

The control board or these door switches/wiring/damper causing to open or close when compressor "ON" or something intermittent is I think the only-thing can go wrong? I don't know at what moment or condition the damper in reality closes short of hooking some led diodes as a monitoring system. I forgot to check if damper circuit contains a relay but with that small milliamps it should not have a relay plus damper is marked as 12V DC so I have to check what's coming from the board but damper opens normally. 

Murphy law that I got a board or damper from e-bay with same issue?  Is there somewhere GE at least "generic schematics" of the board controller so I could check where and what goes in and out? I know that the 120V from door switches end up at 2 opto-couplers on the board and didn't have a time yet to continue - schematic is much easier. 

Thanks.

 

 

[Vance R]

Door switch input to the board are J7-6 for refrig and J7-7 for freezer. 0 vac closed door, 120 vac for open door.

[Budget Appliance Repair]

@Fridger Did you receive a written instruction sheet with the control board, (I can probably answer that for you - used board from Ebay that you refurbished? - no instructions).

Your refrig uses what is called the "Encoder Control" for adjusting freezer and refrig temps.

There are instructions for certain models that are the encoder controls that you have to cut a certain wire of the sensor plug to the board and If I remember correctly it has something to do with the damper closing too soon.

Someone else will have to follow-up, (I don't have the instruction sheet or your serial number to see if this effects yours or not), and let you know if I'm on the right track with this.

Maybe @David Jero will chime in on this, he was a former GE only tech and probably knows if this might be one that has to cut the wires when the board is changed.

Edited June 29, 2021 by Budget Appliance Repair

[David Jero]

54 minutes ago, Budget Appliance Repair said:

@Fridger Did you receive a written instruction sheet with the control board, (I can probably answer that for you - used board from Ebay that you refurbished? - no instructions).

Your refrig uses what is called the "Encoder Control" for adjusting freezer and refrig temps.

There are instructions for certain models that are the encoder controls that you have to cut a certain wire of the sensor plug to the board and If I remember correctly it has something to do with the damper closing too soon.

Someone else will have to follow-up, (I don't have the instruction sheet or your serial number to see if this effects yours or not), and let you know if I'm on the right track with this.

Maybe @David Jero will chime in on this, he was a former GE only tech and probably knows if this might be one that has to cut the wires when the board is changed.

If I remember right if the board was replaced and falls within a certain serial range a wire is cut….even so.  If I remember right.  If the wire isn’t cut.  The damper stays open and freezes the food.  
 

this post was given a model or serial number either.   But it sounds like every has been gone over.  Possible broken wire?  I don’t have a solid answer on this one. 
 

I would never buy an eBay board.  But that me.  

[Budget Appliance Repair]

@David Jero there is a model number provided: GSL25JFPABS

@Fridger I found the instruction sheet and this is what it says about cutting the wire.
 

Quote

 

STEP 2– ELIMINATE THERMISTOR WIRE
IN PIN 2 OF J1 CONNECTOR

(See note below) IF NO WIRE IN
PIN 2, PROCEED TO STEP 3

• Eliminate thermistor wire in pin 2 of J1 connector. Wire may originate from a
molded plug or jumper as shown.

NOTE: This step is ONLY applicable for the following models:
All BOTTOM FREEZER models

ENCODER models with the following serial number prefixes:
TD2, VD2, ZD2, AF2, DF2, FF2, GF2, HF2, LF2, MF2, RF2, SF2

 

These serial# codes correspond to built Oct 2002 - Sept 2003

Yours is an ENCODER model, what is the serial number of your customers refrigerator?

I wouldn't suggest that you cut any wires without having the complete instructions so you know what this is all referring to.

Edited June 29, 2021 by Budget Appliance Repair

[Fridger]

Thanks you everyone for your research and inputs. I'll get back to it over this weekend or sometime next week and will leave a findings and results. Thanks again.

[Fridger]

Yes Vance, thanks, I was in a hurry so I didn't described details about these switches but exactly same findings and results noted. Now I know there is more about these boards and some have to be tweaked to work properly and I found the sheet from e-bay's used defective board I got which I refurbished and it works except it needs to be apparently modified. Thanks to you all I see this importance about some of these boards. I just have to verify the compatibility of the board from e-bay and if I can use the guide for modification or going back to the board those technicians installed and probably didn't match properly or didn't modified it. 

Thanks again,

[Fridger]

Willi, the serial number is MF209644 of the GSL25JFPABS fridge model.

