Ice maker quit working a couple of days ago... Found your video this morning. Figured it was worth a try, and it turned out mine looked identical to yours. Same fix, but I used a .30-06 shell... Haha. Seems to be working like a champ, now. Getting 8 cubes every 50 minutes, now. Thanks for the video. Saved me about $70!
This is exactly what happened to my ice maker. Thank you for the detailed video. VERY helpful! First, it is no wonder that this is happening since the contact pin that is causing the problem in the video is steel and not brass or copper. Two of the contact pins in the unit are steel (for either end of the heating element). Steel on copper, over time, will cause galvanic corrosion. Galvanic corrosion is caused by self-induced current created by electrical potential of two dissimilar metals in contact with an electrolyte. Water is a weak electrolyte. So there is the problem: moisture gets on the contact, corrosion occurs, corrosion causes heat build-up while passing a current and it fries the contact and surrounding plastic. So, thanks Whirlpool for building in this planned obsolescence. The contacts for the heating element should have been copper. I took a slightly different repair approach. The steel pin apparently heated up so much it burnt holes in either side of the copper contact and partially melted the plastic behind the contact. I placed a small, really thin, piece of stainless steel behind each contact (just to protect the plastic from additional heat) and filled the hole and coated each side of the copper contact with electrical solder (and then removed the stainless steel piece I was using as protection). I then took a Dremel cut off blade and flattened each side of solder and rounded it at the top so the pin would slip in. I put some hot-glue behind the contacts to fill in where the plastic was damaged. I finished by polishing the copper track with a Dremel stainless steel wire brush and vacuumed everything clean. If you are doing this repair, pay close attention to the contact for the other stainless steel pin (that leads to the other end of the heating element). You may want to take some sand paper or a Dremel stainless wire brush and polish the pins and contacts while you have access to everything. Also, there are several model numbers for the same ice maker if you want to replace it. The following part numbers are all the same part: 2198597, 2198598, 626663, AP3182733, PS869316, W10190960 and W10122502.
Thanks. I reversed the solenoid wire plugs to test them and they were working. Also the light sequence was correct on the circuit boards. After watching your video halfway and seeing the damaged pin connector I disassembled my unit and found the water pin connector was same condition as your heating element pin. I repaired it using parts from a wire connector that I just pressed in and it worked. Wish I had watched the whole video before I wracked my brains finding a solution. That 9mm brass trick was awesome!! Thanks for the help!!
I saw this video after I had disassembled it. You confirmed what I had suspected. Mine was really old and showed a lot of ware and tear. I elected to replace the ice maker. Way cheaper than calling a repair man. I think the hardest part was unplugging that damn wire. Thanks for posting.
I have replaced the KitchenAid ice maker 3 times and it is out of order again. THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIDEO REPAIR it gave me an inside look at this item, and your fix rather than throw away and buy a new one. I'll view at it again, but wanted to let you know it was very helpful. THANKS!
Our KitchenAid refrigerator's icemaker has not made ice in years! The icemaker had the same issue as the one fixed in this video. There were corroded/pitted heating element contacts in the motor/timer assembly. Thank you for posting!
Wow, thank you so much for posting this video! My Sears Kenmore ice maker stopped working, and when I looked at it, the tines were not raised up as you noted at the start of your video. I took out the ice maker and opened it up as you described in your video, and lo and behold my ice maker had EXACTLY the same problem as you describe here. Must be a design flaw. I ended up buying a small piece of thin brass (no thin copper available) at Lowes for $4 since I didn't have a bullet casing available. I cut and formed it into the right shape, soldered it in, put everything back together, and voila! Ice cubes again. Thanks for saving me the cost of a new ice maker or a hefty repair bill!
I watched a bunch of videos but this was the one that solved my problem. The motor assembly on mine didn't need the copper repaired, it just had a bunch of ice in it. I cleaned that out and it works like a charm. Thanks for posting this!
@hightideblue not out of the woods yet, when I take it apart and put it back in the ice gets heated and dispensed, new water flows in and freezes, but then nothing, just stays in the try frozen. What would be my next step? this is a side-by-side so has a door switch with the optical sensor boards, maybe those are not working? the thermistor is not triggering the heating element to start for some reason.
Your saved me a bunchy of money. Exact same problem on a french door style Kitchenaid refrigerator and freezer. Opened the end with the electrical sockets and the whole socket was melted away. I took a replacement socket from a cheap plastic replacement electrical outlet and soldered that down to the copper trace. Works great. Thanks for the video.
I just bought a used Frigidaire and the ice maker wasn't working. I did a bunch of troubleshooting and couldn't figure it out until I found this video. Pulled out the ice maker and low and behold... same problem! I soldered in a new piece of copper from an old switch I had laying around, and the thing is working like gang busters now! Thank you for posting this!
I watched this whole video thinking I was going to have to call someone to look at it for me, until you got to the part where you said ice could freeze up inside the flow tube. I ran in my kitchen and low and behold it was frozen lol. Thanks!
Thanks for the video. I tackled the dreaded ice maker today and low and behold mine had the same exact problem as yours. The copper contact was corroded just the same way. I took apart a old socket and used the copper from it to make a new clip and soldered it in place. Worked like a charm. Ice cubes be a make'in. Thank You.
Thank you! This was exactly what I found had happened with my Kitchenaid Model # KFC22EXMP4 in its bottom freezer with the burnt out copper in the icemaker (looks JUST like what you show in the video). The icemaker model# is 106 W10377152. Few more helpful steps I took: 1. Unplugged the electrical plug unit from icemaker to the back of the fridge, (that is, I didn't turn off the fridge, just removed electricity to the icemaker)... it's the multi-colored wires going into white chassis. 2. Remove all drawers (find the clips on side rails, pulling drawers half way out, you can then depress them to get all drawers (even the big front drawer/door) out) 3. Had to use hex socket to remove two screws holding the ice maker unit to a metal support bracket. Both screws are located on the underside of the bracket mount. That's it! Was able to remove ice maker unit from fridge, and remove three screes to remove white plate on the front of the unit. Clearly smelled burning and could see where connections burned the plastic and copper.
