- Model Number
- RFG299AARS
- Brand
- Samsung
- Age
- More than 10 years
Compressor not running-sometimes is very cold, sometimes very hot even in force freeze mode
I have a Samsung RFG229AARS refrigerator that has intermittently been too hot over the past couple of months.
The fridge and freezer got to the 60s F at the worst.
If I put it into force freeze mode (using the service menu) it would work for many days and even get as low as 27 F for the Fridge and -12 F for the freezer and maintain it.
I checked the evaporator behind the inside panel of the refrigerator compartment and did not find any abnormal amount of ice there and the drain appeared OK.
If I switch back to normal mode it might work for a week and then get warm again and if I switch back to force freeze mode it then gets very cold again. But now even in force freeze mode it will not cool.
No errors appear when I do the "Self-Diagnostics" of the fridge.
When I put in force freeze mode it got very cold (about -16 in freezer, 27 in fridge) but left in that mode eventually rose to 40s in the fridge and above 30 in freezer.
I stopped the force freeze, unplugged the fridge and left it disconnected for a few minutes, then reconnected and restarted it and observed 5 blinks at a time of the LED on the inverter board in the back of the fridge.
I repeated this unplugging, restarting and putting in force freeze mode multiple times and got the same 5 blinks.
The service manual (which I am attaching) says 5 blinks means "Low Voltage" and says to Test: "Compressor Locking, check input voltage" and then to
"Replace Inverter PCB, if same, replace Compressor".
What does this mean exactly? Where should I test the voltage and what should it be? The English in the manual is unclear.
I have a voltmeter and electrical engineering training so I am prepared to test as needed, I just need to know how to proceed. Thanks.
Here is what I have tested so far and the results:
The winding resistance on the compressors are all about 10 ohms (measured via CN03 after disconnecting the wiring harness and measuring through the harness) and the resistance to overload (via CN02 after disconnecting the wiring harness and measuring through the harness) was very low (<1 ohm is I recall). Input to CN02 was 120V AC (while connected to the inverter board). So I think these are all in spec.
For CN04 on the Inverter board (model DA41-00411A):
Here are my pin colors, from top to bottom (1-4): Brown, Red, Orange, Black (The Samsung rfg299aa_series service manual (p.11) says the colors are Brown, Grey, Orange and Black but I don't have a Grey and the order is different in my wiring than on page 13 where a red wire is listed - my wiring is like page 13)
The Samsung rfg299aa_series service manual says pins 1(black in manual, brown in my case)-3 Grey(red or orange in my case??) should be 13 volts and 2(brown in manual,3-Grey(red or orange in my case?) should be 5V and I think orange-grey (orange to red in my case??) should be 2.5 volts.
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO MEASURE THIS?
1) DO I MEASURE FROM THE WIRE HARNESS USING WIRE COLORS IF THE WIRE IS DISCONNECTED FROM THE INVERTER BOARD? IN OTHER WORDS, UNPLUG THE HARNESS AND MEASURE FROM THE HARNESS WIRES WHICH ARE ONLY NOW CONNECTED TO THE MAIN BOARD, AND NOT THE INVERTER BOARD. IF SO HERE ARE MY RESULTS:
If I disconnect the connector that would fit into CN04 on the Inverter board (model DA41-00411A) AND MEASURE FROM THE WIRES, Orange to Brown (pins 1-3) measures 5V in Force Freeze mode, any other pins to each other are only millivolts. I can't get anything to read 2.5 volts.
