Electronic Kenmore refrigerator not working, what does this

I

Ignoramus20906

Guest
I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I bought it
from a private party over a year ago and it has been working great
until now. It seems very well made, overall.

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/Kenmore-Trouble.jpg

It is right above the word "Kenmore", is red and looks like a crossed
lock and an exclamation.

The temperature in the unit has been rising since then and clearly, it
is not cooling anything. Right now both freezer and fridge are at 46
degrees F.

I tried calling Kenmore, but could only speak to dummies who are
forbidden to give any diagnostics.

My question is WTF does this sign mean? It is meant to tell me
something.

Thanks

i
 
On Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:24:16 -0500, Ignoramus20906
<ignoramus20906@NOSPAM.20906.invalid> wrote:

I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I bought it
from a private party over a year ago and it has been working great
until now. It seems very well made, overall.

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/Kenmore-Trouble.jpg

It is right above the word "Kenmore", is red and looks like a crossed
lock and an exclamation.

The temperature in the unit has been rising since then and clearly, it
is not cooling anything. Right now both freezer and fridge are at 46
degrees F.

I tried calling Kenmore, but could only speak to dummies who are
forbidden to give any diagnostics.

My question is WTF does this sign mean? It is meant to tell me
something.

Thanks

i
Click to expand...
Don't know, but it's obviously a bar across a thermometer symbol.
Could mean anything from "it ain't cooling" (Duh.) to the
thermocouple/thermopile/temperature sensor's dirty. Manual ought to
say if you can find one. Good luck.

Pete Keillor
 
On 2010-08-31, Pete Keillor <keillorp135@chartermi.net> wrote:
On Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:24:16 -0500, Ignoramus20906
ignoramus20906@NOSPAM.20906.invalid> wrote:

I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I bought it
from a private party over a year ago and it has been working great
until now. It seems very well made, overall.

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/Kenmore-Trouble.jpg

It is right above the word "Kenmore", is red and looks like a crossed
lock and an exclamation.

The temperature in the unit has been rising since then and clearly, it
is not cooling anything. Right now both freezer and fridge are at 46
degrees F.

I tried calling Kenmore, but could only speak to dummies who are
forbidden to give any diagnostics.

My question is WTF does this sign mean? It is meant to tell me
something.

Thanks

i

Don't know, but it's obviously a bar across a thermometer symbol.
Could mean anything from "it ain't cooling" (Duh.) to the
thermocouple/thermopile/temperature sensor's dirty. Manual ought to
say if you can find one. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Pete, the manual is here:

http://igor.chudov.com/manuals/Kenmore-596.50013100-Manual.pdf

but it is not saying anything.

i
 
On Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:24:16 -0500, Ignoramus20906
<ignoramus20906@NOSPAM.20906.invalid> wrote:

I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I bought it
from a private party over a year ago and it has been working great
until now. It seems very well made, overall.

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/Kenmore-Trouble.jpg

It is right above the word "Kenmore", is red and looks like a crossed
lock and an exclamation.

The temperature in the unit has been rising since then and clearly, it
is not cooling anything. Right now both freezer and fridge are at 46
degrees F.

I tried calling Kenmore, but could only speak to dummies who are
forbidden to give any diagnostics.

My question is WTF does this sign mean? It is meant to tell me
something.

Thanks

i
Click to expand...
This may be of some assistance in determining your code.

http://www.appliancepartspros.com/repairtips/repairtips_appliance+fault+codes.aspx#Sears%20/%20Kenmore%20Fault%20Codes

It gives a listing of who actually made your applience, so you can then
look for their trouble codes

Gunner


I am the Sword of my Family
and the Shield of my Nation.
If sent, I will crush everything you have built,
burn everything you love,
and kill every one of you.
(Hebrew quote)
 
On Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:32:05 -0500, Ignoramus20906
<ignoramus20906@NOSPAM.20906.invalid> wrote:

On 2010-08-31, Pete Keillor <keillorp135@chartermi.net> wrote:
On Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:24:16 -0500, Ignoramus20906
ignoramus20906@NOSPAM.20906.invalid> wrote:

I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I bought it
from a private party over a year ago and it has been working great
until now. It seems very well made, overall.

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/Kenmore-Trouble.jpg

It is right above the word "Kenmore", is red and looks like a crossed
lock and an exclamation.

The temperature in the unit has been rising since then and clearly, it
is not cooling anything. Right now both freezer and fridge are at 46
degrees F.

I tried calling Kenmore, but could only speak to dummies who are
forbidden to give any diagnostics.

My question is WTF does this sign mean? It is meant to tell me
something.

