FIXED Kitchenaid KRSC500ESS00 ice maker not working

[BokeInNH]

Model Number

KRSC500ESS00

Brand

KitchenAid

Age

1-5 years

This KRSC500ESS00 refrigerator is 5 years old. The first ice maker failed when it was 2 years old. When the tech replaced the ice maker,
I saw how easy it was to do. Tech said "these fail pretty often, you're lucky if you get 5 years out of it". He was right because the ice maker stopped working 3 years later, so here I am...

I bought a new ice maker and swapped it in (the old ice tray was stuck at an angle.)
Unfortunately the new one didn't work so I figured it was defective.
So sent it back and bought ANOTHER new one direct from "Whirlpool parts factory certified".
Installed second new one and still it is not working! Very frustrated, I have no ice even after 3 days.

The freezer is 0 degrees. NO WATER EVER ENTERS the ice cube tray.
The door water dispenser works fine and delivers water at the normal rate.
I also inspected the water inlet above the cube tray and see no ice buildup at all,
and I even ran a hair dryer into it to be sure the channel is not iced.

I have seen posts about broken wires at the freezer door base hinge but my wires look pristine.
The ice maker switch is ON, and I tested the bin sensor with success.
I have run the ice maker related diagnostics, with these results:
Test 44=2, then 23 ... when I initiate harvesting with SW3 I see "12", then "23"
test 45=02 (I can never do water fill test because SW3 does not respond!) <<--HELP!
test 46=00 (unrelated but it works, and when I dispense water I see 01)
test 47=02=open
test 48=02=bucket present

 

[Jake]

For others following your thread--->Here's your ice maker tech data sheet that has troubleshooting in it: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cM55ONghMG_V99Hdd-ysfueTDjV9Uvsq

Here's the ice maker for your model:
W10873791 Ice Maker


--->I'd first check for any frayed or broken wires underneath the freezer door--->Lots of members have found frayed and broken wires causing the ice maker/and or auger motor to be low voltage or dead completely. Remove your bottom kickplate grille, Remove the black wire harness loom too, broken wires can be underneath it.

Another member was having a similar problem here: FIXED: GSF26C4EXY02 Whirlpool Gold Ice Maker Problem Look at his post #6 he found frayed and broken wires underneath the freezer door, remove your kickplate and check for that first.

Here's another one with the same thing about the frayed and broken wires: FIXED: 106.51173310 Kenmore elite ice maker not working - no led light

Here's another: FIXED: Whirlpool WSF26C2EXF01 Door Icemaker Not Working

Let us know what you find.

Also look here:

FIXED - Whirlpool refrigerator WRS588FIHV00 broken wires

I have been waiting on a door for a whirlpool refrigerator model WRS588FIHV00 for 4 months so I decided to have a look myself and found broken wires at the bottom on freezer side, a white one and a brown one . I reconnected them but it doesn't appear to be working, is there something else I...

www.applianceblog.com

And here:

FIXED - 2017 Whirlpool Refrigertor WRS588FIHZ00 Ice Maker Fail?

The ice maker stopped making ice. Cleaned out bucket. Filter was recently changed. Checked water supply lines. All good. Unplugged unit. Plugged it in 20 minutes later. Went to bed. Woke up to about 20 ice cubes. Assumed all good. Three days later, no ice. Searched forum. Found...

www.applianceblog.com

Jake

 

[BokeInNH]

Jake, THANK YOU for getting me focused on the wiring harness at the bottom of the freezer door hinge! Though my harness looked okay, closer inspection revealed electrical tape, which I carefully removed. All was NOT well inside.

It looks like the tech that I hired 3 years ago made a little repair by adding a short splice to a broken tiny white wire. The wires were twisted in with NO solder! (See pic’s) I connected them with test alligator clips and all diagnostics passed and now my ice bucket is almost full overnight!

Today I will solder and heat shrink the joint and button everything back up! THANK YOU JAKE.

Final comment… there is a huge amount of tiny wires in that harness at the hinge! Such a poor design. I will never buy another refrigerator with on-door ice maker and water dispenser again.

 

[BokeInNH]

I am now an expert running diagnostics 44 and 45 (harvest and fill test). Even though I had a new ice maker I tried my original ice maker and realized it was behaving exactly the same in the diag's. So when I found the REAL problem (broken white wire) I found that my original ice maker works just fine.

Let that be a lesson for others with "faulty ice makers"... CHECK THE WIRES FIRST!

 

[Jake]

Excellent, glad you found it was just the wires causing your ice maker problem only.

Thanks for the update and your photos you uploaded.