# Whirlpool refrig. problem



## jeff1

Hi,



> GS6SHAXMB00


Haven't seen this electronic control before....has temp thermistors, a user board with an seperate electronic control board.
Local WLP depot may be best to check it out...
Whirlpool.



> Today the display on the control panel stopped working as did the light on the refrigerator side


Someone would have to use the wire diagram that comes with the unit and test each light and with a volt meter to see where the power is being lost....probably something that is common to all of them or something that could effect all of them at once.









Electronic control board

jeff.


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## ken1415

Thanks for the quick reply. The control panel or box I was referring to is the one in the refrgerator compartment that has the digital readout on the front, two dials on the side (one for the fridge, other for the freezer) and the interior light. Looking at the interior light bulb, I can see it flickering very slightly, if this is any help.

Thanks


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## jeff1

> The control panel or box I was referring to is the one in the refrgerator compartment that has the digital readout on the front


Yupper...appears to be a bit of a fluff board...all the work/power is done elsewhere in the main board. 



> Looking at the interior light bulb, I can see it flickering very slightly, if this is any help


Loose conection maybe somewhere?

jeff.


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## hypie

*Same problem with my Whirpool*

Hi Ken, I woke up yesterday, 01/06/2006 to the same exact problem with my Whirpool side by side model # GS2SHAXNL00. If I remove the bulb, the temp console LEDs light up fine, and there is no nasty sounding electrical noise from down back. I put in a new bulb, hoping that would resolve it, but it did not. 

I am not very handy, and will probably have to call someone, but I'm willing to try. If you find out anything, please let me know. 

This side by side let us down last year, 6/2005, when the compressor went, however when I look now at the invoice, nature of service was "no light & cannot set" , replaced an interface (2255233), something that spells like ferrte?? (2308165), switch (1118894, and board (2252189). I think this refrigerator is a lemon...


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## jeff1

G'day,



> I am not very handy, and will probably have to call someone


If you get a chance, let us know what they find/see.



> replaced an interface (2255233), something that spells like ferrte?? (2308165), switch (1118894, and board (2252189).


Part# 2255233 - no pic - control assy.
Part# 2308165 - no pic - Ferrite bead.
Part# 1118894 -







- door switch.
Part# 2252189 -







- Electronic control board.

jeff.

Pictures are from RepairClinic


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## tikki50

Funny This same thing happened to me lately (model GS6HAXMB00) I figured it was a bulb and that wasn't it. My LED front light doesnt work at all, everything went out at once. So I replaced the door switch that didn't solve it, I tested for power and the switch has current running through it, so now what, replace the board? I don't think I'll be buying this brand again.....


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## jeff1

Hi,



> GS6HAXMB00


Won't come up for me.
Closest that I found GS6*S*HAXMB00 GS6*S*HAXMB01



> So I replaced the door switch that didn't solve it, I tested for power and the switch has current running through it, so now what, replace the board?


Sounds like that is very possible 

jeff.


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## tikki50

Yep sorry about that I forgot the "s". Is there a way to test the board without replacing it? I would assume i'd see something burnt on it or a connector burnt somewhere, i dont see antyhing thus far.....

I'll have to really dig into it tonight and take a close look at the board.


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## jeff1

> Is there a way to test the board without replacing it?


Not really the board...but does has a test mode for the refrigerator...

http://www.servicematters.com/docs/wiring/Wiring Sheet - 2255955.pdf

jeff.


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## Brik

Wow - these things must all be set to go bad at the same time!!! Mine has similar symptoms. Bulb appears bad, digital readout off, remove bulb, readout now operates, new bulb, readout goes out. Unscrew new bulb, readout resumes. I think the fridge is doing its normal cooling thing (w/o bulb anyway). I will try diags in pdf from Jeff. If ya'll get a solution, please post back.


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## jeff1

Brik, what is your model#.

jeff.


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## Brik

jeff1 said:


> Brik, what is your model#.
> 
> jeff.


GS6SHEXNL00


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## jeff1

Brik said:


> GS6SHEXNL00


Tech sheet for that model...
http://www.servicematters.com/docs/wiring/Wiring Sheet - 2255955.pdf

jeff.


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## Brik

Anyone get this fixed yet? I have not gone through the diags in the doc from jeff yet as I have been busy. Maybe I'll just call the repair guy.


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## jsi

Is there schematic diagram for the main control board (#2252189)?

My GS6SHEXNL00 has the same symptom. My control board actually has a burn spot where a pathway on the circuit board actually burned off and got disconnected.

Even after jumping that with a wire, no luck. I replaced a relay switch that was going nuts (clicking rapidly when the refrigeration side door is opened), but that didn't result in the light turning on in the refrigerator.

I'm having difficulty troubleshooting the control board without its schematics.


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## jeff1

G'day,



> Is there schematic diagram for the main control board (#2252189)?


Nope.
Whirlpool would likely not have it anyways as the part is made by someone else for them. Maybe there is a company name is on the board you could contact....but don't hold your breath on them sharing.

jeff.


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## Ken1948

Hi: everyone I also have the same problem you all are experianceing
with my Whirlpool side by side refrigerator(GD5RHAXNB00).
The display on the control panel stopped working as did the light on the refrigerator side. The light on the freezer size work fine, when I open the refrigerator door, the relay on the contol board (2304095) or (2252189) chatters.
In looking at the wire diagram, both the HOT leads and the RETURN lines come from the Control Board(2304095) or (2252189).I have order
a new contol board and will let you know my findings of the BAD BOARD.


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## jeff1

> I have order
> a new contol board and will let you know my findings of the BAD BOARD


Great.

Updates should help others 

jeff.


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## msoukup

Same thing happened to my side by side on Feb. 3, 2007... all signs point to the control board for me as well... is this easy enough to change out myself or is it recommended to call someone to replace it?


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## Brik

I wish somone would take the plunge and try and fix this themselves and post back the results, how hard or easy, etc


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## jklangston

For what it's worth, my fridge has *exactly* the same symptoms as those described here. It's practically two years old to the day. Just started happening yesterday. I even removed and inspected the control board and found the same burned trace on the back of the board. I can't seem to determine which relay is clicking away, but from what JSI posted, it doesn't seem to matter anyway.

Wow... This appears to be quite common with this model.


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## jklangston

If the problem turns out to be the control board, it's very easy to replace. If someone confirms the fix, I'll be happy to post step by step directions on replacing the control board.


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## Ken1948

Hi everyone I recieved my control board (2304095) last Friday(2-9)
put it in and every thing works fine, lights and all.
And now the strange part, my original board was made by
ITW ISPRACONTROLS. The board look cheap the circuit run through
K3 relay has a burnt trace on it. The refrigerator lights draw a total
of 1 amp at 120 volts if a light bulb breaks, like in my case one of my
crisper lights broke, that would cause a spike in the current which intern will burn a small point on the circuit card.
Also the new card had the Manufacture name etch on the board.
"Whirlpool" 
Everything about this refrigerator smells like REFURBISH.
I bought the refrigerator from LOWE's.
The new control board(2304095) I bought from AppliancePartPro.com cost was $106.00.
I am going to contact Whirlpool and ask if they use this other control board in there manufacture of refrigerators.


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## howard

*Hey guys, I may have bad news.*

I also have a Whirlpool side-by-side GS6SHAXMB00 which I purchased 2 1/2 years ago. Two months ago, the same thing happened with me. I opened the frig side door and heard a buzzing noise and the light in the frig side did not come on and the temp setting lights did not work. I traced the noise to a control board in the back bottom of the frig and I could feel a relay on the board making the noise. I saw a little burned mark on the white plastic housing that holds the board. I replaced the board with a new one from RepairClinic.com and easily installed it and everything worked fine. That is everything worked fine for about a month, then the same exact thing happened. I called RepairClinic.com and they sent me a another replacement board under parts warranty and I installed it and everything again worked perfectly. Until today. I opened the frig door and the same thing happened, no light, no temp setting lights, and this time no compressor or fan running. I pulled out the control board and put the original one back in and now at least the compressor and fan are working, although the light is not working and the relay is buzzing when the door is opened. Does anyone know what would be causing these control boards to fail? Please help!


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## msoukup

I've gone ahead and ordered a replacement board, it looks easy enough to replace but I not sure where it is actually on the fridge. I was planning on tearing apart my fridge until I found it but if someone could be kind enough to give me some general directions I would appreciate it. Thanks.


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## Alan

Sort of off-topic, and perhaps not really helpful to anyone in here, but I had a whirlpool washing machine that the main seal went out on in under a year, and they refused to replace it because that part wasn't covered by the warantee.
After a lot of fighting and arguing, they finally agreed to replace the part for free, but not the labor. FIRST would have to send an authorized repairman out to check to see if that was actually the problem (thats 70 bucks for the trip), then back out again once he ordered the parts to fix it.(70 bucks again for the trip, and then whatever his labor cost is.. probably in hundreds).

