LMXS30776S Water and Ice will not dispense - unless door is opened...

[Jamison_IO]

Model

LMXS30776S

Brand

LG

Age

1-5 years

Bear with me.

The water dispenser (LMXS30776S) stopped dispensing when activated when door closed. If then hold the glass in the position to activate the water dispenser, then slowly open the door to about 30 degrees from closed, the water spits out anywhere from .5 seconds to maybe a full second. If I close the door and re-open it, it will usually (but not always) dispense a bit. Same goes for ice.

When I do this with a magnet by the door reed switch (thus making it think the door is closed this whole time), the light in the fridge stays off as it should, but when I open the door to the point where it starts to fill, it keeps on going. It does not stop until I either remove the glass or remove the magnet from the reed switch, giving the appearance of the door having opened.

I am quite perplexed.

I have tested the reed switch every way I know how - it shuts off the light when the door is closed, the magnet verifies the open/closed sensing.

When the water starts then stops, there is a slight clunk, which I take to be the valve closing.

I have tried to make sense of the wiring diagram to determine if there is a mechanism other than the reed switch that, when interrupted, would prevent the water (or ice) from dispensing, but I can't figure that out. Something is interrupting the power to the valve when the door is closed, but not when the door is opened to a certain angle. With the door open and no magnet to defeat the reed switch, it's as if the first interrupt is corrected by opening the door, then almost immediately, it determined the door is open and stops.

But in that case - the light it on, so I know the reed switch is working to let the light on. It is so weird.

Is there maybe a flow or pressure sensor somewhere that needs too be satisfied prior to the check of the reed switch to allow the valve opening or dispenser putting out ice? Then as I open the door, the pressure sensor is satisfied and then allows the valve to open?

I hope this makes some sense.

Thanks for any help.

 

[rickgburton]

The two door switches on top are for the lights. There's two more door switches. One is for the freezer. There's another door switch on the left side near the bottom of the refrigerator compartment: 406B in this parts breakdown:

 

[Jamison_IO]

Thank you very much. My wife just called and said that it is not keeping cool, so we have another issue. Yikes.

 

[rickgburton]

Check if the fan is working in the freezer. The door switch might also control the fan.

 

[Jamison_IO]

Is that the fan that is visible behind the unit when the panel has been taken off (next to the compressor)?

 

[Jamison_IO]

I see now which one you mean (in the freezer itself).

What would really help is to find out where the leads of the switch you pointed out get connected, then I could jumper it to see what happens. I tried running a magnet over it to find it, but no lock.

Right now the compressor is overheating (6 LED flashes on panel in back).

 

[rickgburton]

Here's the flow chart:
(click to enlarge)

 

[Jamison_IO]

another development in the water - I noticed the left door (with the dispenser) was about 1/4 - 3/8"lower than the right. I raised up the left door using the wrench and when I tried to dispense water in a similar fashion (opening door, etc.), it did not work at all. This was with the door switch that controls the light defeated, just as before.

I moved it all the way back down and it now will dispense after opening the door a few inches through about 80-90 degrees from closed.

Is there something in the drawer that would need to be satisfied prior to the dispenser working?

 

[rickgburton]

Here's the pinouts for the door switches on the board:

 

[Jamison_IO]

Here's the pinouts for the door switches on the board:
View attachment 43174

Yep - I saw that. I am assuming that FL door is Fridge-Left. Is M/FU "middle/freezer" and R Door + H/Bar Door, the right fridge door and the door in door?

I tried to use a magnet to defeat the switch at 406B in the other diagram, but couldn't figure out how to do it.

Is there any way to determine which wires come up out of the door are the ones for the switches? They do not match up with the colors on the diagram. (white/white & YL/BK YL/BK)

I'll take the back off again and take a look tonight - thanks for your help.

Is there anything that would make you think this odd door thing is connected to the compressor going into safe mode?

