Jenn-air Js42sefxda problems.

[Frankh]

Model Number

Js42sefxda

Brand

Jenn-Air

Age

More than 10 years

I’m having problems with this fridge. In the past there was an issue with the evap icing up due to a defrost cycle problem. That was resolved. Now the fresh food side is freezing food. Upon inspection, there was ice formed below the evap fan, which grew till it blocked the ff damper. The evap did not ice up. The defrost system seemed ok. I deiced the unit. I put it into diagnostic mode. Step 9, I believe, would open the damper. But I could not close it with the following step. I tested with my meter, and it seemed the damper motor was not getting a close signal. But I let the unit run till it pulled down the ff to the set temperature. I opened the freezer side and, lo and behold, the damper was shut. I went back into diagnostics, but still could only make it open but not close. While in Diagnostics mode, I could not always get readings for the thermistors. Yet, in normal mode, I get temperature readings for ff and freezer. Also, in diagnostics the ambient thermistor read 25 degrees (the unit is set for Fahrenheit). I held my hand on it, and it would not change.…odd, no? My guess at this point is the damper did not close at some point, letting cold air into ff side, and at the same time letting humidity back through to create the ice under the evap fan. I saw no dripping water from the evap to cause this ice. Any ideas? Do you think there is something wrong with the touch control board in the ff side, causing these issues and odd displays? What is the purpose of the ambient air thermistor to the operation of this unit. I searched the web for a replacement, but it is obsolete and unavailable.
I set the ff for 41 degrees, and the freezer for 0. The owner also seems to think the compressor and fan never shut off. I asked them to call tomorrow with the temperature readings and whether the compressor shuts off if the set points are achieved.

 

[Frankh]

The owner called this morning. The freezer display says 8 degrees and ff says minus 55 degrees. When restarting the unit yesterday, both displays seemed accurate and were dropping. Both ambient and ff thermistors are no longer available. Are there retrofits?

 

[Frankh]

I went back to check readings, and things get stranger still. When I arrived, the display said 8 degrees for the freezer and -71 for the ff. i took readings with my digital thermometer…11 for the freezer and 32 for ff. They are set for 0 and 41. I put it in diagnostic mode. I checked the three thermistors, ff freezer and ambient, three times each. The freezer thermistor ( in diagnostic mode) read 12,81,and80. The ff (in diagnostic) read 31,21,13. The ambient thermistor ( in diagnostic) read 4, 1,-8. i interrupted power to take it out of diagnostic mode, the freezer temperature then read 11 and the ff read 30, both being fairly accurate. I don’t know what is causing these wild readings. The main board is only a few months old. It was changed when the unit was not defrosting properly. This is very bizarre.