After all that i'd be back into the machine for over half what I paid for it. Junk. I gave the thing away, and purchased myself a nice reliable kenmore front loader from sears with a really nice warantee on it. 

I will never ever ever ever buy another whirlpool appliance.


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## msoukup

You may want to check here:

http://www.appliancefactoryparts.com/applianceshvac/help-center/appliance-age/kenmore-help.html

Your Kenmore could very well be made by Whirlpool.


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## ronnie5655

*Whirlpool...same problem*

I have a Whirlpool Gold...about 3 yars old, bought at Lowes. After replacing the bulb on the fridge side, the control panel lights were out and the funny crackling, buzzing sound is coming from lower inside area of fridge side.
One thing different from the other posts...when I remove the light bulb, the control panel DOES NOT resume working. 

Any ideas or do I just call the technician?






Ken1948 said:


> Hi everyone I recieved my control board (2304095) last Friday(2-9)
> put it in and every thing works fine, lights and all.
> And now the strange part, my original board was made by
> ITW ISPRACONTROLS. The board look cheap the circuit run through
> K3 relay has a burnt trace on it. The refrigerator lights draw a total
> of 1 amp at 120 volts if a light bulb breaks, like in my case one of my
> crisper lights broke, that would cause a spike in the current which intern will burn a small point on the circuit card.
> Also the new card had the Manufacture name etch on the board.
> "Whirlpool"
> Everything about this refrigerator smells like REFURBISH.
> I bought the refrigerator from LOWE's.
> The new control board(2304095) I bought from AppliancePartPro.com cost was $106.00.
> I am going to contact Whirlpool and ask if they use this other control board in there manufacture of refrigerators.


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## ronnie5655

*Same problem here...except*

When I remove the light bulb...the panel DOES NOT light up. Any thoughts?


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## msoukup

More than likely the control board. I got mine last night, swapped it out and all was good again.


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## ronnie5655

*Help for same problem*

I need some direction on removing the bad controller. How do I go about it?


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## msoukup

It's pretty easy, there are 5 or 6 screws holding on a cardboard backing on the back of the fridge, once that is off you can see a small white box on the bottom left side. It flips open and there is the board, it has 3 electrical wire connections going into it and then there was a small tab that was holding it in place. I went in blind and figured it out under a minute, if it is not the same as my fridge I'm sure you could figure it out easy enough.


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## ronnie5655

Thanks...now I just need to buy the part and give it a go...


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## howard

Hello, just wanted to update you guys on the Whirlpool refrigerator problem. After replacing the control board not twice, but three times, I finally got mad and fussed at Whirlpool. A few days later, they called me and said they were going to send a repair technician on their nickel, to look into the problem. The repair tech said this is a common problem with this refrigerator and said they have been told the cause may be due to a voltage spike coming into the board as a result of a bundle of wires running overtop or near the water solenoid. The theory is that when the water solenoid kicks in, the magnetic field induces a small current through the bundle of wires and these wires run straight over into the control board. He tied the wire bundle away from the solenoid with a plastic zip tie and replaced the control board. So far, so good. Only time will tell, but you all might want to try tying those wires up away from the solenoid a few inches.


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## ronnie5655

*Fixed It!*

I got a replacement board locally. It looked a little different than the orginal. I got online before installing it, thinking I had ordered the wrong part number. 
My fridge is model#GD5RHAXNT00....The part number I got is 2304095. The original part had a completely different number. Every website I went to to cross check the numbers gave me a different part number. Finally out of frustration I snapped the new part in and it fixed it. So...hope it helps.


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## aquatic

No kidding there's a timer on this board.. mine just crapped out too! THANK YOU ALL a ton for clearly IDing the problem and giving the fix as well. Ordered up a board from an ebay supplier (crosses fingers) and in the mean time, I yanked all the bulbs and will replace them all--in case it was a bulb blowing that blew the board. 

FWIW, I yanked the board and found a clear burn on the PC board, on the bottom of the board under the relay nearest the top, lower left pad I think it was. 

I'll post again when I swap the board. GD5SHAXNB Whirlpool Gold, 2 1/2 years old.


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## Robert Geissler

*Whirlpool Control Board 2304095 wiring*

I also ran into the same issues with my 1 year old Whirlpool lights flickering and the relay buzzing on the the control board. I removed the control board... soldered a jumper wire across the burnt spot on the PC board ( Q6 ) and installed the board..... the lights still would not work and the display would go out if you put a bulb back in. I traced out the wiring for the lights and found a very simple repair. if you clip the yellow wire from pc control board 10 pin connector and tap into the pin that has 2 black wires coming into one pin on the same connector this will supply power directly to the door switch and the lights will work again along with the display..... i have had no problems since..... and was a lot cheaper to repair then buy a new board that likely wont last either.


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## Robert Geissler

jsi said:


> Is there schematic diagram for the main control board (#2252189)?
> 
> My GS6SHEXNL00 has the same symptom. My control board actually has a burn spot where a pathway on the circuit board actually burned off and got disconnected.
> 
> Even after jumping that with a wire, no luck. I replaced a relay switch that was going nuts (clicking rapidly when the refrigeration side door is opened), but that didn't result in the light turning on in the refrigerator.
> 
> I'm having difficulty troubleshooting the control board without its schematics. [ clip the yellow wire with the red tracer on the control board and connect it to the 2 black wires coming to one pin on the same connector at the control board.... this will supply power to the door switch and the lights will all work again ]


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## aquatic

update: Replaced the board about 2 weeks ago. no sweat. easy replacement, and solved the issue. 

Got the board on Ebay, about 70 bucks.


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## dtaylor125

*Whirlpool Side by Side Lights our and relay chatter (PC Board 2252189)*

About two weeks ago the lights in the fridge side of our Whirlpool side by side ceased working (Model Number GD5RHAXNQ00). In addition the control panel digital desplay stopped working and there was chattering from the back of the unit. With the help of this DIY site, I confirmed it was a relay on the PC Board located in a white box at the back of the unit behind a cardboard cover. Part number on the PC is 2252189. I replaced it with an alternate part number WPL 2304095 and all works fine now. Cost $112.69 from pcappliancerepair.com

Easy fix, I hope it lasts.:thumbup:


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## Musiccha

Geetings all,
First great site and forum. You all helped me fix my frige (GD5RHAXNT00). However, I did take a slightly different path than most did.
I also found a hot spot on my board. At first I was going to do the jumper thing at the board connector but my model did not have the black wire on the ten pin connector. I decided to keep the board as some did and do some rewiring (the board is 1/3 the cost of the frige).

Thanks to jeff I found the wiring pdf and was able to get a good look at how this thing works. The switched leg (yellow wire) that turns on the lights also sends a signal back to the board seemed important to me so, I did the following..

At the wiring harness near the center of the frig (behind the cardboard in the back) 3 wires come out from the body of the frige and goin the main harness. I cut the yellow/rd wire and taped the end that goes to the control box. I refed the other end (that goes into the connector leading into the frig body) by splicing it into the black wire located in the harness. This black wire is a 120v feed from the power cord.

What my fix did (I think) was reduce the load on the board and bypass the fucntion that turns the light on and off while keeping the function that turns the display on and off. It also resulted in a kiss from my wife.:thumbsup:


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## smith2541

*Whilpool Side by Side*

I've had the same trouble as everyone else, with the fridg side door open, no light, no display and clicking noise from the bottom backside of the fridg.

Found burnt spot on the the board and could see were the heat from this burnt spot discolored the white plastic box it sits in. Bought a "new"? board from Dey appliance for $117.00 put it in, now everything seems to work fine.

The board I put in seems to have diffent components on it, less resistors?

I'll re-post if I have trouble in the future.

PS
My Whirlpool is just over 2 years old !!!
Might be why they have a 1 year wananty??


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## hom_tanks

*Having same problem - where can one file a consumer complaint ?*

Hi

No kidding! I just stumbled across this thread by doing a google search. I have the EXACT same problem and when I saw this, I was like "Aha".

THis obviously means there is a design defect in the control boards that have been used by Whirlpool. They should address this problem in future models and in the very least, do free repair for the hundreds of unsuspecting customers who bought their product and now find them in this soup. I am thinking of calling up Whirlpool and making them take care of this, not for the money or the hassle but for the principle.

Thanks
HT


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## Camelgt

*(Another) Whirlpool Side by Side*

Just completed splicing the yellow (w/red trace) wire to the (solid) black wire as described in earlier posts. Worked like a charm and was most cost effective!
Thanks to all that have posted their experiences / successes dealing with an obvious product defect.


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## Groucho

Soooo happy I found this thread. My Whirlpool Gold side-by-side GD5NHAXMQ00 is doing the same thing (no control LEDs no matter what though).