Thank you very much for showing how to fix the ice maker at (4:16). Mine was burnt out at the exact same spot. Unlike you who used a 9 mm shell casing I stepped it up with a 45 cal, should last longer right, lol. Saved me some money and a lot of headaches. The 260 who dislike this video are the owners of Appliance shops who are losing money, breaks my heart, thank you again.
I followed your guide (I used a .38 shell instead of a 9mm) and have a full ice tray this morning. Took me less than an hour from start to finish and cost me nothing! Thanks so much for the guide including the suggestion of the brass from the casing.
Thank you for posting this I just started troubleshooting ours and it was stuck in the exact same position. Upon opening it up the identical pinch terminal was burned up. I ended up cutting an old piece of copper water pipe into a small cross flattened it and formed it around a small pin in vice then used the small remaining tabs to solder it to the the circuit like you did. So far it cycled the tines around and filled the tray so hoping for the best. Thanks again Ken
Thanks for showing the water timer adjustment screw. Yes, 1/4 turn at a time to test and see if it is perfect. If not, adjust again. Some models have a silicon hose that attaches the ice maker to the water line. They can split or tear. Also, if you install a carbon filter you must flush it into a 5 gallon bucket to clean it out. I suggest put the date on it and extras in the cabinet above. Now, activate carbon granuals can come out and stick in the water solenoid. The adjustment screw controls how long it stays on. Home water pressure is another issue that can change over time. Too high, then is over flows, too low water pressure, the ice cubes will be smaller than normal.
If that fill cup gets frozen, turn the unit off, take a syringe of hot water and keep putting the hot water in the fill cup and it will thaw and you can pop the ice plug out with your finger. Use hot tap water to move any ice out of the rotating "fingers" and dry as much water out as you can with paper towels gently pushed into the bottom of the ice maker. Check the rubber water fill valve for any ice. If there IS ice in the fill valve, use a hair dryer to thaw it out and gently squeeze it like you mean it. Turn the unit back on - dispose of the first batch of ice! Thanks for the video mate !!!!!
Thanks for this video!!! This is EXACTLY what happened to my ice maker. Took the thing apart and it is corroded in the EXACT same spot as your video! I looked at the cost of replacing the panel, but at $90, I am going to attempt to solder a new connector myself.
Thanks for this video. I just finished repairing my Kitchenaid icemaker using a piece of copper. Biggest problem was figuring out how to get the icemaker out of the freezer until I saw your other video. Thanks for posting this.
This is "BY FAR THE MOST HELPFUL AND INFORMATIVE". I HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING IF YOUR ICE-MAKER OPERATES TOO SLOW OR NOT AT ALL. I like that you cover all possible malfunction points and possiible repair and check points prior to purchasing repair parts. ***** Thank-you
Dude, I watched this video and yanked the end off of mine, it looked ok and I put it back together after a quick scrape with my screwdriver for good measure and presto, the tines rotated to the top position. You da man! Thanks a million!!
This is a great video and saved me a bunch of money. It turned out I had the exact same problem. Just cleaned up the corroded area, soldered a crimp and - voila! Thank you very much for such a detailed and well made video sir!
This video saved me the cost of a new icemaker, and I had a blast doing the repairs. I only deviated from his instructions by using a .22 casing for the replacement contact piece instead of the 9mm he suggested!
after watching the video I decided on taking apart the ice maker . my problem was ice under where the heater coil was it was a chunk of ice I defrosted it and now it is wrking perfectly thank you for showing how to do it . saved like 130.00 or more
Great idea with the use of brass. Unfortunately, mine was burned and corroded out at one of the points and half the wiring harness, pins and receptors, so it's a new panel and wiring harness for me, but if this happens again and it's just one of the contact points, I'll be trying this for sure. FYI, the tray is coated with teflon, and the two bottom right points (that are close together) on the front of the control panel can be jumped with an insulated jumper wire to manually cycle the motor.
Great video..I had exactly this same issue was about to blow cash on a new ice maker.. Although my solution wasn't as cool I used a copper crimp and soldered it on and bam...back in in business. Thanks again for this video. You saved me $100.
Great video! Worked like a charm! P.S., if that contact point (friction catch) is corroded to where contact is lost, the ice tray will not fill with water. The mechanics will work, the plastic fingers will spin, but water will not pour into the tray. This technique was simple and fixed the problem.
Fixed it! Had the same problem as you. Used the 9mm bullet casing and all. Working like a charm now! Awesome and thanks so much. TH-cam has saved me on many occasions and this one did as well.
This video was very helpful. The hose dispensing the water in to the ice maker was frozen. I used my hair dryer to thaw it out and it has been happily making ice all day. My question now is how do I keep that from happening again? Thank you
I had the exact same problem and was able to wire brush away blue powder, and enough of the old I assume cooper connection was left I could use needle nose pliers to make decent contact with the pin and it's been working for a week fine since I did it.
Did you look for the same problem in the video but in a different location on the circuit? Also, another thing you can check is sometimes the water line can freeze at the very end right before it reaches the tray. it acts like a plug and the water cant get out to fill the tray. Check that first. You can flex and squeeze the hose end to see if it has ice stuck in it.
When I took my ice maker apart, the plug that connects rod with the tines and the gear spool, has a busted tip. I'm assuming that's what causing the tines not to move. Can you buy just the new thread / or plug.? Any other repair? Or am I looking at buying a whole new ice maker? Great detailed video. At least I found what is broke.
This video was extremely helpful as the unit shown is EXACTLY the one I have and the problem was the same; corroded or burnt out contact area where the heating element touches the circuitry. I soldered a piece of bare copper wire there and it worked just fine. Thanks for posting the video. It was indeed very useful.
Thanks so much for this, the part in the video when you showed the black flexible hose & how it could be frozen was exactly my problem! Took my hairdryer & held it right over that spot on top of the fridge & thawed out the ice stuck in there, now working beautifully!
