FIXED 253.26762100 Kenmore Freezer Beeping Continuously

[agdodge4x4]

Model Number

253.26762100

Brand

Sears Kenmore

Age

6-10 years

This is the freezer:

KENMORE ELITE
253.26762100

The display has been showing 'CE' for a years and usually pushing reset or wiggling cables or opening the door a few times will clear it.

Now it just shows E and it is beeping CONTINUOUSLY. Reset won't fix it. The display is flashing and flipping...I have solved the issue for now by disconnecting and removing the UI and it's board.

I don't see any way to inspect wires or connections other than looking at them from the outside. The wire going into the door by the hinge looks fine and the wire under the freezer appears intact with no damage.

Pushing the UP arrow to 'OFF' quiets everything down and the display does not 'freak out' when it is in that mode. I have disconnected the UI for now as there is no other way to keep it from beeping. However, this makes the freezer run continuously.

What is wrong with it?!?

 

[Dan O.]

System Error Alarm

The display will alternate between temperature and "CE" or "E" and the control panel will beep every five (5) seconds. Press the ALARM RESET
button to turn the audible alarm (beep) off. Call service repair to correct the problem.

I couldn't find anything specific on the CE error other than 'communications error' between the electronic controls.

The wiring where it goes through the door hinge is a common failure point. The wires don't need to be visibly broken. The actual wires inside the plastic covering could be broken without showing external signs. Try flexing the wires in that area back and forth to see if conditions change. There is also a connector in the wire harness in that area for removing the door. Try reseating that connector.

Check the wiring connections going to the main circuit board at the rear by the compressor. Reseat any connectors in the harness.

There is apparently a 9v battery backup for temperature display. Try replacing that battery. Maybe the alarm is a warning of a low battery like a smoke detector? If the battery was low it might possibly cause a communication error?

I don't have any other suggestions, sorry.

Dan O.

 

[agdodge4x4]

I couldn't find anything specific on the CE error other than 'communications error' between the electronic controls.

The wiring where it goes through the door hinge is a common failure point. The wires don't need to be visibly broken. The actual wires inside the plastic covering could be broken without showing external signs. Try flexing the wires in that area back and forth to see if conditions change. There is also a connector in the wire harness in that area for removing the door. Try reseating that connector.

Check the wiring connections going to the main circuit board at the rear by the compressor. Reseat any connectors in the harness.

There is apparently a 9v battery backup for temperature display. Try replacing that battery. Maybe the alarm is a warning of a low battery like a smoke detector? If the battery was low it might possibly cause a communication error?

I don't have any other suggestions, sorry.

Dan O.

Thanks Dan!

I appreciate any help no matter what.

I got my new part in. It did not fix the issue. It seems to have 'calmed down' the erratic beeping and freaking out, but I still have a CE error. When I open the door slowly to 90 degrees, the display will shut off at various points in the swing. Sometimes the inside lights and fans shut off....only briefly. I have wiggled and jiggled and pulled and yanked on the wire near the hinge at the bottom and have NOT reproduced any issues and the CE does not see to change. So...I guess I need to inspect that wire INSIDE the door. Or...perhaps I can voltage test the 4 pins on the cable? I don't know. But....I can't really throw parts at it again. LOL.

 

[Dan O.]

I got my new part in.

What part is that??


Did you check the battery?

Did you check the wiring connections all the way back to the main control board?

Did you test the wiring from the user interface to the wiring at the base of the door for intermittency?

Did you test the wiring from the base of the door to the main control board for intermittency?


The tech sheet for the freezer is pretty useless and I don't have or even know if there is a service manual for that freezer design so there's not a lot I'm going to be able to do from here. Sorry.


Dan O.

 

[agdodge4x4]

Did you test the wiring from the user interface to the wiring at the base of the door for intermittency?

This is what I am trying to figure out how to test. The other things seem to be OK. I replaced the user interface board. I was just able to shut off power to the UI by pulling on the wire from the hinge. I am now certain the wire is damaged, but it is damaged inside the door. How do you access this wire? I can splice and repair if I can get to it.

 

[agdodge4x4]

I started removing the door shelf inside the freezer. I can see behind it, but there is no access to the wire that runs into the hinge and through the door. That wire is certainly broken inside the door. How on earth do you remove that wire to repair it??

 

[Dan O.]

I don't know how the wire inside the door would become damaged. There's no wear and tear on it. IMO it is much more likely any problem would be at one end or the other.

Most doors these days use foamed in insulation with any wiring imbedded. I have no idea how the wiring could be replaced even if necessary, other than replacing the door assembly. The wiring is not listed as a separate part.


Dan O.