I swapped the fridge side door switch with no luck. Afterwards, I checked & the old one was fine...with voltage going to it. The yellow & white wires in the top of the fridge control unit (the 2 wires that power the fridge light) don't get power with the door switch in either position.

I pulled the control circuit board out of the back of the fridge & found sweet black mark on the box. The circuit board burned out one of the traces off a relay. Of course, it's at the trace's thinnest part. Looks like a design flaw to me. Here are some pix...



















So, looking at www.pcappliancerepair.com, it looks like p/n 2304095 is the new one for my fridge. $111. Grrrrr.

Has anyone has any luck rewiring the bad circuit board section? If the relay's still good, it seems like a wire jumper across the bad trace should fix it. Anyone?


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## trebor

*Thanks to all who posted*

My problem started off the same... lights flickering and buzzing noise, and when I removed all the lightbulbs the display would come back on and the buzzing would stop. I tested all the bulbs and replaced the one that was burnt out. The lights started flickering and the buzzing noise persisted. The noise and the lights finally stopped for good, after about 10 minutes of fuzzing with it. The next day I came home from work to find out that the entire frig/freezer had shut down and everthing was defrosting. It would not have been so devastating if my chest freezer hadn't quit two weeks earlier.

After reading your post, I discovered this is a common problem with Whirlpool's side by side frig/freezers. Why hasn't Whirlpool done a recall? This is poor workmanship, plain and simple. What should have been a simple lightbulb change has turned into... replacing a circuit board...replacing spoiled food and time missed from work. I bought a Whirlpool *Gold *thinking I was buying the best. What a joke. Whirlpool had already lost my business with earlier problems with the same frig. I am to the point where I am seriously thinking of hiring a lawyer to pursue legal action against Whirlpool.:furious: 
Again, thanks to all who posted. It is nice to know that this problem is not mine alone.


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## Groucho

Groucho said:


> So, looking at www.pcappliancerepair.com, it looks like p/n 2304095 is the new one for my fridge. $111. Grrrrr.


I bought the part number listed above & installed it. Fridge works great now. Such is life with a 3 year old fridge I guess. :huh:


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## trebor

*New Ciruit Board*

I got my new ciruit board today and lo and behold it's not the same part  . Whirlpool found out the orignal part was defective and designed a replacement part and instead of recalling the defective part, is making the end consumer pay. The new ciruit board is stamped "Whirlpool 2004" instead of ITW. Therefore they have known about this problem for over 4 years. Since before my purchase date. This smell like a class action suit to me. Go to http://www.complaintsboard.com/ for justice.

PS.. the new ciruit board cost me $205 Canadain


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## kent614

*Great site, wish I'd found it sooner*

Thanks for everyone posting their experience. I have also suffered the burn of p/n 2252189 on my 3-year old Whirlpool Gold. Repaired with p/n 2304095. We are victims of shoddy workmanship. My board has the exact same burn mark as others have described, at K2. Repairman just finished up, nice enough to leave the old part so I could look up other's experience.


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## Milkbone15

kent614 said:


> Thanks for everyone posting their experience. I have also suffered the burn of p/n 2252189 on my 3-year old Whirlpool Gold. Repaired with p/n 2304095. We are victims of shoddy workmanship. My board has the exact same burn mark as others have described, at K2. Repairman just finished up, nice enough to leave the old part so I could look up other's experience.


Whirlpool is one of the best out their and I was really shocked when this happened to my less than 2 year old fridge. Just out of warranty.:furious: 
After spending so much money for what I thought was a very well made unit to have to fix this at my expence realy stinks. "We are victims of shoddy workmanship" from whoever made the board for Whirlpool the first go round.
Now that their is a new board, we know they knew it also!
I have 4 kids, I don't have extra $$ lying around for a new appliance to need repairs :furious: What ever happened to the 30 year fridge?


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## fridgefix

Many thanks to those who have already posted here. The cumulative info saved me between $200-$300. My Whirlpool Gold GS5SHAXNQ00 side-by-side fridge was doing exactly what has alredy been described. At 2 1/2 to 3 years of age, the lights all went out on the fridge side, the number display for the temperature settings went out, and a rapid (and distressed sounding) clicking came from what sounded like a gone-crazy relay switch every time we opened the door. The compressor continued to cool. When I removed all the light bulbs from the fridge side, the number display came back on--but it stayed on even when the door switch was pushed in. I discovered that one of the three light bulbs was blown.

I opened up the circuit board compartment in the back (and yes, it's very easy to do this, even with limited fix-it experience) and looked for char marks. They were indeed there, both on the board itself and on the white plastic casing in EXACTLY the same spot as already shown in the pictures posted above on this thread. I called Whirlpool to explore whether they might do the right thing and replace the board, which absolutely HAS to be defective, considering the multiple parallel reports posted here, but, of course, they wouldn't. I did verify from them that the old board had been "rendered obsolete" but they wouldn't say why. (I think we know why, though!) They confirmed that the board P/N had changed from 2252189 to 2304095. So I ordered it from Appliance Parts Specialists at http://www.myapplianceparts.com/. They had the best price - $108 including shipping. (They shipped immediately and I got the part in less than a week.) I unplugged the old board, popped the new one in, held my breath, and plugged the fridge back into the wall. Everything worked perfectly. Oh, before I did that, I put all new bulbs into the fridge. 

So, here's my theory for why this is happening: The reason everybody is reporting a 2-3 year time lag before the board fries is that it's a blown bulb that causes it. And it would logically take about that much time for a brand new bulb to reach the end of its lifespan. Then, when it blows, it triggers a surge that fries that one contact point on the printed circuit. That, in turn, causes the weird symptoms. I'm determined to change all bulbs once a year from now on whether they need it or not (with the fridge uplugged) to make sure this doesn't happen again. The new P/N board may be designed to be OK when a bulb blows, but I can't count on that. Hope this post, and the others in this thread help others who have this problem to not have to call a service tech and pay so much more than is needed to fix it....


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## Groucho

fridgefix said:


> So, here's my theory for why this is happening: The reason everybody is reporting a 2-3 year time lag before the board fries is that it's a blown bulb that causes it.


FWIW, all the bulbs in my fridge were fine when the circuit board died. The bulb in the fridge was the first thing I checked, but it was fine.


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## jsoukup

Musiccha,
Your post saved me at least $120. Even better, I don't have to worry about a new controller board having the same problem in a couple of years!
Thank you very much.


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## Patriot77

Having the same problem with my Whirlpool - Model GD5RHAXNQ00. Identical symptoms - Refrigerator lights stopped working, Control LED's stopped working. When refrigerator door was opened, loud arcing, chattering from control board. The arc/burn marks were identical to those posted earlier in this thread. I called Whirlpool today and they said they don't have any "quality issues" on record for this type of problem and said they are NOT willing to help me defray the cost. This will be the last Whirlpool product I purchase!


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## 4thtbird

I am unfortunately the latest to join this Whirlpool club. Model GD5SHAXNQ00, another Whirlpool Gold victim. It certainly sounds as if there is a common defect here. I have not torn into the fridge yet, but I believe I know what I will find.
Thanks to those who have posted their fixes!

Andy


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## brijo3218

Thanks so much for this information. This happened to my refrigerator word for word. I ordered the board and saved alot of $. I will not be buying anything Whirlpool again. Can you believe they do business like this???:furious:


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## 4thtbird

I took the circuit board out & it was a perfect copy of the defective board pictured above w/ the burned spot. The replacment board arrived today, but I haven't put it in yet.


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## JSKRETCH

*Same Problem Strikes Again!*

I have the same exact problem that has been described numerous times here, same chattering relay, same burned board. I bought my Whirlpool "gold" fridge at Lowes. and it is 2 1/2 years old. I had to have it repaired 2 times already (under warranty ) within the first few months of owning it due to a faulty thermo switch in the freezer. Now this! :furious: 

I was lucky enough to have been suckered into the 5 year appliance protection plan from Lowes. THeir Service guy came out this morning and by this afternoon had scheduled to come back in a day. I guess that the local parts center had 4 of these in stock which means something according to him. Glad I bought the warranty, although I am really unhappy with how Whirlpool is acting. 

Here's an idea Whirlpool, Quit Making JUNK and wasting my time! Are we consumers really asking too much ? shouldn’t a fridge (especially the prestigious “Gold”series) last more than 2 years? I guess I should have looked for the Platinum series or do they make an iridium, or )dare I even say) rhodium series?

To be quite honest, I would gladly pay top dollar for the Adamantium series with full 24/7 support and a fully redundant , closed loop, EMP shielded , hermetically sealed control system, plugged into a dual UPS system housed in a titanium case and protected by a razor wire fence, armed guards, and vicious attack dogs (which are actually rabid wolf hybrids). 
Then maybe the fridge would still be working and I wouldn’t be here ranting. But much like Adamantium, such a thing does not exist, 

There should be a lemon law on appliances. Anybody have any ideas how we can sue Whirlpool, Lowes or somebody? Hey, I’m not being greedy, I ‘m just using the same rational they are to make an extra buck.


