FIXED KRMF706EBS01 refrigerator compartment not cooling (again)

[craftydad]

Model Number

KRMF706EBS01

Brand

KitchenAid

Age

1-5 years

Help! 5 yrs old Kitchenaid 5 door fridge. 3rd issue with this fridge (1st was cooling issue from 2 wires unconnected in back of fridge compartment, 2nd was ice/water issue caused by a bad diode in the wiring harness). Need ur help again.
Fridge compartment is again not cooling. I cleaned the coils. I tried running diagnostics but can’t seem to figure out Service Tests 3 and 4. Tests 1,2, 5 test ok.
I can’t feel any airflow on left side of pantry for test 3, tho there is air coming out the top ice maker vent. ?? So I don’t know what’s working and what’s not. I hear something running but I don’t know what.

Pete Derkowski (previous client).

 

[Jake]

Hi Pete,

Lets make sure the refrigerator evaporator fan motor is running, and make sure the evaporator coil is not all iced/frosted up.

If that fan motor is not running, then you can pull your refrigerator out from the wall and remove the cover over the main control board, then on the main control board P14-3(YELLOW) and P14-4(RED) are the wires to the R(refrigerator)C(compartment) EVAP FAN MOTOR. If you are getting 12.7 Volts DC then your problem is the FRESH FOOD EVAPORATOR FAN MOTOR.

Here's the main control board for your model:
Refrigerator Control Board WPW10675033


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


Here's the video to access that fan motor:



I'm attaching your tech. data sheet below.

Test 3 is the RC(refrigerator compartment) and FC(freezer compartment) fan motors, they should be running in that test.

Service Test - 3 Evaporator fan motor and air baffle motor
--->Control the RC & FC Evaporator Fan Mtrs. by depressing SW3 (01 = Both Fan Mtr. OFF, 02 = FC Fan ON).
--->Depress SW3 once to advance. Step 3 will flash quickly and advances to steps 13/23 very quickly.
The result is RC Fan on, Pantry Air Damper on. Pantry Air Damper will open and close automatically. (13 = Damper Open, 23 = Damper Closed. Verify air flow inside pantry on left hand side when damper is open, 912 displayed). Air flow in pantry will cease when 23 is displayed.
--->Depress SW3 to advance to last step. (04 = Both RC & FC fans on).

Service Test 4:

 

[craftydad]

Ok thanks!! Might be awhile before I get back to you on results - lotta work going on n we’re heading to the Big E for a few days rest next week. I bought all higher end Kitchenaid appliances when I rehabbed our home so I wudnt have these issues. Lol I shud know if it’s the fan motor by end of Monday. Wanna order it (ifs that) before we leave.

 

[Jake]

Ok, sounds good, let us know what you find when you get back to it.

Jake

 

[craftydad]

Will do. Won’t be able today n leaving tomorrow so it’ll be prob be next Friday when I tear it apart. BTW, last issue was the ice maker n I bought a wiring harness for the back for the 2 diodes, but to be honest I never pulled the fridge out to replace them. This fridge has an island in front of it - I’ll have to pull it out as much as possible n climb over the countertop n under the upper cabinets to get behind it - so I’ll replace them when I check the voltage. Been really putting off climbing behind it. Lol

 

[Jake]

Been really putting off climbing behind it. Lol

Yes, I know what you mean.

Jake

 

[craftydad]

I’m taking the inside apart … and noticed there’s an ice build up in the bottom of the back wall, behind the crisper drawers. Attached a pic. I’ll keep dismantling - does this ice point to another issue I shud check out? Update: there’s ice on the coils and above them. See pic #2. Really dumb question: How exactly do I test the evap fan? I plugged it back in. The fan is not moving. There’s ice build up all around the coils. Does that mean the fan is not working? (Since the door controls are disconnected I don’t know if the fridge shud work. I assume it shud?)

 

[craftydad]

Before I checked voltages, I removed the fan from its rubber grommets and started to remove the 3 wires from the plastic catches. In doing so, the fan started to run -a little. Not fast at all. And stopping it with my finger, it would not start up again. Seems intermittent.
For the voltages, with the doors off, fridge plugged in, P14 connector disconnected, I checked the voltages of P14 board side connector contacts. Voltages are erratic. Sometimes I get a voltage, sometimes I do not.
Pins 1-2 is 12.7v
Pins 3-4 sometime 7.7v, otherwise 0
Pins 6-7 0 (zero) volts. Seems pretty consistent.

