Common Motherboard Problems GE refrigerators
This page outlines common motherboard problems on GE electronic refrigerators. In 2000, GE started making electronic refrigerators, which have one motherboard that controls all functions of the refrigerator. The motherboard (also known as main board) controls everything so, theoretically everything that fails on a GE electronic refrigerator can be caused by the motherboard. The trick is to determine if the problem is the board or something else. With the expense of these boards there is no need to replace one unnecessarily. Below are some symptoms that are commonly caused by a faulty motherboard on these types of refrigerators.
Refrigerator not cooling both fans running compressor off
If the compressor is off and both fans are running then the problem is the motherboard, compressor start-relay or compressor. More often than not, it is the motherboard. Unplug the refrigerator and remove the start relay and shake it. If it rattles it is bad and if not you can be reasonably sure it is not bad. If the start relay isn’t bad, remove the motherboard and look on the backside of the board. When the board fails in this way it is very common to see a burn or bad solder joint behind the compressor relay. If this is the case you know for sure the board is bad. You can repair the solder joint if you are handy with a solder gun; however, this will not repair the problem every time. Sometimes the relay itself is bad or it is taken too much heat to last very long. Although I have repaired bad solder joints a time or two, the best route is to replace the board. If the board doesn’t have a brunt solder joint go ahead and replace the board.
Side Note The solder joint failure used to be one of
the most common motherboard problems although I rarely see this now it is worth
looking into.
Also see Electronic Board Repair
This is one of the most common motherboard problems and sometimes it requires you to replace the board and the fan to repair the problem.
Note that the safest route is to replace the board and the fan because of the chance that the fan can blow out your new board.
What can happen is moisture will sometimes invade the evaporator fan and/or the evaporator thermistor and cause the board to short-out. Often when this happens the resistor shown in the picture below will burn out. If this resistor is burnt you must replace the board and the fan. Note that if the resistor isn’t burnt, the fan could still cause this problem. This page shows a motherboard test that can be performed to diagnose this problem. GE Refrigerator Fan diagnostics
Refrigerator Not Cooling And Making A Constant Clicking Noise
This is a motherboard problem that we see from time to time. This will be
very easy to identify, all you have to do is make sure the clicking noise is
coming from the main board and you know the board is bad.
These types of problems are common motherboard problems. The motherboard
monitors thermistors to determine cooling and defrost actions. Faulty
thermistors can also cause these types of problems and this page will help with
thermistor diagnostics.
How To
Check GE Refrigerator Thermistors
If all thermistors check within
range replace the main board. A faulty evaporator fan can cause this so again,
the safest route is to replace both the fan and the board. A bad resistor or
capacitor (on the board) causing the voltage to drop across the low voltage side
of the board can also cause this. If this is the case you will have to replace
the board.
Motherboards can be purchased from this trusted appliance
parts company. Appliancepartspros.com
Defrost Cycle Too Long/ Ice Melts Then Refreezes
Lately we have been seeing faulty main boards cause the defrost cycle to stay on too long. When this happens it causes the same problem I talk about above. This will cause the ice in the ice melt then refreeze. When this happens the ice will clump up and jam the dispenser.
This is one of the most common motherboard problems on GE refrigerators, which can also lead to intermitting cooling-ice melting/ refreezing- wide temperature variation type of problems (talked about above). A bad resistor or capacitor causing the voltage to drop across the low voltage side of the board is what causes this problem. If this is the case replace the board.
Refrigerator Defrost Problem
Motherboards can be purchased from this trusted appliance parts company. Appliancepartspros.com
Like I said before, the main board controls everything the refrigerator does
and this includes the defrost cycle. It controls when a defrost cycle occurs and
how long it last. So motherboard problems can cause a defrost problem. However, I
actually haven’t seen this but a few times and I work on GE electronic
refrigerators all the time. I am not saying it isn’t the problem, just that you
need to eliminate the other three possibilities first. Here is a link to a page
dedicated to refrigerator defrost problems. On this page it shows a motherboard
test that can be performed to diagnose this type of problem. GE
Refrigerator Defrost Problem
Often a bad motherboard will cause the evaporator fan to make a whining
noise. Most of the time this noise is intermitting but will happen often. The
repair is to replace the board.
It is normal for the fan to change
speeds but the main board is designed to change fan motor speed gradually.
Normally it will take one minute for the fan to change from slow to high speed
and vice versa. If the fan is rapidly changing speeds the main board is bad and
needs replacing.
Motherboards can be purchased from this trusted appliance parts company. Appliancepartspros.com
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