----------



## barrycy1

*Well Guess What?*
I did a google search on my Whirlpool Gold model GS5SHA*N*0* and I found you guys. My fridge is 2 y.o. and this is the first problem I have had. 
Tried changing bulbs like everyone else to no avail. Has anyone called Whirlpool for an explanation? 
My bulb flickers and when I remove it the display lights resume working. Can I assume if I do not correct the problem that other things will begin to occur?
Thanks


----------



## dantera

Just happened to me 2 hours ago. Same problem with the flickering lights and controls LEDs off. Googling the problem led me to this page - which was very helpful. All the major appliances at home are whirlpool and all are 3 years old. First the microwave had problems which I fixed (being an Electrical Engr. helped), then the washing machine died of a mechanical problem (which I replaced with a different brand), and now the fridge. No more whirlpool for me.


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## indyvol

*That fixed it...*

:thumbup: 

After living with no lights (on the refrigerator side) for about a year, we decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and pay the $100+ for the control board. My wife had called our local repair guy and told him about the problem mentioned in this thread. He hadn't heard about this problem and told her the bulbs were the problem. So just out of curiosity I googled the model number and found this site. After reading the posts I decided to try the repairs mentioned on earlier posts. For those who are wondering--that fixes the problem.

To help clarify...My frig did not have the 2 black wires on the 10 pin connector either. Like instructed in an earlier post, I tapped the yellow (w/ red tracer) to the solid black wire in the wire bundle that runs along the bottom of the frig. (Not the black wire w/ white tracer.) In the middle of the frig, just behind the cardboard cover is a 3 wire connector w/ 2 yellow wires and the yellow/red wire. Clip the yellow/red wire below the that 3 wire connector--making sure you have enough to reach the solid black wire. There is not a lot of slack there. I put a wire nut onthe yellow/red wire that goes back to the circuit board and taped it up. I simply clipped the solid black wire and wire-nutted the yellow/red wire to the (now) 2 black wires and taped everything back. Make sure you tie or tape everything back to take any strain off of the wire nut and avoid chaffing or pinching the wires.

Good luck and spend you $120 on something other than a part Whirlpool won't stand behind!


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## dantera

Hi indyvol - When you first had the problem (lights flickering etc.) did the fridge work at all? I have the same problem, and the control board has the burnt trace, and my fridge isn't cooling after the problem occured. 

Looks like you changed out the control board initially, didn't that fix all of the problems (including the lights)?

thanks


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## indyvol1

*Frig cooled fine*

No, we never replaced the board. We thought about it
until we found out the price. We lived without lights for 
about a year.

When ours went out, only the lights were affected. The frig
continued to cool just fine.


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## dantera

*Fix*

Fix for "Whirlpool lights Flicker Problem"

I went ahead and fixed the control board myself. It took about 2 hours of figuring out the circuitry (difficult without a schematic) plus time to solder and replace some parts, and cost about 25 cents (that’s right, cents not dollars!). Hopefully with my posting it’ll take the reader only a few minutes to fix the board. You can directly go the end of the posting for the instructions if you don’t want to read my two cents. 

I still don’t know the root cause of the problem, and I can only guess. Maybe if I set up some experiments I might have a better idea, but who’s got the time. (And once again I don’t have a schematic so it’s even more difficult) 
The trace layout on this board is very poor. I design boards and it’s pretty obvious the people who laid out this board did a poor job at it. If the bulb went out when the door was opened it’s conceivable that some inductive surge event could have caused the problems that followed. One component that went bad was the transistor (see picture) next to the burnt trace. It could have died due some detrimental inductive/capacitive coupling caused by poor board layout. The transistor going bad could have caused the initial flickering of the light bulbs – the transistor controls the relay and it was rapidly moving the relay arms back and forth between “power” and “no-power” states. Eventually the transistor completely dies (I measured 16 ohms between emitter and base), which then switches the relay arms from “power” to “no-power” state. And that’s where it sits until you replace the transistor. I still don’t know why the trace burned (that trace is the 110V line that powers the bulbs – connects to the yellow/red tracer wire). Splicing the yellow/red tracer wire directly to 110V will also help, but if there’s ever a situation when the control logic deems that the lights need to be turned off then you are out of luck – “splicing” hard wires the lights to 110V (when the door switch is closed). So, if your lights are out, then replace the transistor (see instructions below).
In my case not only did I not have the lights, but my fridge wasn’t cooling. I traced that problem to C16 220uF, 35V Electrolytic cap (next to the biggest cap on the board). You should read around 3k Ohms across that cap but I was reading 13 Ohms. In the case of this board you should read high resistance values across all the caps – (3k being the lowest value across the aforementioned cap). If you don’t read high resistance values across any of the caps then replace that cap.

And finally the instructions (you need to have access to a soldering iron – pretty cheap). The picture is small, if necessary compare to the larger picture on page 4.

1) Put a jumper across the burnt trace. From the picture below the most accessible points are the two solder points marked in the red Xs. It’s important to have one end of the wire on the X on the left. The other end is just 110V – you can get it at the other X or from one of the connectors but this spot is easy. Don’t use too thin of a wire (20ish AWG is ok). For better isolation between the jumper wire and components//solder points on the board put some Kapton tape on the board under the wire. 
2) Replace the transistor (see picture) with a PNP BJT with at least 150V rating (any electronic supplier, Digikey etc – cost is less than 10 cents.) I used the MMBT5401.
3) If your fridge isn’t cooling, then if possible measure resistance across all the caps and replace as necessary. Assuming your problem is the same as mine, then replace the 220uF capacitor (next to the biggest cap on the board and on the other side of the board). Be sure to use a 105 degree C cap as it’s pretty warm where the board resides. A cap with a voltage rating of 35V (or whatever voltage is indicated on the cap) or higher should be used. Cost of cap is less than 20 cents.
4) Optionally, you could put a snap-on ferrite bead (big enough) on the 3 wire (white, yellow, yellow/red-tracer) cable going up to the lights in the fridge. If there is a surge issue, then the ferrite will suppress it. 

That should do it. This way you save a lot of money. By the way, that was a heck of a lot of current that burned the trace – it’s potentially a safety issue. I think everyone should raise a bit of a stink about this. 
(If a bigger and clearer picture is needed, I can email it - I can't seem to attach a bigger picture to my posting - if anyone knows please let me know how.)
[email protected]


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## James_Bond

*New board correct cooling problem*

Thanks everyone. Please include me in this party. My lights flickered on the fridge side and I have the chatty relay. This went on for about a day. Then the freezer/fridge stopped cooling all together. I am now living out of coolers. I understand that the circuit board will correct the light and chatty relay problem, but has it corrected the cooling problem as well. I see others experiencing the additional cooling problem but have not seen anyone said that their cooling problem was corrected with the new board? I hate to buy a new board and still have problems. Thanks.

Shaken, Not Stirred
007


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## dantera

James Bond: 
Depends on what happened. Both my lights and cooling problem had to do with the circuit board. And most folks here seemed to have had only the lights problem. Depending on what all blew out when whatever happened to the circuit board - you may have one or both issues. If you go through the instructions posted above, and the referenced capacitor is shorted then the cooling problem is because of the board.


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## Milkbone15

JSKRETCH said:


> I have the same exact problem that has been described numerous times here, same chattering relay, same burned board. I bought my Whirlpool "gold" fridge at Lowes. and it is 2 1/2 years old. I had to have it repaired 2 times already (under warranty ) within the first few months of owning it due to a faulty thermo switch in the freezer. Now this! :furious:
> 
> I was lucky enough to have been suckered into the 5 year appliance protection plan from Lowes. THeir Service guy came out this morning and by this afternoon had scheduled to come back in a day. I guess that the local parts center had 4 of these in stock which means something according to him. Glad I bought the warranty, although I am really unhappy with how Whirlpool is acting.
> 
> Here's an idea Whirlpool, Quit Making JUNK and wasting my time! Are we consumers really asking too much ? shouldn’t a fridge (especially the prestigious “Gold”series) last more than 2 years? I guess I should have looked for the Platinum series or do they make an iridium, or )dare I even say) rhodium series?
> 
> To be quite honest, I would gladly pay top dollar for the Adamantium series with full 24/7 support and a fully redundant , closed loop, EMP shielded , hermetically sealed control system, plugged into a dual UPS system housed in a titanium case and protected by a razor wire fence, armed guards, and vicious attack dogs (which are actually rabid wolf hybrids).
> Then maybe the fridge would still be working and I wouldn’t be here ranting. But much like Adamantium, such a thing does not exist,
> 
> There should be a lemon law on appliances. Anybody have any ideas how we can sue Whirlpool, Lowes or somebody? Hey, I’m not being greedy, I ‘m just using the same rational they are to make an extra buck.


