The ice maker in our Whirlpool Gold has been nothing but trouble for us since we have owned this fridge. We bought it new at in early 2004 and in 2006 we had to replace the whole ice maker along with the infared unit. It wasn't a cheap repair by any means, but our ice maker was working again and we were happy. Fast forward to now and our ice maker hasn't been producing ice for weeks. Perhaps I was hoping it would miraculously start working again. I've searched your forums trying to find my answer, but I'm not sure what the exact issue is.

It appears the LED lights are blinking correctly. The right light blinks twice with a 1 second pause and then is solid red when I close the left flap. Our water dispenser is working fine too.

I think the issue is with the ice maker itself. I'm not exactly sure how it is supposed to look, so I took a picture of how it appears now. Are the fingers in the right position?


And the last straw, was that our auger is now no longer working. It used to turn when the dispenser was pressed in the front and now nothing happens. The light comes on when it is pressed, by nothing comes out and you cannot hear the auger turning.

So, what parts would I need to order? Do you have any tips or tricks for me to try before going this route? Thx!

Hi,

Lets start with your ice maker, Feel inside your ice maker and see if its got ice in it or its dry inside.

Jake

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It's dry.

Ok,

Then I would make sure your black rubber fill tube that puts water in it from the freezer ceiling is not clogged with ice, sometimes you can't see the ice blockage up in there, use a turkey baster and shoot hot water in there, then get something to run up in that fill tube, a small Phillips screwdriver perhaps, or
I use a evaporator cooler spider snake:
http://www.azpartsmaster.com/Products/Cooler-Spider-Snake__CLR4690.aspx

They are used basically in Arizona to clean out the water pump tubes that run to the cooler pads.

I don't know if they would sell them in your area, but if you go to your local hardware store, they should have something similar to run up your black rubber fill tube.

You can get better access to that black rubber fill tube by removing your ice maker first:
Here's the instructions TO remove the ice maker assembly:


1. Remove the bucket from the door to get some room.

2. Put a piece of tape on the sensor flapper to hold it down so you won't damage it while removing the ice maker.

3. Remove the ice maker service cover door by spreading the two hinge fingers apart away from the center and the door should lift out of the slot.

4. Remove the screw in the right rear bottom side of the ice maker.

5. After removing the screw that cover should lift up from the rear and just work it out from the rear and you see the electrical harness.

6. On the left track the should be a tab toward the bottom which you need to push up.

7. Push up tab and start working the ice maker towards you pulling it out of the track.

8. Careful with the electrical harness in the back as you're pulling out.

9. Disconnect the electrical plug by lifting the clip on the plug.

10. Remove the side cover on the side module by pulling off.

11. Remove the bottom shield by removing the 3 screws on the bottom.

12. To install reverse the order as it came out.

Report back what you find, then we will go from there.

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

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Tonight my husband and I removed the ice maker. Everything was dry. I squirted into the fill tube with hot water and my husband checked it w/a small screwdriver. It does not seem frozen. Nothing new seems to be happening in there. What's our next step? Thx!!!

Good job removing the ice maker to check the black rubber fill tube, now the fun part.

You can jump the L & V on the module and that will send 120 volts to your water inlet valve and see if water comes out from your fill tube in the back of your ice maker. Just make a jumper wire.
OR
If you want to test the water inlet valve alone, the water inlet valve is in the back of your refrigerator were your water supply line hooks up to it.

You can buy a test cord here:
Test Cord - 110 Volt With Alligator Clips


or you can probably get a cheater cord like this at any hardware store in your area if you don't want to wait on ordering it.

Jeff has a good section on this here:
http://www.applianceaid.com/icemaker-valvetest.html

Report back what you find.

__________________
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

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My husband used a cheater cord with no success. We heard the ice maker itself make a little noise when he tested it on the counter, but once inside the freezer nothing happened with the cheater cord. My husband re-installed it. We wait further instruction. Thx!

No, I meant use the cheater cord on the water inlet valve in the back of your refrigerator.

Here's the water inlet valve for your model:
Manufacturer's Number: 4389177

4389177

Take the bottom tubing out from under both the green and red solenoids, then take the electrical connectors off as well, and put the cheater cord on the 2 electrical terminals on green one, then if water comes out, its good. Then do the same on the red one, if water comes out its good.

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

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This is what the back inside of our fridge/freezer looks like.


We only see a blue inlet. Would the red & green solenoids be inside that blue thing? Everything back there looks dry though. If water is coming into the freezer for our water then wouldn't the same be true for our ice?

Looks like the colors changed on the new water inlet valve solenoid, but its the exact same one for your model.

You mean the water to the water dispenser in front on your freezer door?
No, I've seen that work, yet the other side of the water inlet valve to the ice maker not work, thats why I say to use the cheater cord on the ice maker side, which in that photo looks to be the brown one on the right side.

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

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