GE Side by Side Not Cooling Properly

[smithlpoole]

I don't know what a terminator is?  are you referring to the thermistat defrost?  If so yes.  If not, no.

[JWWebster]

You have a real wham doozie going here. You replaced the board, the heaters, the defrost thermistat(terminator)and you still have a defrost problem? Unreal

[smithlpoole]

Someone else suggested I do this: 

Pull your back freezer panel off and describe the frost pattern.
If all frozen, remove the motherboard cover in back of the refrigerator and pull off the lower left connector. The pc board will have pins labled line and defr.
Stick a jumper wire into the removed connector between line and defr. pins.
Now plug in the refrigeraor and check if the freezer heater turns on.
If not, you have a bad heater or defrost thermostat, replace both.
If defrost, replace the motherboard.
Your motherboard initiates defrost as a function of the freezer thermistor, if still no defrost, replace the freezer thermistor even if you replaced it before, may have cracked from the ice.

[smithlpoole]

I'm betting something isn't working properly.

I'm gonna buy a multimeter this evening after work and I plan to try what someone else suggested (I pasted it prior to this reply)

I'll let you know what I find out.

Thanks for your assistance.

[JWWebster]

Well your terminator. heater. and control board are all new. That leaves some sort of defrost sensor to tell the board when it is time to defrost. As the frost gets on the sensor(thermister) the resistance value changes. This is read by the board and a determination is made as to whether or not to defrost the ice box. You would definately need a manual to give you the exact proceedure how to check the thermister. All of which can be easily checked from the motherboard but you must have the manual to get the resistance value. Mr AJ sent me an LG side by side refrigerator manual and I was looking through it. I know yours is a GE but the LG probably works pretty much the same as these other fancy electronic controled beasts.

[smithlpoole]

 
Last Friday night, I took everything out of the freezer again and of course the evaporator coils were covered with frost and ice.  I took out the defrost heater double checked everything (so I thought) and put it back in and still nothing.  I jump wired (on the main board) the defrost and the line and nothing (I surely wasn't surprised).

This time around I decided to take out the instructions again (which I clearly followed) and made sure to follow them again from the beginning.  This time, I noticed the jumper wires in the diagram which were not attached to the heater when delivered.  I went out and purchased the jumper wire (cheap) and plugged it in with all the frost on the coils.  Of course nothing.  I then figured since the heater comes on and off when the main board tells it to, I'd give it a kick start and defrost (blow dry) all of the frost AGAIN and then put everything back together.  I had been checked over a period of days and nothing but the temperatures were okay in both the freezer and fridge which is normal for about 3-4 days after blow drying out the frost.

My husband and I had decided that we would be purchasing a new fridge after the new year.  Anyway, I went grocery shopping last night and did have the freezer and fridge opening/closing often while putting food away.  Late last night I pulled out the bottom rack in the freezer and there was melted water where there was once ice, right below the heater...the lip area where the water would flow once melted and into that little drain (hole).  I wondered if that was from me going in and out of the fridge/freezer but couldn't imagine all that melting in the rear from door action.

To my surprise today when I came home, I immediately went to the freezer and opened the door and looked through the bottom rack and saw a red glare as if there was a little fire behind the rear panel.  I put my hand back there and it was warm and there was no ice.

Of course I jumped for joy.

My lesson in all this:  you need to read the directions carefully and if whatever it is you fix doesn't work the first time, go over the instructions again with the fine tooth comb because maybe you missed something.  In essence I blame the company that shipped the product because I wasn't looking for something that wasn't already there nor did it say i would have to buy one.

Anywho, I will watch this to see how it progresses from now on.

Thanks for your assistance.

Happy HOlidays to you both as well.