 

[agdodge4x4]

Yes. That seems to be the case. Either way, There is not enough room to make repairs on the wire which seems to be damaged just inside the nylon bushing in the door. Since it seems to be nothing more than four wires, I will attempt to unplug the wire under the fridge, remove the door, and see if I can make the repair. If not, then I will cut the connector on the top of the door, cut the wire at the bottom of the door, and make the splice such that I can just slide the stupid UI under the freezer and call it a day. What a terrible design. Truly a modern marvel of failures in engineering.

 

[agdodge4x4]

Well, There is no continuity on orange or blue wires from the connector to the top of the fridge. I have a cool voltmeter that allows me to poke through sheathing. The wires do appear to be broken or damaged INSIDE the door. It might be JUST inside the door, but either way, it's not a place I can solder or splice a wire.

So...what do I do?

 

[Dan O.]

I'm afraid I have no idea. Possibly run a new wire inside the door, just behind the inner door panel. I imagine getting it through the door from the front by the control to inside might not be too difficult. Feeding it out the hinge might be harder. Going the other way, through the hinge first, might be easier? And then fishing it out to run under the inner panel to the top?

I don't believe there is a set procedure. It will likely be up to your ingenuity.

Dan O.

 

[agdodge4x4]

Yeah. I think that's what I'll have to do. The alternative is to surgically extract the wire from the foam, but that seems more invasive than necessary. In regards to your suggestion....WHY DIDNT THEY JUST DO THIS TO BEGIN WITH? LOL. Would've been way better.

 

[Dan O.]

WHY DIDN'T THEY JUST DO THIS TO BEGIN WITH?

It's probably simpler assembly to install the parts in a blank door panel and then install the insulation into it. Time is $$. Every penny saved is a $ in their pocket.

Dan O.

 

[Dan O.]

Going through the hinge first, might be easier? And then fishing it out to run under the inner panel to the top?

You might be able to fashion a large suture out of a coat hanger with the wire tired to one end and push that through the hinge hole and out the inside of the panel where you can grab it.



Dan O,

 

[agdodge4x4]

Alright, so far, it seems to be working. Here is what I did. I removed the inside panel. I wanted a solution that was as least invasive as possible without poking holes everywhere. So, I opted against running new wires on the inside as that would require additional splices and holes poked near the top of the door.

The wire was broken just inside that little dirty white grommet. It is the ONLY place in the harness that is 'loose'. Therefore, it is where the wire will twist back and forth until it breaks. So, I took a very sharp utility knife and I cut a 2"x4" square out of the door or so. Then I took a chisel and pryed that out in one piece. With an ice pick and small screwdriver, I dug out the white styrofoam CAREFULLY around where you see the wires. This allowed me to push that grommet back through, clip all of the wires and remove it. From here, I pulled out the wire harness from under the door and through the hinge. I soldered on 4 new pieces of 18AWG wire. It's bigger than the 20 AWG wire that is currently in there. This made the exterior door harness about 6" longer than factory. I shrink wrapped each splice, and then shrink wrapped the entire harness and slipped it back through the hinge and door. Then I melted a bigger hole in that grommet to accomodate the new wires which are bigger. I used a torch to heat up a screwdriver to melt the square hole. From here I soldered the extended beefier harness to the existing harness, slid shrink wrap over those pieces and laid them back in the void. Then, I took expanding spray foam from the home center and gently filled that gap. This serves two purposes.....first, it fills the hole, but it also air seals everything back like it was from the factory (or as close as you can get to factory). It also, once cured, holds all of those wires and solder connections still. After the foam expanded, I scraped a little away on the top, folded the cardboard flap back down, and secured the inner panel back along with its gasket.


A couple of pointers:

1.) If you are soldering and shrink wrapping like I did, make CERTAIN you pay attention to order of operations. you have to get the wire back through the hinges and situation before soldering and you need shrink wrap on the wires before soldering. Pay attention...otherwise, you'll be unsoldering wires and backtracking.

2.) You probably dont need spray foam. I was worried about air sealing and insulation. Once you cut the foam block out, the rest of the foam you remove comes out in tiny pieces and you have broken the air seal. That part of the freezer gets cold and air from the room may get in there which could cause condensation to drip on your floor.

3.) Continuity test your wires before, during, and after fixing and before you foam and close up. You want to make sure you are actually fixing the problem.

The reason this design failed is because they did not allow any places for the wires to to flex. If they had allowed 2" of loose wire in there, the wire would probably not have broken. The only place the wire could flex when opening the door is right at the grommet. So, it's no surprise a couple of wires broke there.

Hope this helps someone.

 

[Dan O.]

I'm glad you got it functioning. Thanks for the detailed repair description.

Dan O.