Adamantium! LOL! :thumbup: I agree! Just spent the $100 for new board after soldering bypass on the old one did not work. FYI, Their is yet another New PN for new board also *W10135090*. Now the temp control display shows J J it is set to 4 4. Any one know why? Next time I am going to shop for an LG.....


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## refguy

*Yet another control panel failure*

Wow, this is quite the forum indicating a problem at Whirlpool. Thought everyone migh like to know if you are not aware, Whirlpool makes several brands including some Kenmore models and the "higher end" Kitchen Aid.
I have the Whirlpool Gold line for all the appliances in my home.
My fridgde is a GS6SHEXNB00. This week , the fridge side light went out. I tried to change it today. After changing the bulb not only did the light not work, but the digital display went out too. Actually, the lightbulb did not burn out so that was not the cause of my problem. 
I have read enough here to know how to fix my problem and will tackle it this week but I just need to vent my frustration with Whirlpool in general right now with this forum.

As I mention, I bought all Gold appliances, this was in 2004. This was actually the second complete set of Gold Appliances we bought, but the first set was included in a house sale in 2003, so I can only imagine that the folks who bought our house are faced with the same issues.

I have had problems with;
1. The original Front Load Washer (in my first house) where the drain pump stared becoming noisy.
2. the microwave in our new house was backordered for 5 weeks as there was a fire hazard notice out on the model we bought and it needed to be re-engineered
3. Our top of the line dishwasher untensil basket broke.
4. Our dishwasher could never actually wash dishes unless we only filled it to half capacity. The service tech also told us to never use liquid detergent and always turn on the hot water tap in our kitchen prior to doing a load of dishes.
5. Our dishwasher needed to have the control panel replaced because the rinse only button never worked.
6. Our side by side Freezer door needed to be replaced as the ice dispenser was cracked inside the door and the only way to fix it was to change the complete door.
7. Seems to me that I haved to change the water filter every two months, not because it is dirty, but because water will no lnger flow through it.
All the above were during the warranty period.

8. the ice maker broke in the fridge. One month out of warranty. I temporarliy replaced it with a 20 year old Kenmore Ice maker until I ordered an original ice maker on ebay for $50.00. Whirlpool wanted almost $300.00. There is another thread on this part indicating problems with the Ice maker, too. I asked Whirlpool if there was any notice out on the ice maker as there were so many stated failures, but they denied knowing there were any problems at all.
8. The current fridge control panel problem.

Needless to say, I will NEVER buy a Whirlpool appliance again. 

this week I am going to call that guy on CTV (a Canadian TV station, for those not aware) who looks into consumer issues (Pat Horan, I think)

I will update you when I fix my fridge and let you know what Mr. Horan can do for all of us.


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## comp

thats the luck i have with GE and SONY stuff


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## Milkbone15

comp said:


> thats the luck i have with GE and SONY stuff


:wink: Me Too, Been down the same road with GE "JUNK" also. 
Just an update my whirlpool control still shows "J J" for some reason but the fridge and light works fine since the new board was put in. So untill I hear from someone exactly what to do I am not going to mess with it. 
:whistling2:KEEPING FINGERS CROSSED!

ps. FYI: Maytag is now owned and built by whirlpool also.


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## comp

Whirlpool has always been good for me ,,but i haven't had the Hi-end stuff


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## eau claire

*Circuit Board faulty AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!*

I've read what you have recommended to fix this problem but before I try that, let me give you some history on my Whirlpool.... 

We have the side-by-side model GS6SHEXNL00 and around 1 1/2 years ago, we came back from vacation to find the whole fridge/freezer not working. The fridge was unfortunately not under warranty any longer so we ended up spending over $300 to replace the circuit board as that was what the repairman had determined was the problem. The fridge worked fine after that. 

Now, 1 1/2 years later, the lights and control panel are no longer working. It is similar to what many have described.....once the light bulbs are removed the control panel light comes back on. As soon as you try to replace a light bulb, the control panel light turns off. The fridge is still cooling and the freezer seems to be fine.

My concern is that this happened once before. Is it worth fixing again? I appreciate any suggestions.


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## dantera

*eau claire*

Since it's only been 1.5 years since your last repair, ask if they will replace the control board for a nominal price (<$50). Else you can follow my instructions above and try to fix the board yourself (which is cheap but takes a little know how and tools). Unless they have redesigned the control board you can expect this problem every couple of years.


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## wgm

Execpt same problem... but i found this fourm after the repair man just left $264 - 12-01-2007, 07:33 PM same exact pics as this post... exact same board & exact same burn & exact same symptoms... as everyone described... flickering light etc... 3 years old frig.

Whrilpool bad boards for sure someone need to start a class action suit, I am keeping my bad board in case someone does... 

Great board... will start here before I call the repairman next time... even I a novice newbie ... could have changed out the control board that was clicking...


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## comp

wgm said:


> Execpt same problem... but i found this fourm after the repair man just left $264 - 12-01-2007, 07:33 PM same exact pics as this post... exact same board & exact same burn & exact same symptoms... as everyone described... flickering light etc... 3 years old frig.
> 
> Whrilpool bad boards for sure someone need to start a class action suit, I am keeping my bad board in case someone does...
> 
> Great board... will start here before I call the repairman next time... even I a novice newbie ... could have changed out the control board that was clicking...


:thumbsup:


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## depalme

Same thing here and mine is 3 years old...thankfully I purchased a 4 year warranty!! So how do we go about starting a class action suit?? I'm in!!


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## bearhunter1

I am now a proud member of the Whirpool bad board club. I feel so lucky to have purchased this fine product. Will try this fix over the week-end.


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## JBLAVERTY

*Whirlpool Gold Fridge*

Same model
Same defective motherboard
Same time period

The new board cost me 88.00 including shipping from OK. The old board is located in the back. Specifically at the lower left side. Uncap the white plastic box and remove the old board. Unplug the wires and plug them into the new board. Slide the new board into the white plastic box and replace the cap. Now re-install the cardboard backing to the fridge. You're good to go.

Surprisingly, my light bulbs never blew so I don't know where the surge came from.

Installation will take you 15 mins with the use of a screwdriver and small pair of pliers. 
Jim
Flower Mound, TX


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## bearhunter1

*Repair without replacing the board*

I followed the instructions for bypassing the burnt section of the board (see previous posts). Worked like a charm. No $80 to $110 board replacement needed. I do have an attorney looking into a class action. I do know I will not buy Whirpool or any of their other lines. Makes it difficult because they manufacture: Roper, Magic Chef, Maytag, Kitchenaid, Jenn-air, Estate and Amana.


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## Back In The Saddle Again

Older Kenmore portable dishwasher. Drain problem. How to access beyond the plastic screen to see if there's an obstruction. The screen doesnt seem to have an obvious screw or such to undo. Is it possible that with a screwdriver it snaps open?


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## sv9779

I just ran accross that same simptom. The user interface board in the frig (digital display) and the light are feed from the big power board down by the compressor. Can't remember the exact tests I made but bottom line was I ordered the pwer board.


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## sv9779

Just dropped in the power board. Problem solved. You can test the board by checking for line voltage from plug cn1 white wire to plug cn2 yellow with red striped wire. It should be 120 volts line voltage. This one was at 107 and would drop to zero when the door was opened.


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## CID_flyer

*Problem Solved!*

I just wanted to add my thanks to those posting in this thread. I have a 3-year-old Whirlpool Gold and experienced the same problem described by many here about a week ago... lights out, relay chattering when the door was opened. I ordered a new control board and installed it in about 20 mins this afternoon... and everything's back to normal. Thanks again!


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## unionflanker

*Same Here*

Whirlpool gold side by side. 3 years (warranty I bought).. digital display and light went out one month later. Took bulb out and bulb still works..
Just ordered the part and it will be here in 3 days. Scheduled a service call and cancelled .. Thanks to everyone on this thread..Would have been $75 plus part instead of $85 total...
And like someone earlier in this thread... It's not a whirlpool control board in my unit.. hmmm... something isn't right... especially when they are sending me a whirlpool replacement....


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## unionflanker

*Don't Pay A Tech*

IF YOU HAVE A wHIRLPOOL GOLD SIDE BY SIDE WITH NO DIGITAL AND NO LIGHT AND THE FRIDGE WORKS...
$85.00 AND I DID IT MYSELF IN 5... LITERALLY 5 MINUTES.... ELECTRONIC CONTROL BOARD REPLACEMENT...
8 SCREWS FOR THE CARDBOARD AND 0 FOR THE POP OUT CONTROL BOARD...
THANKS A MILLION... EVERYONE WHO POSTED...:thumbsup:


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## HAllen

*Wire jumper*

Add me to the victim list! I bought our fridge in 2004, had to replace the ice maker previous to this. I had the same lights out on the fridge side as everyone else here but not the clicking relay.
Would it hurt to leave the yellow/red wire connected to the circuit board? I used a Scotchlock to connect the yellow/red wire (where it comes out of the frig body just below the connector) to the solid black wire in the bundle that runs across the back. No cutting needed, just slid on the connector and squeezed it on.
Everything seems back to normal so far.