My fridge is 23 years old and now just started getting ice maker problems. Try this before you buy a new part! I could not see the little plastic ice pushers. ??? so, I pulled off the cover... looked around and didn't see any burned connections. So, I put it back on cause it looked hard to line up and I wanted to see if I could even do it.. I got it back on and it started to spin again. So, just saying, all it may take is taking the panel off and put it back on to make the connection good again. Try it.. nothing to lose!
Although your video has helped people, those holes in the front are actually jumpers. If you take a wire and stick the ends in N and M (neutral and motor) it will manually start the motor for diagnosing. A simple "i don't know what these do" is ok to say, because when I saw that you didn't know what you were talking about I almost didn't stick around to see the useful info at the end. :)
Great video. Mine went out a couple of days ago and after trying everything I could think of, I finally pulled it out of the freezer. Once I found the corroded clip, I found your video and it gave me the info I need to fix it. Great job!
have a whirlpool gold side by side and ice maker was not working at all. replaced ice maker and inlet valve but still no ice. water dispenser worked so i know it was getting water.video said you dont need new power cord but yes you do. i replaced the power cord that came with ice maker and ice bucket filled within 24 hours. hope this helps.
thanks had the same problem was a easy fix with your instructions used solder wick to reinforce the burnt parts of the trace and coated in lead free solder to stiffen it in place. now is working great thanks for the video helped make it a quick repair than a long trouble shooting project.
My ice maker makes ice when it feels like it. But the last thing I noticed is that when I close the top lever as if the door were closed, the optical light on the right does not work at all. Should I assume that the problem is definitely the optical part? Why is it when I tinker with the ice maker it makes ice for a few days and when the left bucket is empty then it won't make any ice at all It's been a week since it made ice again. Should I buy the mould tester to find out for sure?
This video saved me $130 for a new ice maker. I had an electrical contact that was not making good contact. In fact it had been arcing and melted the plastic guide on the side of the copper electrical contact. I used some epoxy to glue a piece of plastic to make good contact of the copper.
Hightideblue, thanks for your easy to follow video. Our ice maker stopped making ice about 6 months ago, but we can hear water running. After watching your video I wen to ck that black hose on the ice maker and sure enough it is froze. How do I unfreeze, though? Should I turn the freezer way down low or turn it off for a few hours? Thanks
Mine makes ice but leaks. I left for the weekend and the ice box was almost one big block of ice. Want to diy it but not sure if it needs replaced. Any suggestions? Thanks for posting and thank you for this channel.
My ice maker has frozen water in the little compartment that catches the water from the black water hose, which, of course, is keeping it from making ice. Should I unplug the fridge to let it defrost? What do you think the problem is?
Mine is cycling, probably every 15 minutes or so, but water never fills. This started after a massive freeze-up due to full trip wire knocked out of place. I cleared all that mess, and it never made Ice again. But I can hear it cycling and see the fingers turning. I tried unplugging and replugging to see if maybe something had to be reset. I have not tried taking it out completely. I guess something might still be frozen inside the controller. ??? could be fill valve, quite a coincidence.
Thank you very much I had the same problem and fixed it with some copper. My friends where amazed but I couldn't take the credit I told them about this video.
the large plastic gear, under the white cover, would SNAP because the teeth of the gear would disconnect with a smaller gear Do they wear down to the point where they have to be replaced?
Well, I removed my ice maker to check it out. Well, i didn't do much too it, so I got the things to move upward that lifts up the ice cubes. So I put it back in the freezer and the white knob started to turn, which it had stop doing. So I decided to turn the water cut off valve back on and and it broke off, what luck am I having. Now I got to replace that in order too see if it's going to work or not. I'm not sure if it's the ice maker or the thing at the back on the bottom of the fridge.
What if the gear that says "do not rotate manually" was in fact rotated manually? Is there a way to set it back to where it needs to be? I think my problem is in troubleshooting my issues i moved the fingers that pop out the ice by hand, and i think it moved the gear, i didnt take the cover off until after that, which i saw that warning. So i think the cycle is off now. Any way to fix?
Very helpful thank you. If I use a 45cal will it make bigger ice? Lol. Great job repurposing, love when normal people do repairs with normal people stuff.
Very possible. It's worth taking a look. I know that a lot of internal parts are used by several brands. Not that your's is the same as this one, but it still could be suffering from the same problem.
Icemakers have a tray to clean that shouldn't be too dirty; assuming the fridge hasn't been unplugged for years. The clear plastic line that brings the water to the icemaker could be nasty inside. Some refrigerators have visible water lines in the fridge section. Look to see if you see any gunk/discoloration in the water that has likely been stuck in the pipe. Also look at the water line behind the fridge. Run several gallons of water through the fridge and icemaker before you consume any.
Hello, I need help. we changed the water filter as usual on our Whirlpool In-door Ice refrigerator. after making several ice drops, and water flushes. I went to fill a glass of ice and it just spends and want drop any ice on either setting. can you help me please. Thanks!!
My icemaker was not dumping the ice. I removed the icemaker and when I took off the motor cover, everything was coated with ice. I removed all of that, scraped off the blue corrosion, and reinstalled the icemaker. The teeth seem to be working now but I can't get the icemaker to fill with water. It was filling before, just not dumping. Did I do something wrong when reinstalling?
Thanks for this video, mine was the exact same problem just different terminal. It now works and makes ice again, but the coating is all peeled off so might still need to get new one but at least I know it was that for sure. Again thanks for this video, very helpful and saved me money. Thanks
We have the exact same problem in our ice maker. But I'm confused on how you replaced the brass. I'm a 20 year old college kid, so I need cheap and sort of easy to figure out! And we don't have any shell casings laying around...would appreciate the help!
I have problem with ice maker. I suspect the warmer to release ice cubes is staying on too long and there will be much moisture in compartment which then freezes all of cubes in container together. After days of this the lower cubes become solid mass of ice. I have to remove clean out and start over with new cubes. Any ideas?
