When I plugged the refrigerator back in, the fan turns on immediately.

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After about 30 to 40 seconds, I hear a click, a little noise (a faint whine like a strobe light) from the compressor, the door light dims a bit, and then after a few seconds, another click. This cycle continues every 30 to 40 seconds.
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The air blowing from the back is cool, the coils are cool to the touch, and the compressor is just slightly warm to the touch. The air blowing inside the freezer compartment is not cold
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So, is this something cheap to fix like a Relay or Capacitor… or am I looking at a new Compressor?

Maytag - MSD2454FRW
Purchased June 2000

Your PTC relay probably blew out. You will need to pull the back panel out and remove the cover on the side of the compressor and verify. You will see a plastic box plugged into the compressor terminals.
Your new part is (relay/overload 12002783).

Part is ordered... I also ordered a new switch for the water/ice dispenser that was sticky, I saw the thread about this and thought I would go ahead and fix it while I was at it...

I replaced the relay/overload. The charred areas provided evidence that this was the source of the burning, so clearly part of the problem… but perhaps not the only thing wrong….. still does not cool. The on/off pattern is about the same, only the compressor makes a click, click, click, rather than a whine.

Any thoughts?

If that relay/overload didn't fix it, then your compressor is locked-up and will need to be changed. This is a very expensive repair and can only be done by a licensed refrigerator tech.

Jake

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So, a last ditch effort to see if something else was wrong other than the compressor.....

I plugged in the refrigerator and let it run for awhile to see what would happen... I checked it after about 15 minutes... now nothing works. no fan, no compressor cycles.

Could this be a good sign?

Keep it plugged in, it may be in the defrost cycle, give it another 30 minutes.

Jake

__________________
Appliance Repair School 1987-1988
Star Appliance Tech. 2 yrs. 1988-1990
Wards Appliance Tech. 11 yrs. 1990-2001
Sears Appliance Tech. 4 yrs. 2001-Oct. 2005
Jake's Appliance Repair Nov. 2005-present

If you need more repair advice help on your appliance, click Here

Look-Up & Order Parts

Shop Home Appliances

Still nothing....

I also took the relay off and cleaned the contacts that were a little charred. Put it back together... Still nothing...

The light inside the refrigerator comes on... but that's it. No fans spin.. no noise... nothing.

The ice/water no longer works... the little green light does not even come on the dispenser panel.

So did I do more damage by letting the thing run... or is this a symptom of another issue?

Do I just throw in the towel and buy a new refrigerator?

Thanks

If I just waited a little longer.....

So the refrigerator is running now.... but the compressor cycles are still short. The relay clicks on, the compressor jiggles a little, then the relay clicks off.

The green light on the ice/water is still not on, and the water does not dispense. These were working prior to replacing the relay, and I think they worked for a period after I installed the new relay.

BTW: the Relay/Overload assembly that I purchased was:
Manufacturer: Maytag
Mfr Part # : 61004918
I called to confirm that this was the correct part for my model.

The compressor is warm to the touch...