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3 TIMES WITHIN 15 SECONDS

Thermistor Diagnostics

During icemaker operation, the control

continuously monitors the thermistor resistance
value.  If the thermistor is open or shorted (too
high or too low in resistance), the icemaker will
enter the Fault Mode.  When in the fault mode,
the LED will flash at the rate of 1/2 second on
and 1/2 second off.

A temperature of -40°F (-40°C) will be

considered too low and a temperature of 176°F
(80°C) is too high for normal operation to
continue.  When out of range, a fault mode will
be entered, yet the thermistor will continue to
be tested.  If the reading should later fall within
the valid range, the fault mode will end and the
icemaker will enter the freeze cycle.  If the motor
is not home, the control will restart the harvest
cycle, followed by the freeze cycle, but bypass
the water fill.

Service Diagnostics

During the first 15 seconds that power

is first applied to the icemaker, the Service
Diagnostic Test mode may be entered.  The
service mode is entered by pushing the feeler
arm from the “out” position to the “in” position
and back again 3 times 

and only 3 times within

15 seconds.

Note: If the icemaker has already started a
harvest cycle and the arm is moving, it may be
impossible to properly move the arm and enter
the service mode without allowing it to reset
and powering up again.

The service diagnostic mode consists

of a harvest cycle followed by a water fill.  The
harvest cycle is entered immediately, regardless
of icemaker temperature or arm position.

the freeze cycle.  If the temperature is still below
39.2°F (4°C) after 15 seconds, the control will
assume an insufficient amount of water entered
the mold.  It will then energize the water valve
again for 2.5 seconds, delay for 15 seconds and
test again.  After the second fill, if the thermistor
is still below 39.2°F (4°C), a third fill for 2.4
seconds will occur.  There is a maximum of three
fills available, at which point the fill cycle will
end and the icemaker will enter the freeze cycle.
No diagnostic information will show if 3 fills were
insufficient to fill the icemaker mold.  The table
below shows the possible water fill times:

First Fill

5.1 seconds

Second Fill

2.5 seconds

Third Fill

2.4 seconds

The ability of the control to fill up to three

times can compensate for low water pressure
being supplied to the icemaker.

Power On Diagnostics

When the icemaker is first connected

to power and if thermistor temperature is 50°F
(10°C) or higher, the control will perform a
Power On test before entering the freeze cycle.
The test consists of the following:
• Turn on the motor until it reaches home the
next time.
• Turn on the water valve for 1/2 second.
• Turn on the heater for 1/2 second.
• Verify that the feeler arm was in the “in” and
then in the “out” position.
• Verify that the motor was not in the home
position and then in the home position.
• Verify that the motor does not remain on after
being turned off.
• Proceed to the freeze cycle.

Note: The power on test will only add 1/2 second
of water, which will not overflow the mold with
a normal fill, but may cause a small cube when
the refrigerator is first started.
If the temperature is below 50°F (10°C), the
control will power up normally.  If in the home
position, the control will enter the freeze cycle.
If the motor is not home, the control will enter
the harvest cycle but bypass water fill to avoid
overfilling the mold.

Summary of Contents for Electronic Icemaker

Page 1: ...Electronic Icemaker GE Consumer Home Services Training TECHNICAL SERVICE GUIDE Pub 31 9063 8 00 ...

Page 2: ...esult in personal injury and property damage The manufacturer or seller cannot be responsible for the interpretation of this information nor can it assume any liability in connection with its use RECONNECT ALL GROUNDING DEVICES If grounding wires screws straps clips nuts or washers used to complete a path to ground are removed for service they must be returned to their original position and proper...

Page 3: ...tain icemaker fault conditions such as an open or shorted thermistor or a harvest cycle longer than 30 minutes When a fault occurs the LED will blink 1 2 second on 1 2 second off indefinitely until the icemaker is turned off Electronic Icemaker Beginning in the Spring 2001 a newly designed icemaker will be introduced in several refrigerators This service guide will help you become familiar with th...

Page 4: ...ay will begin again if the arm goes back to the in position anytime during the delay period The arm is spring loaded and will go to the out position unless it is being held in position by an obstacle such as an ice cube At the start of the harvest cycle the mold heater will be turned on One second later the motor will start The heater will remain on until the mold temperature is above 35 6 F 2 C a...

Page 5: ...he freeze cycle without allowing a water fill to insure against a double shot of water The control will enter a Fault Mode if a harvest cycle including harvest fix is not complete within 30 minutes Potential causes for a harvest to take longer than 30 minutes are Stuck ejector caused by a cube that was not cleared or a mechanical problem Bad heater caused by the heater control board or thermal cut...

Page 6: ...he control will assume an insufficient amount of water entered the mold It will then energize the water valve again for 2 5 seconds delay for 15 seconds and test again After the second fill if the thermistor is still below 39 2 F 4 C a third fill for 2 4 seconds will occur There is a maximum of three fills available at which point the fill cycle will end and the icemaker will enter the freeze cycl...

Page 7: ... its own and enter the normal freeze cycle NOTE When replacing an icemaker the Power On test will probably occur since the mold temperature will be above 50 F 10 C While in the power on test the Service Diagnostic test can be initiated and will override the power on test mode MOTOR ON FREEZE CYCLE PRECHILL CYCLE O N V A L V E MOTOR ON 3 MINUTES Wait until frozen minimum 30 minutes About 10 MINS Le...

Page 8: ...Board Failure Magnet Failure Control Board Failure Stalled Motor TCO Failure Heater Element Failure Open Circuit Ground Wrong Connection Jammed Cube Heater Failure Motor Failure Winding Failure Loose Lead Loose Broken Gear Bent Broken Shaft Thermistor Failure Control Board Failure Control Board Failure Improper Water Valve Connection Water Valve Failure Thermistor Not Detecting Fill Harvest Too Ea...

Page 9: ...E ORANGE BLACK BROWN MOV1 C12 C13 C1 C14 LD1 DB1 U2 U1 X1 BLACK BLACK 115 VOLTS AC 60HZ PCB ASSEMBLY THERMISTOR MOLD BODY ICEMAKER MOTOR HEATER T C O RED BLACK ORANGE ORANGE WHITE POWER SWITCH GROUND LINE NEUTRAL WATER VALVE GREEN WITH YELLOW STRIPE WHITE BROWN ORANGE ...

Page 10: ...8 ...

Page 11: ...rvest Fix 5 During the freeze cycle the algorithm programmed into the control takes several items into consideration before entering the harvest mode However on an average how often does the icemaker cycle and drop its seven cubes A 120 Minutes B 90 Minutes C 75 Minutes D 60 Minutes 6 If the harvest cycle is not complete within 7 minutes the control will assume that a cube is blocking the completi...

Page 12: ...t fix B Series of fluctuations C Power on test D Fault test 11 During icemaker operation the control continuously monitors the thermistor s __________ A Resistance B Temperature C Mode D Diagnostics 12 If the thermistor is open or shorted the icemaker will enter a ______________ A Harvest mode B Period of inactivity C Fault mode D Third water fill 13 The diagnostic service mode is entered by pushi...

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