My Whirlpool ice maker is operating but is leaking water down into the ice bin on the outboard end (away from the water feed line) and freezing into a stalagmite in the bin that gets up to the machine and freezes together some of the cubes. Any thoughts?
I changed my dad's defrost timer, turned the clock on it to get new D-timer activated and it did. The whole refrigerator worked fine for 12 hours per dad. Now, he calls me frantic saying that not only he doesn't have any ice and that he thinks that the D-timer isn't working again. Your question (my problem): What other faulty part can be causing the entire freezer not to work, (it's off) again and therefore not cooling the soft food in the fridge?
After replacing the motor, my ice maker still did not work. After watching at least a dozen videos no one mentions the other possibility, which is easy to test...The Optic sensor. The red blinky light should blink twice when door is open and cycle over and over as two blinks then pause and repeat. If you close the receiver flap on the left wall the light should be solid red. If nothing, then its your Optics sensor. Type in Optics Sensor for this fridge and you will get a great tutorial on how to troubleshoot it. Wasted $160.00 on a motor I did not need. I tried to jumper the motor numerous times and it was not until I jumpered the Optic sensor did the motor finally work. Purpose of this sensor is to let motor know when the ice container is full since newer models do not have the metal wire. You will notice a grove cut into both sides of the ice container for the beam to shine through. Nothing will work if the Optic sensor does not work. Trying to jumper anything will fail. Hope that helps!
I own a Kenmore side by side refrigerator with an icemaker that stopped working. There are no cubes in it and the fingers are pointing at me. I checked the tube the water flows out of that fills the ice maker to make ice and it is not blocked with ice. How do I troubleshoot this problem.
not my issue, as I verified the maker is working, and the supply isn't frozen so it may be the solenoid. Anyways I am commenting as I like using the brass casing, and soldering the circuit vs everyone that buys a new unit. Well done!
Mine makes ice, but doesn't eject the ice. However, different from this, the tines are UP when it is stuck. Almost as if it goes through the cycle but the tines don't remove the ice because the ice is not frozen enough? My theory is the inlet is leaking a bit and keeping the ice from being totally frozen when the tines try to remove the ice.
Awesome. using a few videos (one to figure out how to get the ice maker out, one for location of the controls driven troubleshooting steps, and finally this one for the courage\direction to remove the cover to the motor: magic, I found the burnout and damaged path and connector area. Mucho Thanks! Luv youtube too.
if water fill tube getting frozen it means that water valve, that supply water to icemaker, is bad and need replacement. Water valve just not closing completely thus letting water to seep drop by drop into fill tube to the point of complete blockage. You may defrost it by using hair dryer or turkey buster filled with hot water or by unplugging fridge and defrosting freezer section for 24 hrs. .......Overflowing of icemaker may be a bad valve or bad icemaker.
The "coating" on the ice tray for my fridge... is flaking off... and I've found the flakes in my ice cubes. Is it possible to replace just the tray? Or does the entire assembly have to go?
+PatriotAr15 Replace the unit for about $75.00, Or perhaps buy an new fridge. Do not listen to this druggie attempting to make this video. He should be in a rehab facility.
sorry for replying to a year-old question on a 4-yr old video, buuuuuuuuut .... how dangerous is that coating to ingest? I just realized that the coating has been eaten away at, or dissolved by, the water, but started noticing these weird "plastic" flakes in my drinks about a year or so ago. I'd been trying to figure out what they were, but never knew that the ice maker was coated with a protective film. Is it from the ice hitting it and chipping away at it, or maybe caused by the tines/teeth scraping it? It looks like theres a lot of deposit around the areas damaged by whatever, so maybe something nasty in our water is the culprit? I'm concerned about having to buy new ice makers over and over again if this is a design flaw, but I'm even more worried that we've been using toxic ice for over a year... Thanks again!
I have an ice maker bar size U-Line ...UL SP 188-03 and it made tons of ice and then one day it just heated up...no ice...just heat coming from the bar where the ice falls out. Can anyone tell me what is the problem...Thank you
Ice maker quit working a couple of days ago... Found your video this morning. Figured it was worth a try, and it turned out mine looked identical to yours. Same fix, but I used a .30-06 shell... Haha. Seems to be working like a champ, now. Getting 8 cubes every 50 minutes, now. Thanks for the video. Saved me about $70!
This is exactly what happened to my ice maker. Thank you for the detailed video. VERY helpful!
First, it is no wonder that this is happening since the contact pin that is causing the problem in the video is steel and not brass or copper. Two of the contact pins in the unit are steel (for either end of the heating element). Steel on copper, over time, will cause galvanic corrosion. Galvanic corrosion is caused by self-induced current created by electrical potential of two dissimilar metals in contact with an electrolyte. Water is a weak electrolyte. So there is the problem: moisture gets on the contact, corrosion occurs, corrosion causes heat build-up while passing a current and it fries the contact and surrounding plastic. So, thanks Whirlpool for building in this planned obsolescence. The contacts for the heating element should have been copper.
I took a slightly different repair approach. The steel pin apparently heated up so much it burnt holes in either side of the copper contact and partially melted the plastic behind the contact. I placed a small, really thin, piece of stainless steel behind each contact (just to protect the plastic from additional heat) and filled the hole and coated each side of the copper contact with electrical solder (and then removed the stainless steel piece I was using as protection). I then took a Dremel cut off blade and flattened each side of solder and rounded it at the top so the pin would slip in. I put some hot-glue behind the contacts to fill in where the plastic was damaged. I finished by polishing the copper track with a Dremel stainless steel wire brush and vacuumed everything clean.
If you are doing this repair, pay close attention to the contact for the other stainless steel pin (that leads to the other end of the heating element). You may want to take some sand paper or a Dremel stainless wire brush and polish the pins and contacts while you have access to everything.