I checked the connector at the wiring side n got voltages too. Can’t recall what they were.
I unplugged the fridge n letting the ice melt n will test again. Any useful info in all this so far? I was hoping I’d get a solid 12.7v on pins 3-4. And 14v on pins 6-7.

 

[craftydad]

Update: when I test voltages of P14, do I disconnect the connector from the main board? And if so, which side (board side or wiring side) do I test? After disconnecting P14, I get 12.7v on p6-p7 on the wiring side. Zero volts on p6-p7 the board side.
For p1-p2, I got 12.7v on wiring side, zero on board side. For p3-p4, I get erratic (zero or sometimes a low voltage like 7.6v) on wiring side and zero on board side. ??? I thought I’d of gotten all voltages on the board side and nothing on the wiring side when P14 is disconnected.

 

[Jake]

No, leave the connector plugged into the board.

If that fan motor is not running, then you can pull your refrigerator out from the wall and remove the cover over the main control board, then on the main control board P14-3(YELLOW) and P14-4(RED) are the wires to the R(refrigerator)C(compartment) EVAP FAN MOTOR. If you are getting 12.7 Volts DC then your problem is the FRESH FOOD EVAPORATOR FAN MOTOR.

You can this safety pin trick if your meter leads are too big:

 

[craftydad]

Yep, I did the voltage tests - even with the connector plugged into the board. I don’t get 12.7 volts - I get nothing across pins 3 and 4. I figured I’d order both the main board and the fan and hope that fixes it. I’m running the fridge to try to keep the freezer running. I put the doors back on but not the drawers. Parts shud be in by Tuesdsy. Shud I do anything else? I hope I’m not killing the compressor by having the drawers not it.

 

[Jake]

Parts shud be in by Tuesdsy. Shud I do anything else? I hope I’m not killing the compressor by having the drawers not it.

That should be fine till you get the new parts.

Let us know how it goes.

Jake

 

[craftydad]

Thanks. While waiting for the parts, I finally replaced those diodes for the ice maker/water dispenser. Mechanically it seems to work correctly - no water pumping to the ice maker when filling a glass with water, but, and maybe cuz the rc section isn’t cooling, the ice maker is not freezing. It’s just water up there. I can feel the fan is on through the ice maker flapper. So, I’ll wait until the new parts are in n it’s all put back together before I start thinking something else is wrong. Lol

 

[Jake]

While waiting for the parts, I finally replaced those diodes for the ice maker/water dispenser.

What is the part number of those diodes? I don't see them listed in the parts diagram for your model.

Jake

 

[craftydad]

I had to buy the whole harness. It’s posted in the thread for my first problem of the fc not cooling. However, in reading various threads, I saw a whirlpool diode kit. It’s just the 2 diodes connected with the 3 leads. Not sure if the diodes are the same, but I wud bet they are.

 

[Jake]

Ok, got it, that was from your last thread in 2021:

FIXED - KRMF706ESS KitchenAid fridge cooling issue - Test 39: Open Evap Thermistor

Hi - I may be having the same issue as the member below - the fridge is only a couple of years old, and as of few days ago the fridge is running at 50 degrees, while the freezer runs fine at 0 degrees. I ran the diagnostics on the front panel and Test 39 RC Evap Thermistor returns 02 - Open...

www.applianceblog.com

Jake

 

[craftydad]

Welp, main board came in. Installed it… no change. Hoping the fan assembly does the trick when/if it ever arrives. So much for paying extra to have it all FedEx’d here. Lol

 

[Jake]

Ok, that's odd, unless you tested the voltage incorrectly that new control board should of fixed it.

If that fan motor is not running, then you can pull your refrigerator out from the wall and remove the cover over the main control board.

--->Then on the main control board P14-3(YELLOW) and P14-4(RED) are the wires to the R(refrigerator)C(compartment) EVAP FAN MOTOR. If you are getting 12.7 Volts DC then your problem is the FRESH FOOD EVAPORATOR FAN MOTOR.

Are you absolutely sure your getting 12.7 Volts at those control board pins?

Jake

 

[craftydad]

I checked the voltage across yellow n red (3 n 4) on the new board. 8.09 volts.
I’m still looking for the fan assembly. The 2nd place hasn’t shipped yet - obviously they don’t have it. Trying local places now. Shud I get a fan assembly?

 

[Jake]

I checked the voltage across yellow n red (3 n 4) on the new board. 8.09 volts

That should be 12.7 Volts DC, that's odd your only getting 8.09 volts.

Where did you buy the new control board at?

Shud I get a fan assembly?

Not unless your getting 12.7 Volts DC from the board.

Jake