KitchenAid Refrigerator KRMF706ESS01 ICE MAKER NOT WORKING

[Kevin Gentry]

Model Number

KRMF706ESS01

Brand

KitchenAid

Age

1-5 years

My ice maker stopped working. I am able to run Service Test 45 and it will fill the ice try. The ice will then freeze and then be harvested without further action on my part, but after the harvest, it does not refill the ice trays. What is the problem?

Service Test Results:
45: It will successfully refill the ice tray, then code: 02
56: E5
58: 10
59: 10 during sequence, 01 after sequence

Help! Thank you!

 

[Jake]

Service Test - 56 Ice Maker Error Codes
• Displays active Ice Maker Error Codes on the UI display. (E0 = No Errors, E1 = No Cooling, E2 = Motor Lost Position, E3 = Heater Timeout, E4 = Dry Cycle, E5 = Timed Ice Making).

--->E5 = Timed ice making. This code indicates the ice maker thermistor is warmer than 16° and the ice bin thermistor has been below 45° for 3 hours. An E5 can be the result of a defective IM thermistor, bin
thermistor, loose thermistor connection, ice box fan not running or a cooling issue.

Put a freezer thermometer in the ice maker compartment and tell us what it reads in 2 hours. Do you hear the ice box fan running?

Service Test - 45 Ice Maker Water Fill Test
NOTE: BEFORE INITIATION THIS TEST, GO TO STEP 57, INITIATE ICE MAKER HARVEST TO INSURE ALL ICE IS EJECTED FROM MOLD BEFORE FILLING.
• After an initial 3 second delay, displays the Ice Maker water fill stat on the UI display. Press SW3 to start a water fill. Pressing SW3 will toggle between ON and PAUSE. (02 = Off, 03 = On, 04 + Paused).

Service Test - 57 Ice Maker Harvest
• Press SW3 to activate a Harvest sequence. Digit 1 displays the state of the sequence. Digit 2 displays the outcome of the sequence. Once initiated, the sequence cannot be exited.
Digit 1 0 = Heater and Motor OFF, 1 = IM Heater ON, 2 = Motor Rotating CW until it finds home position.
Digit 2 0 = In Progress, 1 = Harvesting Completed, 2 = Harvesting not completed, Doors must be closed.
NOTE: Harvesting Not Completed does not exit the step, but indicates the timeout of 70 seconds has passed.

Here's the ice maker for your model: W11294907 Icemaker

Jake

 

[Kevin Gentry]

Thank you so much for your quick response, Jake. I will buy a freezer thermometer tomorrow and get right back to you. Again, thanks!

 

[Kevin Gentry]

Also, I am not famliar with the ice box fan. Where do I listen to this.....with the flip up box open by the ice trays? Please help me understand. Thanks!

 

[Jake]

I will buy a freezer thermometer tomorrow and get right back to you.

Great!

I am not famliar with the ice box fan. Where do I listen to this.....with the flip up box open by the ice trays?

Here's the ice box fan for your model(Video to get access/replace it is in the part link):
Fan Motor W10846539


See the little ice door louver in this video:

That's where you listen and feel for the cold air from the ice box fan.

Jake

 

[Kevin Gentry]

Thank you so much for the videos and your continued responses. I did take the temp inside the ice maker (I stuck the thermometer to the room just over ice cube trays) and it was +26 degrees F. I can hear the fan moter and there is air pushing out the little louvre door of the ice maker when I hold it open.

 

[Kevin Gentry]

I meant the "roof" just over the ice trays.

 

[Jake]

26 degrees is way to warm, that's why its not making ice.

So now you will need to remove the evaporator cover inside the refrigerator section and see if the fan is running for that one now. Also take a photo of your evaporator coil as well and upload it here, we need to see the frost pattern of it too.

Here's the FRESH FOOD EVAPORATOR FAN MOTOR for your model:
Evaporator Fan Motor W11087438


This video shows you how to remove the refrigerator evaporator cover to access the evaporator coil and the FRESH FOOD EVAPORATOR FAN MOTOR.

Jake

 

[Kevin Gentry]

Hi Jake,

Again, thanks so much for your hellp with this. Yes, the fan is does run. Attached is a picture of the coil and the frost pattern. I took a lot more, but I think this what you were looking for.

Not an easy task for a non appliance person! Hopefully this is what you are asking for to figure this thing out.

Again, THANKS
Kevin

 

[Jake]

Is it running fast? Everything in the refrigerator section was cooling fine too when this ice maker problem started?

Jake

 

[Kevin Gentry]

How Jake,

Yes, the fan was running fast. Refrigerator still cooling to 40 degrees.

Thanks again for continuing to help me. Greatly appreciated!

 

[Kevin Gentry]

I had the power to the fridge off for a bit while taking it apart, so the coil was thawed out. When I turned the power back on, it started to frost up again. The pic was taken after about 15 minutes of the power back on.

 

[Jake]

Normal frost pattern is a thin layer of frost on all the coils from Top to Bottom, look at the BOTTOM photo here:

 

[Kevin Gentry]

Thanks for your reply. So what is my next step? Does the fan need replacing? Does the thermister need replacing (not sure what it does, but I saw that as a possible cause of the problem in your first response to this string of posts above). Should I have let it run longer to see if it "filled in" that part of the coil with a thin layer of ice? It seemed pretty stable when I started putting the fridge back together, so I am not sure if it would have filled in. Pleae advise..... thanks!!!!

 

[Jake]

Ok Kevin, your fan motor is fine and the thermistor is fine, so I'm puzzled what it could be.

Its best to Contact KitchenAid at 800-422-1230 to come out at this point to see why this is happening.

Jake

 

[Kevin Gentry]

Hi Jake,

I haven't followed up with a call to KitchenAid, but now the freezer is running hot (about 32 degrees) and the fridge is at 48 degrees even though I have reduced both temps to the lowest possible seetings. Any further ideas of what this may be? The fridge is just around 4 years old so trying to figure out if it is worth fixing since we have had to spend money on other repairs in the past.

I would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Jake]

Is the compressor and fans running? Or is the refrigerator dead silent while its warm like that?

Jake

 

[Kevin Gentry]

Thanks for your reply, Jake. We were actually in Mexico and I had my Mom check it, but we are home now. Here is the situation:

Fridge is running fine at 37 degrees.
Freezer is running right at 32 degrees so we have a problem there.
The Ice Maker will still make ice and dump, but won't dispense the water without being cyced using the diagnostic code.

Any ideas? I don't mind replacing a few things......whenever I call out KitchenAid they just seem to replace stuff until they get the right item and I pay them a ton in labor plus the parts.

Thanks so much for your support!
Kevin

 

[Jake]

Lets go back to my post #13, I need you to take a photo of your evaporator coil in the freezer and upload it here, it sounds like you might have a sealed system problem.

Normal freezer temp. should always be around 0 degrees F to 5 degrees F.

Jake

 

[Kevin Gentry]

The pic I took and sent you of the coiil was in the refrigerator. Is there anotther on in the freezer or is that the same one as the pic I took earlier? Thanks.