Also, there are several model numbers for the same ice maker if you want to replace it. The following part numbers are all the same part: 2198597, 2198598, 626663, AP3182733, PS869316, W10190960 and W10122502.
Thanks. I reversed the solenoid wire plugs to test them and they were working. Also the light sequence was correct on the circuit boards. After watching your video halfway and seeing the damaged pin connector I disassembled my unit and found the water pin connector was same condition as your heating element pin. I repaired it using parts from a wire connector that I just pressed in and it worked. Wish I had watched the whole video before I wracked my brains finding a solution. That 9mm brass trick was awesome!! Thanks for the help!!
I saw this video after I had disassembled it. You confirmed what I had suspected. Mine was really old and showed a lot of ware and tear. I elected to replace the ice maker. Way cheaper than calling a repair man. I think the hardest part was unplugging that damn wire. Thanks for posting.
I have replaced the KitchenAid ice maker 3 times and it is out of order again. THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIDEO REPAIR it gave me an inside look at this item, and your fix rather than throw away and buy a new one. I'll view at it again, but wanted to let you know it was very helpful. THANKS!
Our KitchenAid refrigerator's icemaker has not made ice in years! The icemaker had the same issue as the one fixed in this video. There were corroded/pitted heating element contacts in the motor/timer assembly. Thank you for posting!
Wow, thank you so much for posting this video! My Sears Kenmore ice maker stopped working, and when I looked at it, the tines were not raised up as you noted at the start of your video. I took out the ice maker and opened it up as you described in your video, and lo and behold my ice maker had EXACTLY the same problem as you describe here. Must be a design flaw. I ended up buying a small piece of thin brass (no thin copper available) at Lowes for $4 since I didn't have a bullet casing available. I cut and formed it into the right shape, soldered it in, put everything back together, and voila! Ice cubes again. Thanks for saving me the cost of a new ice maker or a hefty repair bill!
I watched a bunch of videos but this was the one that solved my problem. The motor assembly on mine didn't need the copper repaired, it just had a bunch of ice in it. I cleaned that out and it works like a charm. Thanks for posting this!
@hightideblue not out of the woods yet, when I take it apart and put it back in the ice gets heated and dispensed, new water flows in and freezes, but then nothing, just stays in the try frozen. What would be my next step? this is a side-by-side so has a door switch with the optical sensor boards, maybe those are not working? the thermistor is not triggering the heating element to start for some reason.
Now it does work after taking out and putting back in the motor assembly a couple times. Go figure.
Your saved me a bunchy of money. Exact same problem on a french door style Kitchenaid refrigerator and freezer. Opened the end with the electrical sockets and the whole socket was melted away. I took a replacement socket from a cheap plastic replacement electrical outlet and soldered that down to the copper trace. Works great. Thanks for the video.
I just bought a used Frigidaire and the ice maker wasn't working. I did a bunch of troubleshooting and couldn't figure it out until I found this video. Pulled out the ice maker and low and behold... same problem! I soldered in a new piece of copper from an old switch I had laying around, and the thing is working like gang busters now! Thank you for posting this!
I watched this whole video thinking I was going to have to call someone to look at it for me, until you got to the part where you said ice could freeze up inside the flow tube. I ran in my kitchen and low and behold it was frozen lol. Thanks!
Thanks for the video. I tackled the dreaded ice maker today and low and behold mine had the same exact problem as yours. The copper contact was corroded just the same way. I took apart a old socket and used the copper from it to make a new clip and soldered it in place. Worked like a charm. Ice cubes be a make'in. Thank You.
Awesome!
Tom Tolar
Thank you! This was exactly what I found had happened with my Kitchenaid Model # KFC22EXMP4 in its bottom freezer with the burnt out copper in the icemaker (looks JUST like what you show in the video). The icemaker model# is 106 W10377152.
Few more helpful steps I took:
1. Unplugged the electrical plug unit from icemaker to the back of the fridge, (that is, I didn't turn off the fridge, just removed electricity to the icemaker)... it's the multi-colored wires going into white chassis.
2. Remove all drawers (find the clips on side rails, pulling drawers half way out, you can then depress them to get all drawers (even the big front drawer/door) out)
3. Had to use hex socket to remove two screws holding the ice maker unit to a metal support bracket. Both screws are located on the underside of the bracket mount.
That's it! Was able to remove ice maker unit from fridge, and remove three screes to remove white plate on the front of the unit. Clearly smelled burning and could see where connections burned the plastic and copper.
Thank you very much for showing how to fix the ice maker at (4:16). Mine was burnt out at the exact same spot. Unlike you who used a 9 mm shell casing I stepped it up with a 45 cal, should last longer right, lol. Saved me some money and a lot of headaches.
The 260 who dislike this video are the owners of Appliance shops who are losing money, breaks my heart, thank you again.
@@sheepdog3828 And it's still working, lol 👍
I followed your guide (I used a .38 shell instead of a 9mm) and have a full ice tray this morning. Took me less than an hour from start to finish and cost me nothing! Thanks so much for the guide including the suggestion of the brass from the casing.
but what tool did you use to cut the shell?
Thank you for posting this I just started troubleshooting ours and it was stuck in the exact same position. Upon opening it up the identical pinch terminal was burned up. I ended up cutting an old piece of copper water pipe into a small cross flattened it and formed it around a small pin in vice then used the small remaining tabs to solder it to the the circuit like you did. So far it cycled the tines around and filled the tray so hoping for the best. Thanks again Ken
Thanks for showing the water timer adjustment screw. Yes, 1/4 turn at a time to test and see if it is perfect. If not, adjust again. Some models have a silicon hose that attaches the ice maker to the water line. They can split or tear. Also, if you install a carbon filter you must flush it into a 5 gallon bucket to clean it out. I suggest put the date on it and extras in the cabinet above.
Now, activate carbon granuals can come out and stick in the water solenoid. The adjustment screw controls how long it stays on. Home water pressure is another issue that can change over time. Too high, then is over flows, too low water pressure, the ice cubes will be smaller than normal.