 

[rickgburton]

Here's the thing; I don't think the two problems are related but I could be wrong. When I first started getting service calls on LG and Samsung refrigerators with all the electronics packed in them, it didn't long to realize that these machines were crap. The service information I could find was like reading a different language. I can't understand half of what's in the manuals. It takes 3 or 4 times longer to diagnose most LG's and Samsungs refrigerators than any other brand. It was costing me money to spend 3 hour finding the problem was the main control board and it was too expensive for the customer. I made $50 for three hours work. I stopped taking service calls on LG and Samsung. All you need to do is look on the internet to see how bad these machines are. Several major service companies have stopped doing their warranty work. The consensus among service techs is that LG and Samsung are the two worst machines ever made.

So back to your issue. I would start with the most serious problem, 6 blinking LEDs. Solve that problem and see if the door switch problem corrects itself. Follow the flow chart. It gives you the cause and possible solutions to correct the problem.

 

[Jamison_IO]

Here's the thing; I don't think the two problems are related but I could be wrong. When I first started getting service calls on LG and Samsung refrigerators with all the electronics packed in them, it didn't long to realize that these machines were crap. The service information I could find was like reading a different language. I can't understand half of what's in the manuals. It takes 3 or 4 times longer to diagnose most LG's and Samsungs refrigerators than any other brand. It was costing me money to spend 3 hour finding the problem was the main control board and it was too expensive for the customer. I made $50 for three hours work. I stopped taking service calls on LG and Samsung. All you need to do is look on the internet to see how bad these machines are. Several major service companies have stopped doing their warranty work. The consensus among service techs is that LG and Samsung are the two worst machines ever made.

So back to your issue. I would start with the most serious problem, 6 blinking LEDs. Solve that problem and see if the door switch problem corrects itself. Follow the flow chart. It gives you the cause and possible solutions to correct the problem.

The service information I could find was like reading a different language.

Thank goodness, it isn’t just me.

Hindsight is always a nice thing, but it doesn’t do me any good at the moment. I appreciate you taking the time to help.

 

[rickgburton]

I hope you didn't misunderstand me. I wasn't saying you shouldn't have bought one. I'll continue to help you troubleshoot the issue. I only wanted you to know what you're up against with this machine. If you disconnect the CON6 and CON7 connectors from the board do you have continuity through the door switches when measured in the connector?

 

[Jamison_IO]

Yes- continuity at all three.

In case anyone is searching this thread:
FL-DOOR SW = Freezer Door
MFU-DOOR S/W = Middle Drawer
R-DOOR S/W = All three fridge doors. Each breaks continuity independently.


Here is a video of what is happening. The clunk you hear must be some sort of valve or float. It is definitely on the door in the area of the dispenser.

Edit- I took the panel off when the filter is and there are two valves. I assume one for the water and one for the ice maker. Still have no clue as to why opening the door makes it work, but it being closed prevents it from working.

I never did find anyevidence of the switch (406B).

https://youtu.be/O3YnaA8-t58

 

[rickgburton]

Those are the only door switches I can see on the diagram. If they're good, they're good. Look for a broken or almost broken wire where the go into the door. I was able to locate the service manual but it's too big to upload here. PM me your email address and I'll send it to you.

 

[Jamison_IO]

Those are the only door switches I can see on the diagram. If they're good, they're good. Look for a broken or almost broken wire where the go into the door. I was able to locate the service manual but it's too big to upload here. PM me your email address and I'll send it to you.

Thanks - I have a copy of it already. Unless its different that the one you've been clipping from. Cover looks like this and it is 123 pages.



The repair guy has been here for going on 4 hours, ended up replacing the compressor and thinks that the dispenser issue must be broken wiring, too. The one thing that works against that it how precise the locations are where it starts and stops. Oh well.

If that isn’t the service manual you are looking at, let me know.

Thanks.

 

[rickgburton]

Unless its different that the one you've been clipping from.

The flowchart came from model LMX28987 they use the same compressor and I drew the connector with paint but that's the manual I got. A lot of LG's use the same wiring. It doesn't look like it's any easier to understand than any other LG manual.