My fridge/freezer is not cooling at all. The lights work, the fan runs, but it won't cool. Last night I took the lower grill off to see where the compressor was. I happened to hear the relay click, then the compressor hummed for a couple of seconds and clicked back off. It sounded like it tried to start, but couldn't.

I'm thinking either a bad compressor, or low freon and a low pressure limit switch is kicking the compressor back off so it doesn't destroy itself.

Any ideas? How much is a compressor?

Thanks,
Jim

Hi,

Bad compressor is very possible, refrigerators don't have a low pressure device.

http://www.applianceaid.com/refrigerator.html#clicking

Average compressor replacement can be $350-450.00

jeff.

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I looked into the back of the fridge to see if I could see a burned relay like jeff1 suggested. The relay looks fine. Still, when I plug in the fridge, the compressor hums for a few seconds, then clicks off.
When I first noticed that the fridge wasn't working, I could hear the air circulation fan running. However, when I took the back cover off, I notice another fan (must be the condensor cooling fan) NOT running when the fridge is plugged in. Even while the compressor it humming, it's not running.

Would that cause the compressor to shut off? I had noticed that sometimes the top of the fridge and the area around the doors would be very hot.
Thanks,
Jim

OK. I got the start device off the compressor. when I shake it, there is a lot of rattling around like loose pieces inside. In fact, I have shaken some small black/grey pieces out of it -- like burned up plastic.
Lots of evidence of a lot of heat in the area.
The plastic over the wire terminals was very brittle.

The part that bothers me is that the cooling fan that blows on the compessor wasn't running when the fridge was plugged in. I don't know if that's because the compressor never ran right, or because the fan is burned out. If the fan burned out, then the compressor heated up, could that also have caused this start device to fry, too?

I guess I'll buy the start device online (Sears warehouse nearby doesn't stock it) and see if that fixes the thing.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Jim

I replaced the start device/overload last night, and the fridge works fine now. Thanks. I feel greatful to get it fixed for $49.

I noticed that the condensor fan still doesn't work, so I'll look into that later.