If that fill cup gets frozen, turn the unit off, take a syringe of hot water and keep putting the hot water in the fill cup and it will thaw and you can pop the ice plug out with your finger. Use hot tap water to move any ice out of the rotating "fingers" and dry as much water out as you can with paper towels gently pushed into the bottom of the ice maker.
Check the rubber water fill valve for any ice. If there IS ice in the fill valve, use a hair dryer to thaw it out and gently squeeze it like you mean it. Turn the unit back on - dispose of the first batch of ice!
Thanks for the video mate !!!!!
Thanks for this video!!! This is EXACTLY what happened to my ice maker. Took the thing apart and it is corroded in the EXACT same spot as your video! I looked at the cost of replacing the panel, but at $90, I am going to attempt to solder a new connector myself.
Thanks for this video. I just finished repairing my Kitchenaid icemaker using a piece of copper. Biggest problem was figuring out how to get the icemaker out of the freezer until I saw your other video. Thanks for posting this.
This guy just fixed millions of fridge including mine thanks a lot
This is "BY FAR THE MOST HELPFUL AND INFORMATIVE". I HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING IF YOUR ICE-MAKER OPERATES TOO SLOW OR NOT AT ALL. I like that you cover all possible malfunction points and possiible repair and check points prior to purchasing repair parts. *****
Thank-you
Dude, I watched this video and yanked the end off of mine, it looked ok and I put it back together after a quick scrape with my screwdriver for good measure and presto, the tines rotated to the top position. You da man! Thanks a million!!
This is a great video and saved me a bunch of money. It turned out I had the exact same problem. Just cleaned up the corroded area, soldered a crimp and - voila! Thank you very much for such a detailed and well made video sir!
This video saved me the cost of a new icemaker, and I had a blast doing the repairs. I only deviated from his instructions by using a
.22 casing for the replacement contact piece instead of the 9mm he suggested!
after watching the video I decided on taking apart the ice maker . my problem was ice under where the heater coil was it was a chunk of ice I defrosted it and now it is wrking perfectly thank you for showing how to do it . saved like 130.00 or more
Great idea with the use of brass. Unfortunately, mine was burned and corroded out at one of the points and half the wiring harness, pins and receptors, so it's a new panel and wiring harness for me, but if this happens again and it's just one of the contact points, I'll be trying this for sure.
FYI, the tray is coated with teflon, and the two bottom right points (that are close together) on the front of the control panel can be jumped with an insulated jumper wire to manually cycle the motor.
Great video..I had exactly this same issue was about to blow cash on a new ice maker.. Although my solution wasn't as cool I used a copper crimp and soldered it on and bam...back in in business. Thanks again for this video. You saved me $100.
Great video! Worked like a charm! P.S., if that contact point (friction catch) is corroded to where contact is lost, the ice tray will not fill with water. The mechanics will work, the plastic fingers will spin, but water will not pour into the tray. This technique was simple and fixed the problem.
Fixed it! Had the same problem as you. Used the 9mm bullet casing and all. Working like a charm now! Awesome and thanks so much. TH-cam has saved me on many occasions and this one did as well.
what tool did you use to cut the casing?
@@Rdn55 a sharp hacksaw blade
a huge hacksaw blade for a small shell? maybe because I cant picture it in my mind.
This video was very helpful. The hose dispensing the water in to the ice maker was frozen. I used my hair dryer to thaw it out and it has been happily making ice all day. My question now is how do I keep that from happening again? Thank you
I had the exact same problem and was able to wire brush away blue powder, and enough of the old I assume cooper connection was left I could use needle nose pliers to make decent contact with the pin and it's been working for a week fine since I did it.
Did you look for the same problem in the video but in a different location on the circuit? Also, another thing you can check is sometimes the water line can freeze at the very end right before it reaches the tray. it acts like a plug and the water cant get out to fill the tray. Check that first. You can flex and squeeze the hose end to see if it has ice stuck in it.
When I took my ice maker apart, the plug that connects rod with the tines and the gear spool, has a busted tip. I'm assuming that's what causing the tines not to move. Can you buy just the new thread / or plug.? Any other repair? Or am I looking at buying a whole new ice maker? Great detailed video. At least I found what is broke.
This video was extremely helpful as the unit shown is EXACTLY the one I have and the problem was the same; corroded or burnt out contact area where the heating element touches the circuitry. I soldered a piece of bare copper wire there and it worked just fine. Thanks for posting the video. It was indeed very useful.
Thanks so much for this, the part in the video when you showed the black flexible hose & how it could be frozen was exactly my problem! Took my hairdryer & held it right over that spot on top of the fridge & thawed out the ice stuck in there, now working beautifully!
Same with mine. I just used a hair dryer and out came the ice.
My fridge is 23 years old and now just started getting ice maker problems.
Try this before you buy a new part!
I could not see the little plastic ice pushers. ??? so, I pulled off the cover... looked around and didn't see any burned connections. So, I put it back on cause it looked hard to line up and I wanted to see if I could even do it.. I got it back on and it started to spin again. So, just saying, all it may take is taking the panel off and put it back on to make the connection good again.
Try it.. nothing to lose!
Although your video has helped people, those holes in the front are actually jumpers. If you take a wire and stick the ends in N and M (neutral and motor) it will manually start the motor for diagnosing. A simple "i don't know what these do" is ok to say, because when I saw that you didn't know what you were talking about I almost didn't stick around to see the useful info at the end. :)
Great video. Mine went out a couple of days ago and after trying everything I could think of, I finally pulled it out of the freezer. Once I found the corroded clip, I found your video and it gave me the info I need to fix it. Great job!
Thanks! You just saved me $90 in parts for an icemaker!
have a whirlpool gold side by side and ice maker was not working at all. replaced ice maker and inlet valve but still no ice. water dispenser worked so i know it was getting water.video said you dont need new power cord but yes you do. i replaced the power cord that came with ice maker and ice bucket filled within 24 hours. hope this helps.
thanks had the same problem was a easy fix with your instructions used solder wick to reinforce the burnt parts of the trace and coated in lead free solder to stiffen it in place. now is working great thanks for the video helped make it a quick repair than a long trouble shooting project.