Thanks

i

Don't know, but it's obviously a bar across a thermometer symbol.
Could mean anything from "it ain't cooling" (Duh.) to the
thermocouple/thermopile/temperature sensor's dirty. Manual ought to
say if you can find one. Good luck.

Pete, the manual is here:

http://igor.chudov.com/manuals/Kenmore-596.50013100-Manual.pdf

but it is not saying anything.

i
Yup, that's pretty useless. Maybe there's a service manual, but a
Click to expand...
cursory google didn't turn up anything useful. There's still stuff
you could inspect, like is the compressor running, and are the coils
dirty. Since it's showing the temperature, it probably isn't the
temperature sensor.

Pete Keillor
 
On 08/31/2010 04:24 PM, Ignoramus20906 wrote:
I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I bought it
from a private party over a year ago and it has been working great
until now. It seems very well made, overall.

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/Kenmore-Trouble.jpg

It is right above the word "Kenmore", is red and looks like a crossed
lock and an exclamation.

The temperature in the unit has been rising since then and clearly, it
is not cooling anything. Right now both freezer and fridge are at 46
degrees F.

I tried calling Kenmore, but could only speak to dummies who are
forbidden to give any diagnostics.

My question is WTF does this sign mean? It is meant to tell me
something.
Click to expand...
That's a picture of an English bobby. Obviously the food's been rioting
and they've hauled the compressor of to quod.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html
 
On Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:32:05 -0500, Ignoramus20906
<ignoramus20906@NOSPAM.20906.invalid> wrote:

On 2010-08-31, Pete Keillor <keillorp135@chartermi.net> wrote:
On Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:24:16 -0500, Ignoramus20906
ignoramus20906@NOSPAM.20906.invalid> wrote:

I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I bought it
from a private party over a year ago and it has been working great
until now. It seems very well made, overall.

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/Kenmore-Trouble.jpg

It is right above the word "Kenmore", is red and looks like a crossed
lock and an exclamation.

The temperature in the unit has been rising since then and clearly, it
is not cooling anything. Right now both freezer and fridge are at 46
degrees F.

I tried calling Kenmore, but could only speak to dummies who are
forbidden to give any diagnostics.

My question is WTF does this sign mean? It is meant to tell me
something.

Thanks

i

Don't know, but it's obviously a bar across a thermometer symbol.
Could mean anything from "it ain't cooling" (Duh.) to the
thermocouple/thermopile/temperature sensor's dirty. Manual ought to
say if you can find one. Good luck.

Pete, the manual is here:

http://igor.chudov.com/manuals/Kenmore-596.50013100-Manual.pdf

but it is not saying anything.
Click to expand...
Check the condenser fan motor (under the grill at the back most
likely). Those things tend to be weak, even a barely motivated dust
bunny can stop them from turning. I had it happen to my fridge
recently. The fan motor would only start if I gave it a little help.
Dismantled the motor (not designed to be serviceable, but no sweat),
cleaned and reassembled, and it worked fine for a week until the new
one came. About $30 delivered. If you discover that the fan is the
culprit and can't get it going while waiting for the replacement, then
just aim a portable fan so that it moves air across the coils.

Wayne
 
I had a Eureka moment.

I understand what the sign means.

It means not much. It is a crossed thermometer and it means that the
fridge is unable to hold the preset temperature. Duh.

Why is it unable to do so, is the $64,000 question.

I opened up the back. I observe the following:

1) The condenser fan is running
2) The compressor (big heavy black part with copper pipes going in and
out of it) is quite hot to touch and is seemingly not running.

i
 
Sometimes there are hidden coils in the freezer. An electric heater on a
timer will defrost these. If that is not working, it will be a solid block
of ice.

Try putting all your food in ice chests and let it defrost for 24 hours with
doors open (unplug it). Then plug it back in and see if it works.

If it works for a few weeks, then same problem again, then suspect the
defrost heater/timer.

As to fixing, if it is an old refrigerator, get a new one as those save
electricity and will pay for themselves in 5 years or so.
 
Hi!

That wouldn't be an indication of a "child safety lock" would it?

If so, try holding each button down for a few seconds to see if one shuts it
off. I'd think that maybe such a thing would be in the manual, but who
knows?

William
 
On 8/31/2010 6:24 PM, Ignoramus20906 wrote:
I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I bought it
from a private party over a year ago and it has been working great
until now. It seems very well made, overall.

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/Kenmore-Trouble.jpg

It is right above the word "Kenmore", is red and looks like a crossed
lock and an exclamation.

