FIXED Kitchenaid KSF26C4XYY03 Icemaker Intermittently Working

[worldwidemeb]

Model Number

KSF26C4XYY03

Brand

KitchenAid

Age

6-10 years

Hello. I'm new to the forum, but have been doing lots of research the past few days on here and other websites and have found very little on this particular model. So I figured I'd make my own post.

I have an ~8 year old Kitchenaid side by side fridge model KSF26C4XYY03 with the in-door icemaker. I've had issues with the icemaker in the past year where it stopped working for a day and then all of the sudden started working again before I could get to diagnosing it. It's finally stopping working completely and consistently. Here's what I know:

1. When the icemaker is not working, there is no power to test ports L & N and I cannot manually cycle the motor or water fill via a jumper wire.
2. The module has continuity
3. The wiring harness to the icemaker (where it connects at the top of the freezer door) has continuity, so I don't suspect a bad thermal fuse
4. The wiring harness at the door hinge has continuity, so I don't suspect broken/pinched wires and the loom looks to be in good shape
5. I pulled and tested both the door and icemaker switch located on the inside wall of the freezer and both have good continuity and the lights work inside the fridge and freezer
6. All three water valves at the back of the fridge have continuity
7. Water to the water dispenser and pressure is normal

One thing I discovered is when I plugged my fridge back in after running some tests, my icemaker worked for a few seconds and I could read 125v across L & N. The module gear rotated and the water dispensed, but before it can get through a full cycle, it just stops and there is no longer a voltage reading to the module. The fact that I can get it to run for a short period of time tells me that the circuit is good, but the power source or what is demanding the power is bad.

Does the icemaker module somehow "call" for electricity or is there always voltage going to the icemaker? Could this be a bad module or is there a more serious electrical issue inside the fridge or a control board issue?

 

[Jake]

Ok, I'll bet you will see frayed/broken wires underneath that black wire harness LOOM under the freezer door, this is extremely common to see happen on this model.

You MUST peel back that black wire harness LOOM to see all the wires leading into the freezer door.

Look here:

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Jake

 

[worldwidemeb]

Thank you for your response Jake. I pulled the loom and tape off of the big harness coming out of the bottom of the fridge door and found that one wire, the silver/red one, has a tear in the sheathing, but it doesn't look like any of the stranded wire is cut. There are no other wires damaged. I did not see a silver/red wire coming out of the top of the fridge door to the icemaker. Do you know what this wire leads to? And do you still think this could be the problem?

Did you see the end of my message above where I said I could get the icemaker to run right after I plug the fridge back in? The module gear turns and water even dispenses, but then it just stops cold after a few seconds of running. To me, this indicates that the circuit is complete, but the power source or what is demanding the power is the culprit, but I could be wrong.

 

[Jake]

Did you see the end of my message above where I said I could get the icemaker to run right after I plug the fridge back in? The module gear turns and water even dispenses, but then it just stops cold after a few seconds of running.

It should not stop cold after a few seconds of running, it should complete its cycle as long as you are holding in the door switch and the little flapper on the left side of the ice bin is not blocked.

Jake

 

[worldwidemeb]

Ok I tried it again and marked where the module wheel stops and starts. It makes one complete revolution then stops at the line I marked. About a minute after completing the cycle, I can't read any voltage between L&N. I'm guessing the module does not run continuously, but has sort of timer that kicks it off another cycle. Should it lose power between cycles or should I always be able to read 120-125V while the wheel is not moving? From what I know now, I'm hopeful it's not a problem in the circuit, otherwise the icemaker would not turn on at all.

 

[worldwidemeb]

Update. I found the service sheet tucked in the toe kick and went through that to see if there's something else I've been overlooking. While I was in diagnostic mode #15 (optics), I only got a flashing "01" which the sheet says means the optics board is reading a full/not present ice bin. The ice bin was definitely installed and not full. Also, I cant get the tiny LED light on the receiver side to light up no matter what I do. According to other online sources, the LED light should be lit or blinking if the flapper is closed and the beam unobstructed. Also, all of my door switches were taped down while I was testing the optics.

Would a bad optics board cause no power to the icemaker?

The service sheet just says that "the optics are faulty" which is non-specific. Is there a way to find out what is wrong with the optics board or to determine which board (or both) is bad? Or is this something you replace in a set?

 

[worldwidemeb]

On the receiver board, I have tested J1-1 to J1-3 (red to blk/wh) and J1-3 to J1-4 (blk/wh to brown) and got 14VDC for both per the wiring diagram. So I know there is power coming into the receiver board and power going to the emitter board. I've seen on other versions of the whirlpool icemaker optics where you can bypass the optics by jumping black to black/white to get the icemaker to run, but my receiver board is different. Is there a way to safely perform this function with my receiver board? Basically I'm looking for a way to isolate the optics as the problem before moving forward with ordering parts.

 

[Jake]

Look at these threads below, your model uses the exact same optics boards.

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Jake

 

[worldwidemeb]

Ok so I am not reading 14V across J1-1 to J1-3 (yellow to brown) on the emitter board. I am getting 14V on the receiver side. Should I be able to read 14V at the emitter board at all times? If so, does that mean the emitter board is the culprit? Is there another way to test the emitter board (like for continuity)?

Would jumpering brown to yellow on the receiver board effectively bypass the emitter board?

 

[Jake]

Make sure the door switch is pressed in and the little flapper on the left side is tape closed for testing purposes only, and make sure nothing is blocking the beam, then it should also be 14V at the emitter.

On the receiver board check for 14V J1-1 to J1-3 (input voltage from dispenser board)

On the receiver board check for 14V J1-4 to J1-3 (output voltage to emitter)

On the emitter board check for 14V J1-1 to J1-3 (input voltage from receiver)

Would jumpering brown to yellow on the receiver board effectively bypass the emitter board?

That I don't know if you can do.

Jake

 

[worldwidemeb]

I’m not seeing a way to read the voltage at the emitter while the boards are installed and hidden behind the cover plates. And as stated before, I do read 14VDC on both terminal tests on the receiver even when removed from the sidewall.

I do see a problem with reading 14V output to the emitter from the receiver, but not reading 14V input at the emitter. This tells me that the circuit is broken on the emitter side.

Would you start by replacing the emitter or do you think it could be something else, not the optics?

 

[Jake]

Like I mentioned above, if you are absolutely sure you have NO MORE broken wires, then yes I'd replace the emitter.

Here's the emitter for your model:
W10870822 Cntrl-Elec


Jake

 

[worldwidemeb]

Thank you Jake. I double checked the wires up to where they enter the freezer door and everything looks fine other than that one I mentioned. The functions of everything that stems from the wires in the freezer door (ice door motor, water dispenser, ice dispenser motor, ice bucket LED) all work nominally. I discovered that when I put the fridge in diagnostic mode and run test 25 (water dispensing and icemaker fill test) I am able to get the icemaker to run by jumpering T and H and the water fill operation works fine each time it cycles, so I'm confident the icemaker itself is working fine. Test 15 still reads "01" even though the ice bucket is present and not full.

 

[Jake]

Yes, good, that means the new emitter should fix it.

Jake

 

[worldwidemeb]

Quick update. I got the emitter board in yesterday and installed it. It's been making ice ever since! Thank you again for your guidance.

One quick question, when is the red LED light on the receiver supposed to come on? I got it to come on when I first installed the emitter board by closing the ice bin flap, but since then, I can't get it to turn on.

 

[Jake]

Excellent, glad to hear the new emitter fixed it.

Thanks for the update!

That RED LED only stays on for the first 5 minutes, then goes off, that's normal.

Jake