Amana Fridge/Freezer - Control Panel Is Dead?

[[email protected]]

I have a side-by-side Amana fridge/freezer (model number SXDE528 M L)
that is about 10 years old.

There is a light-up control panel on the fridge door. This was working
fine until some fool fitted a replacement cam set to the door (yes,
the fool was me…). Now, the control panel remains unlit, it is
completely inoperative – and even the door-open alarm no longer works.

When fitting the cam kit I had to remove the fridge door and
disconnect electrical leads that disappear into the top and bottom of
the door. There are 3 wires at the top, and a fairly thick cable with
multiple wires inside at the base. This cable terminates in a socket
that plugs into the bottom of the fridge. After unplugging this socket
I had to remove each of the individual wires from the socket in order
to fit the cam kit. When I re-hung the door and connected everything
up, the control panel was dead.

The fridge still works (provided the cable coming from the bottom of
the fridge door is plugged in), but it appears to have defaulted to a
low level of cooling – leaving the fridge and freezer too warm. But
with the control panel dead, I can't adjust the temperature, of
course.

My thoughts are that the problem lies with one of the following;

1/ A fuse has blown for the control panel.
2/ I didn't connect the wires to the socket at the base of the fridge
correctly. (I was careful, but mistakes can happen.)
3/ Wires inside the refrigerator door have become disconnected,
perhaps because I unknowingly pulled on the cable at some point when
working on the door.
4/ A reset switch needs to be operated. (I'm reaching here, I think!)



Can anyone suggest a solution? If there is a fuse for the control
panel, I can't find it – so perhaps someone can point me in the right
direction. Or perhaps someone can confirm the correct wiring sequence
for the socket at the base of the fridge.

Alternatively, can anyone tell me how to gain access to the rear of
the control panel to check the wiring? I have seen inside the door
before, and from what I recall the wiring is inaccessible from the
rear because of the insulation packing that is glued (I think) into
place, so I guess the control panel can be removed from the door at
the front. However, the panel feels as if it might break if I pull on
it too hard – so if anyone knows how to remove it, please tell me.

I hope someone can help.

Cheers.

 

[Kim]

You are screwed. The panel is glued in place, backed up by blown-in poly
foam. The panel is not made to be removed without destroying, and
subsequently replacing. Bad design...yup, but GE figures that panel will
probably never need to be replaced. My bet is that you have inadvertently
pulled a wire loose deep within the door. There is a very SLIGHT possibility
that you may have mixed up the pins in the connector, but I doubt that you
would have been so bad at it that the unit would be 100% inoperative. I
would expect at least 1 or 2 functions to be operating. Well, looks like you
will have to call in GE (aka Sears) to figure this one out, because there is
no way in hell to will find the pinouts of that connector, as GE will never
tell you, and such info is not published by GE.
Believe it or not Sears has the best GE techs, at the best service
price...BUT BE PREPARED, the only option is to replace the ENTIRE door. Yup,
as the door is a factory sealed unit...it just doesn't come apart. And yes,
the temperature control will default into a low safety setting if the remote
controller becomes inoperative.
Bad news all around. Unfortunately, with sale prices, low interest, no
interest for 4 years etc on new fridges, I doubt that this repair can be
justified in cost.
Kim

 

[[email protected]]

Thanks for your reply.

From your comments, I have obviously been very lucky. I found a
print-out of the full circuit diagram glued to the rear of the fridge,
which confirmed that I had mis-wired the socket (I am embarrassed to
say).

Anyway, swapping the wrong wires solved the problem. The panel lit up,
everything works as it's supposed to, and the fridge and freezer are
down to the correct temperatures.

Phew - Lucky escape!

Cheers.

Nate Davey