2) DO I MEASURE FROM THE INVERTER BOARD PINS THEMSELVES WITH THE WIRE CONNECTING TO THE MAIN BOARD CN75 TO INVERTER BOARD CN04 DISCONNECTED FROM THE INVERTER BOARD? (I AM LABELING THE PINS USING THE WIRE COLORS THAT ARE NO LONGER CONNECTED) IF SO HERE ARE MY RESULTS:
All pin combinations in this case (measuring from the inverter board) read only millivolts
3) DO I LEAVE THE WIRING FROM CN04 ON THE INVERTER BOARD CONNECTED TO CN75 ON THE MAIN BOARD AND MEASURE BY STICKING NEEDLES THROUGH THE BACK OF THE CONNECTORS WHILE EVERYTHING IS STILL CONNECTED? IF SO, HERE ARE MY RESULTS:
With all the wires connected Orange-Brown(pins 1-3 counting from the top in my case on CN04 or pins 2-4 on CN75 counting from the top again) is 2.9 volts. All the other combinations are just millivolts as far as I can tell.
So, here are my conclusions, although I am not sure if they are correct.
Power is coming in to the unit but the compressor is not running. The compressor could be bad, but prelim testing of the compressor by resistance of the windings and visual inspection make it possible it is OK. The overlad circuit also seems OK.
THe compressor could be bad, but if so I might as well replace the whole fridge, so I will work under the assumption that one of the boards may be bad.
If so, which board is bad? The 5 blinking LED signal suggests I test "input voltage"(WHERE IS THIS VOLTAGE, INPUT TO WHAT, AND HOW SHOULD I TEST[PLEASE SEE POSSIBILITIES 1)-3) ABOVE]) and then replace the MAIN PCB if CN75 does not measure 2.5 V DC.
That brings me back to the question of how to test 1)-3) above. Nevertheless, I never had a reading of 2.5 V from any combination of 1)-3) although with everything connected and testing via pins into the connectors I did get 2.9 volts (but I think between the wrong wires!-orange and brown rather than orange and grey/red)
It seems many people have this issue with a bad inverter board, but if I am reading the manual correctly, perhaps I should replace the main board first?
What would your expertise suggest?
Why is my wiring a different color and in a different order that in the service manual for my unit?
Is there additional testing I should do, is so what and how?
Should I replace a board and see what happens? If so, which one?
I have already spent MANY hours on this, so I am really hoping to come to an economical resolution.
Thanks so much in advance!
Orange to Brown is 5V, any other pins to each other are only millivolts. I can't get anything to read 2.5 volts.
red=grey?
I have a Samsung RFG229AARS refrigerator that has intermittently been too hot over the past couple of months.
The fridge and freezer got to the 60s F at the worst.
If I put it into force freeze mode (using the service menu) it would work for many days and even get as low as 27 F for the Fridge and -12 F for the freezer and maintain it.
I checked the evaporator behind the inside panel of the refrigerator compartment and did not find any abnormal amount of ice there and the drain appeared OK.
If I switch back to normal mode it might work for a week and then get warm again and if I switch back to force freeze mode it then gets very cold again. But now even in force freeze mode it will not cool.
No errors appear when I do the "Self-Diagnostics" of the fridge.
When I put in force freeze mode it got very cold (about -16 in freezer, 27 in fridge) but left in that mode eventually rose to 40s in the fridge and above 30 in freezer.
I stopped the force freeze, unplugged the fridge and left it disconnected for a few minutes, then reconnected and restarted it and observed 5 blinks at a time of the LED on the inverter board in the back of the fridge.
I repeated this unplugging, restarting and putting in force freeze mode multiple times and got the same 5 blinks.
The service manual (which I am attaching) says 5 blinks means "Low Voltage" and says to Test: "Compressor Locking, check input voltage" and then to
"Replace Inverter PCB, if same, replace Compressor".
What does this mean exactly? Where should I test the voltage and what should it be? The English in the manual is unclear.
I have a voltmeter and electrical engineering training so I am prepared to test as needed, I just need to know how to proceed. Thanks.
Here is what I have tested so far and the results:
The winding resistance on the compressors are all about 10 ohms (measured via CN03 after disconnecting the wiring harness and measuring through the harness) and the resistance to overload (via CN02 after disconnecting the wiring harness and measuring through the harness) was very low (<1 ohm is I recall). Input to CN02 was 120V AC (while connected to the inverter board). So I think these are all in spec.