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## Thinfilmguy

*One more to the list...*

Identical, but cooling works fine. I have an 04 that my wife bought at Lowes, light went out about a year ago and I have the chattering relay. I'm going to pull the card and see if I want to fix it - really seems pretty straight forward as I am a electrical kind of guy.

Please add me to the class action when it happens! Great info guys.
Jim


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## trcons

Hi,

Just wanted to say thanks to those who came up with the fix. (pigtail red/yellow to solid black) Worked great and saved me 100 bucks. 

Tom


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## 4thtbird

It's been a year since the board went out in my fridge. The new board is working fine. Has Whirlpool acknowledged a problem with these yet?


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## sv9779

trcons said:


> Hi,
> 
> Just wanted to say thanks to those who came up with the fix. (pigtail red/yellow to solid black) Worked great and saved me 100 bucks.
> 
> Tom


 
Would sure like to see the internal schematic to see what that exactly does. You could be defeating an enegy saving feature. ie: it may have only defrosted every 20 hours of compressor run time and now it defrosts every 8 hours whether it needs it or not. Or turning on the compressor when only the evap fan needs to come on. A lot of these boards will go into a default mode when they malfunction and just keep the frig cold and working. But not working right. Keep an eye on your electric bill to make sure you don't get an increase of $5.00 or $10.00 a month. Wouldn't take long to eat up the savings of not putting in a new board.
LG just came out with a new board for one of thier refrigerators because it didn't meet the energy star rating. The frig runs fine. But they figure it is costing about $7.00 a month more to run without the new board.


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## jimvgjr

*Worked- thanks*

Thanks Musiccha, followed the instructions in regards to bypassing the board and all seems to work great! We never lost cooling, just had the lights and controller dark on the fridge-side with the buzzing whenever door was open. Appreciate saving hours studying schematic and/or the replacement of board. Aren't the internet, and forums like this, amazing!?!:thumbup:


Thanks
Jim



Musiccha said:


> At the wiring harness near the center of the frig (behind the cardboard in the back) 3 wires come out from the body of the frige and goin the main harness. I cut the yellow/rd wire and taped the end that goes to the control box. I refed the other end (that goes into the connector leading into the frig body) by splicing it into the black wire located in the harness. This black wire is a 120v feed from the power cord.
> 
> What my fix did (I think) was reduce the load on the board and bypass the function that turns the light on and off while keeping the function that turns the display on and off. It also resulted in a kiss from my wife.:thumbsup:


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## Jacques

i didn't feel like reading through all these posts, so don't know if anyone told you the poblem is the electonic control mounted in the rear at lh side,facing rear, in plastic box. PULL PLUG!! before servicing.


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## GabrielE

*whirlpool control board*

Hi guys
I have an older model whirlpool fridge freezer (S20BRSB21-A/G) and cannot find a provider for the control board. Any suggestions?
Gabriel


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## wgm

Originally Posted by *wgm*  
_Exact same problem... but i found this forum after the repair man just left $264 - 12-01-2007, 07:33 PM same exact pics as this post... exact same *board* & exact same burn & exact same symptoms... as everyone described... flickering light etc... 3 years old frig._

_Whirlpool bad boards for sure someone need to start a class action suit, I am keeping my bad *board* in case someone does... _


_Well it's happened AGAIN - Bad Board for the third time - same exact problem - this will be my 3rd bad board... :furious::furious::furious: _

_Do I give up & junk this frig, I can't keep replacing every 3 to 6 months !!!_

_Wish we could find a class action lawyer ! Need a Lemon Law !!!_

_FSP W10135090 CNTRL ELEC Code 080404_

_2252189 ITW ISPRACONTROLS _

_Model G565HEXNQ00_


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## belf

Hi folks--I'm hoping someone can help me. I have similar issue as all the other parties above (GD5SHAXNB00). However, I don't have the clicking/buzzing sound, just no LED read out/lights not working and only on fridge side (cooling is fine). COuld it be the same issue as everyone else with the circuit board needing to be replaced? I secretly fear it may also be moisture that got in from cleaning it recently. If you were me, would you still assume it's the control board and try to replace that? I really don't want to pay for a technician.


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## BluebugTDI

*Another one bites the dust!*

Hi Folks,

Same problem, (3) year old Whirlpool Gold, Model (GS2SHEXNS00). Saw a blue flash from the upper left control light then the same drop off of the Settings LED's, lights, and buzzing from the Electronic Control Relay. I appreciate all of those who have gone before with this problem. I am currently using Scotch tape on the switch, and a LED tap light for lighting. 

I will be repairing the board on my next day off. Thought the top light was burnt, but after replacing the bulb with a frosted one, went back with the original clear bulb and with the cover off could see the filament flashing with the relay on the control board.

Anybody reported this to Consumer Reports or any other federal agency to possibly get a recall?

Just a thought.

Thanks,

Tim


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## pneuskool

Hey yall. I just finished the board repair without replacing the transistor and the light and the control display are working fine. We''ll see if the ice maker gets back on the ball. Just a tip for you newbie solderers, make sure the repair wire you use is stranded and that you melt on the solder to the wire first and then solder again to the contact points on the board. There's not much room there for error. Thanks everyone!

John


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## kpshah0

I had same problem where the ice maker side was working fine, but I had a bulb blow out and I saw the black mark in the exact same position on the control board. 

I did the fix, where a jumper wire is soldered across the burnt trace.
There is a better picture of this fix in this URL
http://www.fixya.com/support/t398069-whirlpool_gold_refridgerator_light_not

Also, I replaced all the bulbs.


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## jdtanner

*Me Too*

I also have the whirlpool side by side flickering control board problem.
Read all these (and other sites posts) and can not believe Whirlpool will not fess up to a defective part and replace it.
Just to make sure, I called them today armed with all this info. As others state, they deny there is such a problem.
I am in very bad financial state due to current economy and thus will have a dark refrigerator for a year or two. 
Just does not seem right and I would love to be contacted when the class action suit takes place.


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## jwpace

*Model GS6SHEXNQ00*

I have the same problem with my Whirlpool Gold Side by Side. I had the lights and the top temperature panel go dead. Freezer works fine. I did the soder repair on the control board and now the temerature display works. When I put in a good bulb into any of the three sockets in the fridge the temperature display goes dead. If I pull the bulb out it comes back. Any ideas out there? 
Maytag had a similiar recall for other models for this problem. If everyone writes to the Consumer Products Safety Commission we may get something done to get a recall going. The link is http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09145.html for the recall.
At the bottom of the site is a link where you can submit a complaint to the CPSC.


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## Noel

*Check for warranty service even if out of warranty!*



tikki50 said:


> Funny This same thing happened to me lately (model GS6HAXMB00) I figured it was a bulb and that wasn't it. My LED front light doesnt work at all, everything went out at once. So I replaced the door switch that didn't solve it, I tested for power and the switch has current running through it, so now what, replace the board? I don't think I'll be buying this brand again.....


Problems with electronic boards aren't brand specific, although the 'better' brands (think Sub Zero vs. Whirlpool) tend to do a better job of protecting their more sensitive components such as PC boards. BUT that isn't an absolute. Boards like this are a good place to begin your homework before buying your next appliance - new or used.


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## msurgery

*Another way of fixing controller board*

My Whirlpool also broke, same symptoms (no light and no digital display but freezer otherwise work well).
This is NOT my original idea. I saw somewhere here or other DIY site that one person posted that the circuit gets burned out and you can just reconnect with wiring. Well... this is one temporary measure.
I don't know if the circut will break again when the light is about to burn out in two years... but it may not because it seems circut burns same place (I think.. base on his photo and what my board appeared).
He posted picture but couldn't find the site again, so here is the picture I took after I done some soldering.

..... found the original message on how to fix this (which I learned from)... above message.

Credit goes to:
http://www.fixya.com/support/t398069-whirlpool_gold_refridgerator_light_not


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## Noel

*Nicely done! n/t*

!!!!!


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## tthame1

I'm actually having a slightly different issue (Whirlpool Gold GD5RHAXNB00). Wondering if this is the main control panel that everyone else is having issues with or the smaller board located in the refrigerator with the temp controls.

The lights in the refrigerator will go out and the temp control LEDs will flash U 3, then P 1 when I first open the refrigerator then nothing. From looking at the Service and Wiring Sheet, it appears that it is entering diagnostic mode, but then stopping (ie. it never actually displays any diagnostics). If I unplug the refrigerator and plug it back in, everything works fine temporarily. The issue is very intermittent, but has been doing it more often recently. From what I can tell, the unit still cools when this happens, but on one occasion for sure it did quit cooling (everything in the freezer melted).