My ice maker makes ice when it feels like it. But the last thing I noticed is that when I close the top lever as if the door were closed, the optical light on the right does not work at all. Should I assume that the problem is definitely the optical part? Why is it when I tinker with the ice maker it makes ice for a few days and when the left bucket is empty then it won't make any ice at all It's been a week since it made ice again. Should I buy the mould tester to find out for sure?
Great video showing how you fixed you ice maker man, I'm gonna try fixing mine's now for sure...thanks you very much!
This video saved me $130 for a new ice maker. I had an electrical contact that was not making good contact. In fact it had been arcing and melted the plastic guide on the side of the copper electrical contact. I used some epoxy to glue a piece of plastic to make good contact of the copper.
Mine has exactly this same problem. I'll be cutting up a shell casing tomorrow. Thanks for the vid!
Hightideblue, thanks for your easy to follow video. Our ice maker stopped making ice about 6 months ago, but we can hear water running. After watching your video I wen to ck that black hose on the ice maker and sure enough it is froze. How do I unfreeze, though? Should I turn the freezer way down low or turn it off for a few hours? Thanks
use hair dryer
Dianne Anderson
can just removing and leaving it out cause any problems with the duty cycle of the whole refridgerator?
Even though this won't help me, It is a Very good video! Short sweet & to the point... Good Job!!!
This video is awesome kudos to the person that put it. I was able to fix my ice maker
Thanks so much for the video. My problem was the black flow tube. Used my hair dryer on it and it is now making ice again. Thanks!
Mine makes ice but leaks. I left for the weekend and the ice box was almost one big block of ice. Want to diy it but not sure if it needs replaced. Any suggestions? Thanks for posting and thank you for this channel.
Thank you!! I fixed our Kitchenaid ice maker, and impressed my husband. I learned NOT to use "vacation mode" which is when it froze the line water.
My ice maker has frozen water in the little compartment that catches the water from the black water hose, which, of course, is keeping it from making ice. Should I unplug the fridge to let it defrost? What do you think the problem is?
Mine is cycling, probably every 15 minutes or so, but water never fills. This started after a massive freeze-up due to full trip wire knocked out of place. I cleared all that mess, and it never made Ice again. But I can hear it cycling and see the fingers turning. I tried unplugging and replugging to see if maybe something had to be reset. I have not tried taking it out completely. I guess something might still be frozen inside the controller. ??? could be fill valve, quite a coincidence.
Thank you very much I had the same problem and fixed it with some copper. My friends where amazed but I couldn't take the credit I told them about this video.
Turning the water volume control knob on the ice maker, is it clockwise to increase & counter clockwise to decrease, or visa versa ?
Thank you so much for your video. I watched it and found the rubber hose had frozen water inside so no ice was being made. It's working now.
the large plastic gear, under the white cover, would SNAP because the teeth of the gear would disconnect with a smaller gear Do they wear down to the point where they have to be replaced?
Thank you sir! I opened my ice maker and the burnt copper I have was at the same exact spot yours had. Why is that happening?
is the thermostat normally unattached or is it suppose to be located in a specific place?
Well, I removed my ice maker to check it out. Well, i didn't do much too it, so I got the things to move upward that lifts up the ice cubes. So I put it back in the freezer and the white knob started to turn, which it had stop doing. So I decided to turn the water cut off valve back on and and it broke off, what luck am I having. Now I got to replace that in order too see if it's going to work or not. I'm not sure if it's the ice maker or the thing at the back on the bottom of the fridge.
What if the gear that says "do not rotate manually" was in fact rotated manually? Is there a way to set it back to where it needs to be? I think my problem is in troubleshooting my issues i moved the fingers that pop out the ice by hand, and i think it moved the gear, i didnt take the cover off until after that, which i saw that warning. So i think the cycle is off now. Any way to fix?
Very helpful thank you. If I use a 45cal will it make bigger ice? Lol. Great job repurposing, love when normal people do repairs with normal people stuff.
Thumbs up. Now do you have a video showing how to remove this front ice maker?
I do. It's here:
Ice maker repair - How to remove Whirlpool Kitchenaid Kenmore
I started a new channel just for DIY videos.
Same corrosion on the heating element contact on mine. Will have to see if that's all that's wrong here or not.
Very possible. It's worth taking a look. I know that a lot of internal parts are used by several brands. Not that your's is the same as this one, but it still could be suffering from the same problem.
Should the teeth on the tray move freely? I can spin mine all the way around? Is this a problem?
Icemakers have a tray to clean that shouldn't be too dirty; assuming the fridge hasn't been unplugged for years. The clear plastic line that brings the water to the icemaker could be nasty inside. Some refrigerators have visible water lines in the fridge section. Look to see if you see any gunk/discoloration in the water that has likely been stuck in the pipe. Also look at the water line behind the fridge. Run several gallons of water through the fridge and icemaker before you consume any.
Hello, I need help. we changed the water filter as usual on our Whirlpool In-door Ice refrigerator. after making several ice drops, and water flushes. I went to fill a glass of ice and it just spends and want drop any ice on either setting. can you help me please. Thanks!!
My icemaker was not dumping the ice. I removed the icemaker and when I took off the motor cover, everything was coated with ice. I removed all of that, scraped off the blue corrosion, and reinstalled the icemaker. The teeth seem to be working now but I can't get the icemaker to fill with water. It was filling before, just not dumping. Did I do something wrong when reinstalling?
Great video! This saved me from having to buy w hole new unit (for now at least). Thank you so much!
Thanks for the video!!!
I especially liked the usage of the 9mm brass.