For CN04 on the Inverter board (model DA41-00411A):
Here are my pin colors, from top to bottom (1-4): Brown, Red, Orange, Black (The Samsung rfg299aa_series service manual (p.11) says the colors are Brown, Grey, Orange and Black but I don't have a Grey and the order is different in my wiring than on page 13 where a red wire is listed - my wiring is like page 13)
The Samsung rfg299aa_series service manual says pins 1(black in manual, brown in my case)-3 Grey(red or orange in my case??) should be 13 volts and 2(brown in manual,3-Grey(red or orange in my case?) should be 5V and I think orange-grey (orange to red in my case??) should be 2.5 volts.
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO MEASURE THIS?
1) DO I MEASURE FROM THE WIRE HARNESS USING WIRE COLORS IF THE WIRE IS DISCONNECTED FROM THE INVERTER BOARD? IN OTHER WORDS, UNPLUG THE HARNESS AND MEASURE FROM THE HARNESS WIRES WHICH ARE ONLY NOW CONNECTED TO THE MAIN BOARD, AND NOT THE INVERTER BOARD. IF SO HERE ARE MY RESULTS:
If I disconnect the connector that would fit into CN04 on the Inverter board (model DA41-00411A) AND MEASURE FROM THE WIRES, Orange to Brown (pins 1-3) measures 5V in Force Freeze mode, any other pins to each other are only millivolts. I can't get anything to read 2.5 volts.
2) DO I MEASURE FROM THE INVERTER BOARD PINS THEMSELVES WITH THE WIRE CONNECTING TO THE MAIN BOARD CN75 TO INVERTER BOARD CN04 DISCONNECTED FROM THE INVERTER BOARD? (I AM LABELING THE PINS USING THE WIRE COLORS THAT ARE NO LONGER CONNECTED) IF SO HERE ARE MY RESULTS:
All pin combinations in this case (measuring from the inverter board) read only millivolts
3) DO I LEAVE THE WIRING FROM CN04 ON THE INVERTER BOARD CONNECTED TO CN75 ON THE MAIN BOARD AND MEASURE BY STICKING NEEDLES THROUGH THE BACK OF THE CONNECTORS WHILE EVERYTHING IS STILL CONNECTED? IF SO, HERE ARE MY RESULTS:
With all the wires connected Orange-Brown(pins 1-3 counting from the top in my case on CN04 or pins 2-4 on CN75 counting from the top again) is 2.9 volts. All the other combinations are just millivolts as far as I can tell.
So, here are my conclusions, although I am not sure if they are correct.
Power is coming in to the unit but the compressor is not running. The compressor could be bad, but prelim testing of the compressor by resistance of the windings and visual inspection make it possible it is OK. The overlad circuit also seems OK.
THe compressor could be bad, but if so I might as well replace the whole fridge, so I will work under the assumption that one of the boards may be bad.
If so, which board is bad? The 5 blinking LED signal suggests I test "input voltage"(WHERE IS THIS VOLTAGE, INPUT TO WHAT, AND HOW SHOULD I TEST[PLEASE SEE POSSIBILITIES 1)-3) ABOVE]) and then replace the MAIN PCB if CN75 does not measure 2.5 V DC.
That brings me back to the question of how to test 1)-3) above. Nevertheless, I never had a reading of 2.5 V from any combination of 1)-3) although with everything connected and testing via pins into the connectors I did get 2.9 volts (but I think between the wrong wires!-orange and brown rather than orange and grey/red)
It seems many people have this issue with a bad inverter board, but if I am reading the manual correctly, perhaps I should replace the main board first?
What would your expertise suggest?
Why is my wiring a different color and in a different order that in the service manual for my unit?
Is there additional testing I should do, is so what and how?
Should I replace a board and see what happens? If so, which one?
I have already spent MANY hours on this, so I am really hoping to come to an economical resolution.
Thanks so much in advance!
Orange to Brown is 5V, any other pins to each other are only millivolts. I can't get anything to read 2.5 volts.
red=grey?