BTW, I did have my condensor fan go out recently; however, the issue above was occuring prior to that.

Any ideas?


----------



## moog5

Add me into the bad board club. 4 year old Whirlpool Gold GS5SHAXNL00. Lights flickering when door open, clicking noise. $70 tech visit who told me I can do it myself, just go buy a board (W10135090), saved the $200 for him to return for 5 minutes of work. Didn't find this website until a day after I went and paid $108 for anew board, plus $16 for lifetime board warranty. Just wish I would have found this site first so that I could have tried the soldering a jumper fix. After reading how many have had this same problem, and Whirlpool's ignoring an obvious design flaw, count me out on buying any more Whirlpool products. I also had a similar board problem with a KitchenAid (aka Whirlpool) stove.


----------



## jttaylor651

My Whirlpool Side by Side was causing me a lot of problems, too. I visited this website, www.aaapartstoday.com, and I found it was very resourceful. I was able to call them and explain to them what my problem was. They told me exactly what I needed to do and what Whirlpool parts to purchase. It cost me less to purchase the control board from them and fix it myself, than to hire someone to come in and do the job for me.


----------



## ET1950

Refrigerator lights out and refrigertor not cold and freezer temperature ok.Compressor stop running every 30min. aprox.
Board was replaced with new control board (W10135090).
After board replacement the refrigerator light is ok.But compressor still with the problem and refrigerator not cold at all.I think compressor is the main problem but i need any feed back about that,

Thanks in advance for any help with this troubleshooting.


----------



## levans

*larry*

thank you all, especially Musicca i replace boad one time two months later same problem with light on refrigerator side, in using bypassing it works great and i my wife thanks you all as well:thumbup:


----------



## moog5

As stated in my earlier post #106, I went and bought a new board and installed it myself. Later I wrote to Whirlpool customer service expressing my dissatisfaction with how they are handling these bad boards and wrote them a claim letter requesting to be reimbursed for 100% of my costs to buy the board. I also provided them the link to this thread (which I'm sure they already are aware of). 

Shockingly, I received a response from Whirlpool. To resolve my claim they sent me a letter back and offered to reimburse me for 50% of my costs if I signed off on their proposal, and I sent them proof of the actual costs. Figuring something is better than nothing, I signed off and sent them proof. *Whirlpool followed through and sent me the 50% reimbursement check. * I was amazed, but still left with a sour taste in my mouth. 

As they didn't reimburse me for 100% of the cost of me having to replace the board which appears to me to be a faulty design, I will never buy another product made by Whirlpool or any of their subsidiaries. 

I had a similar but *very positive experience with a Canon *digital camera. Last year my digital Canon Powershot A95 camera had a problem. Suddenly and for no apparent reason, the pictures and display were completely distorted with scratchy lines. As it was very old (I think 7 or 8 years old), I figured I got my moneys worth out of it, but as I had time to burn, I researched to net for simliar problems, hoping for a fix. During my research, I found out that Canon recognized the fact that one of their suppliers provided them a faulty electronic component which failed early when subject to normal use. Canon implemented a program to fix these cameras "free of charge" if after examination by them the problem was traceable back to the faulty electrical component. Even though my camera was really old, they fixed it free of charge. This camera now works great, and has been working great a lot longer than I ever anticipated. Because this experience, my next camera will definitely be only a Canon. Whirlpool should take notes from Canon's business practices, it would probably benefit them in the long run.


----------



## sv9779

Glad to hear you got some satisfaction from Whirlpool. But as a guy who repairs 9 or 10 refrigerators a day (of all brands). I can tell you Whirlpool is the least of my problems with circuit boards. You might just jump from the frying pan right into the fire with other brands.


----------



## moog5

Your point is well made, but I still won't buy another Whirlpool product. I have already been burned by this frying pan, next time I will take my chances in a different frying pan. 

With the economy the way it is, each and every day I find it more and more difficult to just get by. I and other consumers should not have to pay for a problem they created. I believe Whirlpool recognizes these boards are bad. They realize that they have a very high incident rate of boards all burning out in the same location. They should just own up to their responsibilities and take 100% ownership of the problem they created. They are the only ones that can mold their reputation. It's obvious what I and many others think of it.


----------



## bryans

I just wanted to thank everyone in this thread for the information. 

I have a Whirlpool Conquest Model GS5SHAXNQ0. It was purchased in August of 2004 from Lowes. Last week, my wife opened the frige, heard a 'sizzling' noise, then all lights were out on the refrigerator side as well as the temperature control LED display at the top. The freezer side lights were ok and the refrigerator was coolling properly. When attempting to replace the bulbs, I noticed that one of the two lights in the lower crisper section was burned out.

Following the advice on this thread I ordered part 433400 http://www.appliancepartspros.com/part_details.aspx?part_id=4334000 from appliancepartspros.com which arrived quickly. I opened the back of the refregerator, saw the infamous black burn mark on the white plastic case, saw the same burn mark on the control board, installed the new board and everything is working properly. I also replaced all of the bulbs at this time just in case this new board has the same defect although I don't think it will because this new board was manufactured by Whirlpool, and the old board I took out said IWF(or something similar on it, I don't have it handy so I don't remember exactly who manufactured it).

Thank you all again for the information, you all probably saved me $200 in repairmen visits.


----------



## nashfunk

*burned too*

So I have had this same issue for a few months now, but it just came to a head. Up until today, we simply removed the light bulbs and noticed the problem stopped, so we never replaced the light bulbs. Today I decided to replace them, and as soon as I started screwing them in, they were instantly blinking on and off and that sound came back (it had gone away since we took the bulbs out). As I got on the internet and found myself on this forum, apparently something shorted out and the lights quit blinking (stayed off), the noise stopped, and the compressor has now seemed to stop working, even on the freezer side.



I had even talked to an engineer who works with me about helping me with the soldering and doing the jumper thing. I still may do that, but now I've had to move out of my Whirlpool Gold Series and into my beer fridge in the basement (also a Whirlpool, but 20+ years old... they don't make 'em like they used to).

All this to say, Should I continue with the suggestions here or do I now have a bigger problem since it has stopped cooling?

thanks!


----------



## dantera

nashfunk said:


> So I have had this same issue for a few months now, but it just came to a head. Up until today, we simply removed the light bulbs and noticed the problem stopped, so we never replaced the light bulbs. Today I decided to replace them, and as soon as I started screwing them in, they were instantly blinking on and off and that sound came back (it had gone away since we took the bulbs out). As I got on the internet and found myself on this forum, apparently something shorted out and the lights quit blinking (stayed off), the noise stopped, and the compressor has now seemed to stop working, even on the freezer side.
> 
> 
> 
> I had even talked to an engineer who works with me about helping me with the soldering and doing the jumper thing. I still may do that, but now I've had to move out of my Whirlpool Gold Series and into my beer fridge in the basement (also a Whirlpool, but 20+ years old... they don't make 'em like they used to).
> 
> All this to say, Should I continue with the suggestions here or do I now have a bigger problem since it has stopped cooling?
> 
> thanks!


 

Sounds like the same problem. Follow the board repair instructions.


----------



## nashfunk

decided to replace the board. I was able to find it at my local store for $98. I brought it home and popped it in and all is well. 

My engineer pointed out that this replacement has an extra part that the old board did not have. I forget what he called it but it helps to prevent those spikes in power.

I'm just happy to have it fixed without calling a repairman. Thanks everyone.
:thumbup:


----------



## Brik

Hey everyone. I'm sure people are still finding this thread. I wanted to let y'all know I made a video showing how to swap out the circuit board. Its an easy project. Check it out at
http://www.handyguyspodcast.com/1253/whirlpool-refrigerator-repair
Good luck!


----------



## tornado

where is the board located?


----------



## tornado

*part from whirlpool*



tornado said:


> where is the board located?


I just got off the phone with Whirlpool, talked to a supervisor ( I had asked for the VP of customer service). After explaining the situation, she said 20 years with the company, she never heard of this problem, then after a long conversation telling her about all the post regarding this problem listed on this website, and the many unsatisfied people regarding this common problem, asking her to go on this site and check it out for herself to give herself a better understanding of the problem, she said she would get with her engineers and get back to me.
45 minutes later she called me back, said she looked at this website, talked to one of there engineers about the problem and said she would send me out the part today, no cost......so finally found a good customer service person at Whirlpool. I should have the part by middle of next week, then I will install per the instructions of earlier post. 
Will let you know how it turns out.
Thanks to this website and the information all of you provided!!!!!!


----------



## linh

*Whirlpool refrigerator GS5SHAXNL00 problem*

My 5 years old Whirpool refrigerator also has a bad board. The symptom: click noise when open the refrigerator side, the flickering of the light, temperature of freezer start to warm up. I contact Whirlpool and they said that they never heard of the problem. Since my 4-years extended warantee has expired, I have to buy the board and replace it myself. Thanks to this post, I have saved a few hundreds dollars. The board cost $115 from http://www.pcappliancerepair.com/cg...W10135090&cart_number=3458884_18207&brand=WPL The pcappliacerepair.com overnighted to me but did not charge me for the overnight rate because they said the warehouse is close to me. Thanks to pcappliancerepair.com.
However, I am still angry with Whirlpool for not owning up to a defective board. I am seriously consider switching brand for my next purchase.


