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Friday, September 9, 2011

kenmore elite bottom freezer refrigerator dispenser troubleshooting?

The wiring diagram for your refrigerator is shown in the image below with the line voltage supply for the dispenser control board traced in red and green. The next step in troubleshooting would be to unplug the refrigerator and access the control board in the dispenser to check this live voltage.

NOTE: This type of live voltage check is normally performed by a technician. It can be dangerous. Leave the refrigerator unplugged until while accessing the board until you are ready for the voltage check. Be extremely careful when checking live voltage with a volt/ohm meter. Avoiding touching exposed live wire contacts.

I provided a procedure for accessing the control board in the second image below. Your refrigerator will be different than the one shown since yours has a control board instead of switches. The basic procedure is the same. With the refrigerator unplugged remove the drip tray and then snap the front cover off of the front of the dispenser. You can push down on the dispenser cover and pry out on the top part with a flat tip screwdriver (cover the tip with masking tape to avoid scratching the freezer door finish). This should snap the cover off of the housing. Check the wiring connection between the user interface and the control board. If there was a problem with the ribbon cable or this connection, it could have prevented the dispenser from working. If this connection is apparently okay, then I recommend checking the voltage to the dispenser (with the freezer door closed or the switch still jumped). Unplug the refrigerator after making this voltage check. If the control board is getting voltage but the control will not power up, then the control board is likely bad. A failed user interface could also cause this problem. If you are not getting voltage to the control board then you must have a wiring failure in the circuit.

These tips may help you determine the cause of your dispenser failure. If you need more help, resubmit your question with additional details.

If you do not feel confident repairing this problem yourself, then you can have it repaired at your home by a Sears technician.



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