This video saved me over 100 bucks. Thanks
Thanks for this video, mine was the exact same problem just different terminal. It now works and makes ice again, but the coating is all peeled off so might still need to get new one but at least I know it was that for sure. Again thanks for this video, very helpful and saved me money. Thanks
We have the exact same problem in our ice maker. But I'm confused on how you replaced the brass. I'm a 20 year old college kid, so I need cheap and sort of easy to figure out! And we don't have any shell casings laying around...would appreciate the help!
I also have no clue how to solder things together...again...college kid....
I have problem with ice maker. I suspect the warmer to release ice cubes is staying on too long and there will be much moisture in compartment which then freezes all of cubes in container together. After days of this the lower cubes become solid mass of ice. I have to remove clean out and start over with new cubes. Any ideas?
My Whirlpool ice maker is operating but is leaking water down into the ice bin on the outboard end (away from the water feed line) and freezing into a stalagmite in the bin that gets up to the machine and freezes together some of the cubes. Any thoughts?
I changed my dad's defrost timer, turned the clock on it to get new D-timer activated and it did. The whole refrigerator worked fine for 12 hours per dad. Now, he calls me frantic saying that not only he doesn't have any ice and that he thinks that the D-timer isn't working again. Your question (my problem): What other faulty part can be causing the entire freezer not to work, (it's off) again and therefore not cooling the soft food in the fridge?
I opened it up and mine was exactly the same. You video saved me $$$, thanks !!
After replacing the motor, my ice maker still did not work. After watching at least a dozen videos no one mentions the other possibility, which is easy to test...The Optic sensor. The red blinky light should blink twice when door is open and cycle over and over as two blinks then pause and repeat. If you close the receiver flap on the left wall the light should be solid red. If nothing, then its your Optics sensor. Type in Optics Sensor for this fridge and you will get a great tutorial on how to troubleshoot it. Wasted $160.00 on a motor I did not need. I tried to jumper the motor numerous times and it was not until I jumpered the Optic sensor did the motor finally work. Purpose of this sensor is to let motor know when the ice container is full since newer models do not have the metal wire. You will notice a grove cut into both sides of the ice container for the beam to shine through. Nothing will work if the Optic sensor does not work. Trying to jumper anything will fail. Hope that helps!
I own a Kenmore side by side refrigerator with an icemaker that stopped working. There are no cubes in it and the fingers are pointing at me. I checked the tube the water flows out of that fills the ice maker to make ice and it is not blocked with ice. How do I troubleshoot this problem.
not my issue, as I verified the maker is working, and the supply isn't frozen so it may be the solenoid. Anyways I am commenting as I like using the brass casing, and soldering the circuit vs everyone that buys a new unit. Well done!
Nice video, thanks.
Would of never thought of using an old shell to fix my ice maker.
Thank you so much for the “blinking light” information. Really helpful.
Thanks....One of my icemaker's teeth was down, slightly frozen to opposite side. Solved it easily!
Thanks ,,, first thing I checked was the water supply tube ...yep, Frozen , a few minutes with a hair dryer then 2 hours ice !
Mine makes ice, but doesn't eject the ice. However, different from this, the tines are UP when it is stuck. Almost as if it goes through the cycle but the tines don't remove the ice because the ice is not frozen enough? My theory is the inlet is leaking a bit and keeping the ice from being totally frozen when the tines try to remove the ice.
That's great, but my icemaker didn't have ice in it--so what do I do then? Water comes out, but no ice. Do i just replace the whole thing?
What does it mean when the ice bucket underneath freezes up and also where the ice comes out. I causes the freezer door to freeze and hard to open.
Awesome. using a few videos (one to figure out how to get the ice maker out, one for location of the controls driven troubleshooting steps, and finally this one for the courage\direction to remove the cover to the motor: magic, I found the burnout and damaged path and connector area. Mucho Thanks! Luv youtube too.
M1 water and ice filter if removed will it stop ice
if water fill tube getting frozen it means that water valve, that supply water to icemaker, is bad and need replacement. Water valve just not closing completely thus letting water to seep drop by drop into fill tube to the point of complete blockage. You may defrost it by using hair dryer or turkey buster filled with hot water or by unplugging fridge and defrosting freezer section for 24 hrs. .......Overflowing of icemaker may be a bad valve or bad icemaker.
Great video! Saved me from replacing the ice maker. Thanks.
Great video. This was my exact problem and I got mine working again. Thanks for taking the time to upload this video!
The "coating" on the ice tray for my fridge... is flaking off... and I've found the flakes in my ice cubes. Is it possible to replace just the tray? Or does the entire assembly have to go?
You would want to just get a whole new unit.
hightideblue home depot charges 49.00 for the whirlpool ice makers in a box back in the appliance dept.. Frigidaire is around the same price
+PatriotAr15 Replace the unit for about $75.00, Or perhaps buy an new fridge. Do not listen to this druggie attempting to make this video. He should be in a rehab facility.
sorry for replying to a year-old question on a 4-yr old video, buuuuuuuuut .... how dangerous is that coating to ingest? I just realized that the coating has been eaten away at, or dissolved by, the water, but started noticing these weird "plastic" flakes in my drinks about a year or so ago. I'd been trying to figure out what they were, but never knew that the ice maker was coated with a protective film. Is it from the ice hitting it and chipping away at it, or maybe caused by the tines/teeth scraping it? It looks like theres a lot of deposit around the areas damaged by whatever, so maybe something nasty in our water is the culprit? I'm concerned about having to buy new ice makers over and over again if this is a design flaw, but I'm even more worried that we've been using toxic ice for over a year... Thanks again!
A new ice maker is 49.00 at lowes so...
I have the same one ,the light is flashing , no water getting in to the ice maker box , I get the drinking water .any Augustine's ,thanks Maz
Awesome tip. Exact same problem and solution. Thanks for sharing.
Loop
i went from having the unit make ice and wouldnt stop to not getting water. Any ideas how to fix that?
I have an ice maker bar size U-Line ...UL SP 188-03 and it made tons of ice and then one day it just heated up...no ice...just heat coming from the bar where the ice falls out.
Can anyone tell me what is the problem...Thank you