The temperature in the unit has been rising since then and clearly, it
is not cooling anything. Right now both freezer and fridge are at 46
degrees F.

I tried calling Kenmore, but could only speak to dummies who are
forbidden to give any diagnostics.

My question is WTF does this sign mean? It is meant to tell me
something.

Thanks

i
Click to expand...
Well it may just be the picture, but it looks like the freezer is set to
45 degrees.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email
 
On 2010-09-01, Steve Barker <ichasetrains@notgmail.com> wrote:
On 8/31/2010 6:24 PM, Ignoramus20906 wrote:
I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I bought it
from a private party over a year ago and it has been working great
until now. It seems very well made, overall.

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/Kenmore-Trouble.jpg

It is right above the word "Kenmore", is red and looks like a crossed
lock and an exclamation.

The temperature in the unit has been rising since then and clearly, it
is not cooling anything. Right now both freezer and fridge are at 46
degrees F.

I tried calling Kenmore, but could only speak to dummies who are
forbidden to give any diagnostics.

My question is WTF does this sign mean? It is meant to tell me
something.

Thanks

i

Well it may just be the picture, but it looks like the freezer is set to
45 degrees.
Click to expand...
It is not "set" to 45 degrees, what was displayed is the current
temperature.

i
 
Here are my findings:

1) The condenser fan is running fine
2) The compressor motor buzzes, then overload stops it, to restart in
a few minutes
3) The compressor motor is HOT
4) Inside of the relay does not look burned.

I see four possibilities:

1) The capacitor is bad
2) Something in the relay assembly is bad (unlikely, since this seems
to be a run capacitor).
3) Somehow the compressor cannot pump, due to problems with cooling
coils or whatever other internal blockage
4) [the most dreaded possibility] the compressor is seized.

To eliminate 1-2, I have ordered a new capacitor and a new relay
assembly (since I broke some holding plastic lugs when removing
it). The cost was relatively small ($34.95 for everything with
shipping).

Hopefully, I will get that stuff around Monday (they are in CA, I am
in IL).

We can live with it, because it is our second (garage) fridge, and we
also have a upright freezer.

If that does not help, I would expect this to become an expensive
repair, and I would have to call a tech to replace the compressor, or
even junk the fridge.

i
 
On 2010-09-01, ignator <fredhababorbitz@hotmail.com> wrote:
On Aug 31, 5:24?pm, Ignoramus20906 <ignoramus20...@NOSPAM.
20906.invalid> wrote:
I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I bought it
from a private party over a year ago and it has been working great
until now. It seems very well made, overall.

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

? ? ? ? ?http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/Kenmore-Trouble.jpg

It is right above the word "Kenmore", is red and looks like a crossed
lock and an exclamation.

The temperature in the unit has been rising since then and clearly, it
is not cooling anything. Right now both freezer and fridge are at 46
degrees F.

I tried calling Kenmore, but could only speak to dummies who are
forbidden to give any diagnostics.

My question is WTF does this sign mean? It is meant to tell me
something.

Thanks

i

I'm confused, if its electronic then it would be thermo-electric, and
not have a condenser, evaporator, or compressor. But as you have
indicated it has these. So I'm guessing the electronic, is the
electronic thermostat only.
Click to expand...
Electronic control panel with pretty buttons.

You indicated the compressor is hot.
Click to expand...
Yes.

Sounds like the start relay is fubar, and some current limit does not
trip a clicks-on switch. And start relay is now a misnomer as these
have been replaced with thermistors.
Click to expand...
Yes, there is a thermistor puck inside the relay assembly.

Most likely this is the faulted device. There should be a wiring
diagram on the back side of this refrigerator, hope it does. If
it's a defrost problem the diagram would show this circuit. ignator
Click to expand...
 
On 8/31/2010 10:47 PM, Ignoramus20906 wrote:

Sounds like the start relay is fubar, and some current limit does not
trip a clicks-on switch. And start relay is now a misnomer as these
have been replaced with thermistors.

Yes, there is a thermistor puck inside the relay assembly.
Click to expand...
I had the same problem recently, its the overload relay, actually
thermistors as previously noted.

This thread is for a different model but will help

http://www.applianceblog.com/mainforums/sears-kenmore/742-kenmore-sxs-fridge-bad-relay-compressor.html

Your part would seem to be:-

http://www.partselect.com/PartDetail.aspx?Inventory=2007740&imgID=3&Page=1&SourceCode=7

replacement fixed mine , still running 12 months later.

