FIXED RSG257AARS Freezer Door Wire harness - how to replace it?

[Bart56]

Model Number

RSG257AARS

Brand

Samsung

Age

6-10 years

Hi

After seeing an intermittent "PC Er" on the front control panel, sometimes it would go away with a freezer door open/close. Then it went on solid. It's a Micom communication error. After checking the connectors and not clearing the error, I opened the back Main PCB cover. I then did a continuity check on the wires going to the control panel. I found one of the communications wires open. After checking at the upper connector to the panel, the brown wire at pin 2 was not continuous or connected anymore. I separated the wire bundle going down into the top hinge to isolate the brown wire and it simply slid right out. The break is fairly clean at about 2 inches below the hinge where it enters the door.

I'm trying to figure out how to reconnect it, but there does not seem to be a replacement harness and my inspection shows that the harness appears to be unable to be separated from the door. I think it may be buried in the fowm. I was hoping to remove the inner plastic shield at that point, but it looks like it is glued in place. I can't find any assembly screws or snap closures after removing the upper Ice assemblies.

Do I have to replace the whole freezer door? Has anyone seen this type of wire break before?

Thanks
Bart

 

[rickgburton]

You're correct, the wires are foamed in. There's no way to replace the wires. (at least none that I've found). The only option is replace the door. If you look closely at the image you can see the wire harness.
Door DA91-02735B

 

[Bart56]

Thanks for the confirmation and picture Rick. I see there's a 4 week special order on that part so I decided to try to fix it.

I pulled the hinge after taping the freezer door in place. The brown wire was severed right below the hinge pivot point. After separating the harness, I got down into the 3/4" hole in the door and locked a pair of hemostats on the buried end about 1" below the door frame. I used a scalpel to trim the insulation a bit then smeared the stub with solder flux. to make it a quick grab. After placing a thin metal shield against the other wires in the hole, I fed a tinned piece of wire with a hook bent onto the end over the stub, then applied a soldering iron with a home made extension tip. I used lots of solder on the iron so when I touched it it flowed right to the stub and my new wire. It grabbed quickly. Ugly as hell but strong. I also fed some hot melt glue onto the joint to give more mechanical support and insulation, then shoved the splice down below the depth where the hinge reaches. Once I spliced the new wire into the broken harness wire, the "PC Er" code went away immediately and everything works as normal.

Although I fashion some of my tools to do a job, I really wished I had a medical kit for microsurgery. Working through a 3/4" hole with pliers, strippers, soldering iron, is no fun especially with the limited lighting in the hold.

Thanks for getting back to me. It helped me make a plan of attack .My plan B was to cut the ABS shell under the Ice Assembly interior in a few strategic places to push a snake through the foam and eventually replace the entire length of wire. I may still have to do that if (when) this happens again.
Cheers,
Bart

 

[rickgburton]

The brown wire was severed right below the hinge pivot point.

Thanks for the update Bart, I never get that lucky. My wire brakes are always out of reach.