Since the fridge is SS and no bottom freezer as the guide mentioned even on my sheet I found which came with the damaged board from E-bay I recently refurbished, I can't cut off the J1 pin#2 wire.

When I install the original board from the last technician, it will run the same way as the one I refurbished just recently from the e-bay. Since I don't have the original damaged board they took out, I can only be relying on boards available on the web for this fridge if I can get just the guide in regard installation of the new board and verify if the board from the technician he installed is correct.

New board technician installed: WR55X10942,             200D4850G022

Refurbished board from e-bay:  WKKT  0158-00-04,   200D4854G013  I know this board had different numbers but on the e-bay it was listed as WR55X10942 so I assumed it was cross-referenced. It runs same way as the one from the last technician so I think the board is OK but there maybe some other issues like not matching exactly or some other modification should take a place.

Thanks.

[Fridger]

........ and of-course I don't know what board number the guy from e-bay was installing. The instruction sheet which came from the e-bay with the damaged board is for WR55X10942 so I assume that the new board the guy from e-bay was installing was the same model as mine WR55X10942.

[Fridger]

I may have a clue. Checked for new board at this site: https://www.ereplacementparts.com/board-asm-main-control-p-1123253.html

and it shows for that fridge model GSL25JFPABS board number WR55X10942P.

Compatibility on their site is not matching neither board I installed and mentioned above including the one last technician installed. The "P" at the end may be the culprit? $500.00 for that board, wow... no wonder I am refurbishing these boards.

[Vance R]

Looked at a few web sites and they all sub to the wr55x10942 board. Now for the "P" that just mean it is the lastest version of the board. The "942" board has been around for a long time and some older boards will not run a newer rerfigerator. Only a few rebuilders have the ability to update the boards to the newest software version. Most smaller rebuilder just repair the board and make it functional. So if you take out a board and rebuild it then reinstall the board back into the refrigerator it will work perfect. Sound like your getting older rebuilt boards. 

[Budget Appliance Repair]

On 6/29/2021 at 5:32 AM, Budget Appliance Repair said:

NOTE: This step is ONLY applicable for the following models:
All BOTTOM FREEZER models

ENCODER models with the following serial number prefixes:
TD2, VD2, ZD2, AF2, DF2, FF2, GF2, HF2, LF2, MF2, RF2, SF2

These are two separate statements - you cut the wire on all  BOTTOM FREEZER models

Or if an ENCODER model which yours is and if it falls within the serial# prefixes, (yours also does - MF2), you cut the specified wire.

 

[vee8power]

I thought that once a board like this is installed, it programs itself to that fridge and can't be used on another model. Maybe they failed to erase this boards memory when they rebuilt it.

[Fridger]

Thank you so much all, another chance with these boards I noticed on youtube is that these guys do not follow mostly anti-static preventions when dealing with these new and old boards. I am aware of this since my childhood so regardless if the air is humid or dry I always ground my self by cable or frequently touching a mass of steel whether the fridge or a car plus I do place old and new boards always in anti-static bags.

These 2 boards for this troubled fridge were going through hands of a technician which done some crazy things as I mentioned before and the e-bay board, I have no idea what was done to the board when handled by seller and who know who else like irritated cat/dog rubbing its fur against the board. Great chance is that they discharged their static potential into the board which could do some harm showing now as closing damper too soon or since these boards have some program in these chips, some alteration could a take a place.

I always check board for visual damage and replace all electrolytic caps and it runs great except this case where someone else got involved and my experience is telling me that they didn't pay attention. When I come to a fridge dealing with board, I have a success 100% when there is no one else involved before me.

I'll Willie do that and let you all know. Re-programing of these boards is what I have to look at if there is a chance to get involved in it, quiet interesting. 

Just a suggestion to all technicians, keep or collect old fridges which run only on thermostats and mechanical defrost timers because if we get hit by EMP or they just cut our power because "They Can", electronic fridges may not work but old fridge will on generator or some solar source if the solar and generator survives the nasty jolt in case of EMP. Perhaps these standard refurbished fridges can be sold for such purpose quiet easy. I take out both fans, clean these bushings if salvageable, new oil, coils clean.... and they run again, no more control freak electronic BS. Solar and generator electronics including spare control boards for electronic fridges can be EMP ready wrapped in layers of foil and insulation and stored in safe place for such emergencies.

[Fridger]

Just an update, I cutoff the pin 2 wire from J1 connector as advised and it runs great. Thank you so much all for help and great other tips I'll follow.