JC
 
On 2010-09-01, Archon <Chipbee40_SpamNo@yahoo.com> wrote:
On 8/31/2010 10:47 PM, Ignoramus20906 wrote:


Sounds like the start relay is fubar, and some current limit does not
trip a clicks-on switch. And start relay is now a misnomer as these
have been replaced with thermistors.

Yes, there is a thermistor puck inside the relay assembly.


I had the same problem recently, its the overload relay, actually
thermistors as previously noted.

This thread is for a different model but will help

http://www.applianceblog.com/mainforums/sears-kenmore/742-kenmore-sxs-fridge-bad-relay-compressor.html

Your part would seem to be:-

http://www.partselect.com/PartDetail.aspx?Inventory=2007740&imgID=3&Page=1&SourceCode=7

replacement fixed mine , still running 12 months later.

JC
Click to expand...
Archon,

I hope fervently that you are right. I bought those parts:

http://www.appliancepartspros.com/part_details.aspx?part_id=4013414 Part Number: AP4074064
http://www.appliancepartspros.com/part_details.aspx?part_id=4074064 Part Number: AP4013414

Shipped from CA to IL, I will probably get them on Monday. I am very
anxious.

i
 
On Aug 31, 5:24 pm, Ignoramus20906 <ignoramus20...@NOSPAM.
20906.invalid> wrote:
I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I bought it
from a private party over a year ago and it has been working great
until now. It seems very well made, overall.

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

         http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/Kenmore-Trouble.jpg

It is right above the word "Kenmore", is red and looks like a crossed
lock and an exclamation.

The temperature in the unit has been rising since then and clearly, it
is not cooling anything. Right now both freezer and fridge are at 46
degrees F.

I tried calling Kenmore, but could only speak to dummies who are
forbidden to give any diagnostics.

My question is WTF does this sign mean? It is meant to tell me
something.

Thanks

i
Click to expand...
I'm confused, if its electronic then it would be thermo-electric, and
not have a condenser, evaporator, or compressor. But as you have
indicated it has these. So I'm guessing the electronic, is the
electronic thermostat only. You indicated the compressor is hot.
Sounds like the start relay is fubar, and some current limit does not
trip a clicks-on switch. And start relay is now a misnomer as these
have been replaced with thermistors. Most likely this is the faulted
device. There should be a wiring diagram on the back side of this
refrigerator, hope it does. If it's a defrost problem the diagram
would show this circuit.
ignator
 
On Aug 31, 5:24 pm, Ignoramus20906 <ignoramus20...@NOSPAM.
20906.invalid> wrote:
I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I bought it
from a private party over a year ago and it has been working great
until now. It seems very well made, overall.

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

         http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/Kenmore-Trouble.jpg

It is right above the word "Kenmore", is red and looks like a crossed
lock and an exclamation.

The temperature in the unit has been rising since then and clearly, it
is not cooling anything. Right now both freezer and fridge are at 46
degrees F.

I tried calling Kenmore, but could only speak to dummies who are
forbidden to give any diagnostics.

My question is WTF does this sign mean? It is meant to tell me
something.

Thanks

i
Click to expand...
I'm confused, if its electronic then it would be thermo-electric, and
not have a condenser, evaporator, or compressor. But as you have
indicated it has these. So I'm guessing the electronic, is the
electronic thermostat only. You indicated the compressor is hot.
Sounds like the start relay is fubar, and some current limit does not
trip a clicks-on switch. And start relay is now a misnomer as these
have been replaced with thermistors. Most likely this is the faulted
device. There should be a wiring diagram on the back side of this
refrigerator, hope it does. If it's a defrost problem the diagram
would show this circuit.
ignator
 
On Aug 31, 7:24 pm, Ignoramus20906 <ignoramus20...@NOSPAM.
20906.invalid> wrote:
I have an electronic Kenmore refrigerator 596.50013100. I

Yesterday it started beeping and displaying a strange trouble signal:

         http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/Kenmore-Trouble.jpg
Click to expand...
Reboot and call me in the morning.
-----

- gpsman
 
"Bill" <billnomailnospamx@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:8e5m4nF5jjU1@mid.individual.net...
Sometimes there are hidden coils in the freezer. An electric heater on a
timer will defrost these. If that is not working, it will be a solid block
of ice.

Try putting all your food in ice chests and let it defrost for 24 hours
with doors open (unplug it). Then plug it back in and see if it works.

If it works for a few weeks, then same problem again, then suspect the
defrost heater/timer.

As to fixing, if it is an old refrigerator, get a new one as those save
electricity and will pay for themselves in 5 years or so.
Click to expand...

If they last 5 years....
 
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