Kenmore 253.7041341A refrigerator defrost thermistor p/n 808137001 is broken (?) and not available for purchase

[DDoerschuk]

Technicians,

My Kenmore 253.7041341A refrigerator defrost system has stopped working.  The bottom freezer compartment is very cold, but the top refrigerator compartment seems to bounce around between 55F and 65F.  Putting the refrigerator through a manual defrost cycle seems to work well, so the heater coil and bimetallic thermostat must both be OK.  However, in diagnostic mode, the defrost thermistor on the evaporator consistently reports 67F to 69F.  I figure this points to the defrost thermistor or the control board being bad.  I suspect the thermistor, since all the other functions on the control board are working correctly. 

The thermistor is p/n 808137001, which is made by Electrolux (and maybe others, I don't know.)  There seems to be a factory shortage of these; I must have checked at 20 places online and everyone I've checked either has 0 on hand, or a delay of several weeks, which seems like marketing talk for "we dunno when". 

1. There is an unconfirmed cross to 240597203 for the 808137001 thermistor in a post here on appliantology.  The original poster never confirmed if the cross worked.  Is there a cross for the 808137001 thermistor?
2. I can't find a data sheet for the 808137001 thermistor.  Does anyone have a temperature vs. resistance table or curve? 
3. Any other suggestions to get me going would be very much appreciated!

Thanks very much!

Dave

[Vance R]

There is one thread on the forum where the 240597203 has been used for a 808137001 successfully. 

[MrApplianceMatt]

Did you try to get a resistance reading from the actual thermistor? If you had that and you know what the board sees it as in temperature, you could get an idea of how other thermistors with available info compare.
 

[DDoerschuk]

On 1/20/2023 at 8:04 PM, Vance R said:

There is one thread on the forum where the 240597203 has been used for a 808137001 successfully. 

I've ordered a 240597203 due in at the end of the week.  I will hook up a test jig to see how closely it mirrors the data shown in Electrolux's Publication #5995556437 February 2011 "All About Servicing Bottom Freezer Refrigerator" on page 3-8, shown below.  I will get back with results.

On 1/20/2023 at 8:41 PM, MrApplianceMatt said:

Did you try to get a resistance reading from the actual thermistor? If you had that and you know what the board sees it as in temperature, you could get an idea of how other thermistors with available info compare.
 

I took your advice and pulled the existing thermistor.  Unfortunately, it was very close to a dead short, so not much information there!  Bad luck, but still a good idea for sure.