----------



## sv9779

I wonder what the percentage of failure is on this board. I repair about 7 refrigerators a day. Over the last 5 years that's over 8000 refrigerators. I've only seen this problem once and had to replace that board only twice. Talk about switching brands??? I carry 5 GE boards on the truck because they fail so often. I change Maytag adaptive defrost boards like I change my socks. The differance is when these boards fail you throw your food away because the frig isn't cooling anymore.
Just food for thought


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## Brik

tornado said:


> where is the board located?


Its in the back of the fridge, at the bottom, behind the cover. You should be able to see it clearly in the video I posted ^^^^


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## stevietp3

*50% discount offered by Whirlpool Customer Service*



tornado said:


> I just got off the phone with Whirlpool, talked to a supervisor ( I had asked for the VP of customer service)..[abbrv]..she looked at this website, talked to one of there engineers about the problem and said she would send me out the part today, no cost......so finally found a good customer service person at Whirlpool. I should have the part by middle of next week, then I will install per the instructions of earlier post.
> Will let you know how it turns out.
> Thanks to this website and the information all of you provided!!!!!!


First great website. I have a WPG #GD5RHAXNT00, same problem, lights out fridge side only, arcing, LED's gone out, burnt mark on board, etc. Just got off the phone with Jan at Whirlpool customer service (1-866-698-2538). 

After putting on my best dissatisfied customer performance, providing serial numbers for my other WP appliances, and pointing out the 39,000+ views and 5-star rating of this post, I explained this should be a recalled item as it has been since reengineered. "_39,000+ views at diychatroom.com, Jan! You have an obvious responsibility to replace this part and should personally be rewarded for bringing this mounting customer complaint to Whirlpool corporate attention."_

After a few moments on hold, I was first offered the $108 part at 25% off, followed by 50% off; but they would not send for free. Must cost them about $54 to make I'm guessing. I refused based on principle, kept my integrity and reserved the right to add my name to the list on this forum.

I'll buy the part for $85 elsewhere, replace myself, and never buy from them again. There is no doubt in my mind Whirlpool is well aware of this problem.


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## hian

*New part#*

W10135090 seems like it is the new part # for this board. I called Whirlpool and filed a complaint with them as this seems to get it reviewed according to their CSR....maybe I'll be lucky.

Thanks to all for the great info!


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## hian

*new board for me*

getting the box and board out was a snap. Charred area was exactly as pix showed, but soldering a jumper over the break did not work....ordered a new board from https://www.appliancezone.com/SearchProducts.aspx?ID=W10135090 for $63.50 delivered.

If you think you can't do the soldering, at least swap boards, install a surge protector, install new bulbs and save yourself some money.


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## cakelady

Hello. I had the same thing happen to me on November 27th, 2010. This is my story, for your reference, I hope I help someone else.

1) Open fridge Nov 27th, 2010. Light at the top flickers and burns out. All lights on fridge side go out, including the temperature panel. Freezer still working fine and lights are on. When you open fridge, hear clicking noise. Smelled electrical smoke.

2) Compressor stopped working shortly after that.

3) Saw this website. Pulled out circuit box - sure enough - exact same spot burned. Tried the jummper soldering fix, but no such luck. 

4) Call Whirlpool. Talk to 3 different people and finally talked to a supervisor's supervisor who would only consent to have someone come out to assess the problem free of charge. Refused to send me replacement circuit board. Said I wasn't licensed to handle that sort of thing. Said that only the technical that came out to my house would be able to determine if whirlpool would pay, and said that was little to no chance since my fridge was out of warranty. 

5) They also said at Whirlpool that NOBODY else had ever called in with this complaint. I told them of this website. They refused to look at it, saying it could be people trying to mess with their stocks. Ha! 

6) I allowed them to schedule a repair man to assess the situation and confirm the problem was indeed the circuit board. I had determined that if it was the circuit board, like I anticipated, and the repair man wouldn't repair it on Whirlpool's dollar, that I would purchase it online and install myself. Thankfully, the repair man agreed, saw the broken filament in the light bulb, saw the hole in the plastic, and told Whirlpool that they should replace it. They did without question and my refrigerator is now cooling and working wonderfully.

AND GET THIS. The new circuit board - has the jumper soldering type fixture installed. Yet Whirlpool will not admit there is a problem with the previous circuit board.

Stick to your guns people. Don't let them tell you they are the only ones who has called on this issue. It's a fire hazard and they should pay for it.


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## kupster

Whirlpool refrigerator issue unrelated to the string below. I just wanted to post it so others will know.
I have owned a Whirlpool top-freezer refrigerator, model ER8YHMXSL00, for 4 years. It always had trouble getting cold enough. Also, I could not keep a working light bulb in the refrigerated section because it would burn out regularly. The compressor seemed to run more that it should. The water tube in the back of the freezer would eventually plug up with ice. Then water started dripping onto the top shelf of the refrigerator. Today, 12/6/2010, I discovered that the switch that turns off the light in the refrigerated section was never being actuated (turned off) because the closed door did not activate the switch! I discovered this when I noticed a crack of light between the seal on the door and the inside face where the seal is supposed to seal with the door closed! Unbelievable!! If I was affiliated with Whirlpool in any way, I would be totally embarrased knowing that this design reached the consumer. A quick fix for this was to secure a "bump" to the butter storage area on the inside of the fridge door. This "bump" activates the light switch. Now the fridge gets cold.


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## kdub

Struggling with the lights and display outage on my "gold" side by side. It took longer than many, but same issues. I bought a refurb board off ebay Corecentric Solutions. It gave me display and lights, but the compressor stopped and almost lost a whole fridge full of food. I reseated connections and it appeared to work again. I changed the temp setting and poof the compressor stopped. It didn't come back on so the old board is back and we are without lights and display. I guess saving a few bucks using refurb didn't pay off.


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## bdavis

*No Fridge Lights in whirlpool gold side-by-side*

Thanks for all your posts. It has helped me to determine the problem and fix it myself to save $$$$.
I have a Model GD5SHAXNQ00 that was manufactured in 10/2004 and the lights in the frigde went out about a month ago. A little before this happened, there were a couple times when I was getting ice and water from the dispenser and the light on it would blink on and off, on and off. After a while this stopped. Then one day I closed the fridge and heard a strange noise, opened it back up and no lights or digital temperature control read out. I had the light bulb tested and it worked fine so I started my research online. That's when I found these posts. This was exactly my problem. Just got the new board today from Point & Click Appliance Repair for $81.23 including standard shipping. I ordered it on a Saturday night late and received it Tuesday. Fast! I installed the board tonight with no problem and now all the lights are working! It's easy....if I can do it....you can do it. I've got no experience....just read these posts and watched a video on Handyguys Video. Just wanted to save $$$$. I would've hated to pay a repairman to do such an easy job!


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## srowell

*On the way from Amazon...*

Thanks to the previous posters. I have a GS5SHAXNQ00 (Lowes) and first experienced the problem when the fridge side bulb went out. 

I just purchased the 2304095/W10135090 from Amazon for $85.47
I will follow up when it is installed.


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## srowell

The install of the new board took less than 5 minutes. Everything now works perfectly!


----------



## hankster007

*Light flickering and noise with Model: GS5SHAXNL00*

Well after five years now I'n having the exact same problems noted in the email threads. I had a service guy out one week ago, but he mentioned the light wasn't covered. Hoping what's everyone has posted in these threads will be my solution too.


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## Rockneck

Well after 4 years with no lights I decided to get in and give the circuit bypass a try. The board was fried in the same place as everyone's. Obviously a defect that Whirlpool should address. Anyway, after soldering in a wire, the lights came on just fine. Problem was, now the fridge was not running (no compressor sound). I anxiously removed the wire hoping I hadn't fried the whole board (or something else) and plugged it back in. Thankfully I heard the compressor kick in. Then I looked inside and the lights are working! what is going on? The numbers on the control panel are flicking on and off (hadn't been on before) but do register the change when you turn the dial. Since they are flickering I figure something is unstable and this fix will not last long. Any thoughts?


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## Leon Tanenbaum

Just replace the control board and all will be fine. Takes about 30 minutes in and out


----------



## ADent

Same problem here on my GS5SHAXNL00.


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## NHtransplant

ADent, I was having this problem and looked around on here for answers. I just replaced the filter and all seems good now. It had been a while since I replaced it and the water dispenser was slow. I think it just wasn't getting enough pressure with the dirty filter.
Just thought I would mention it.


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## ADent

I installed a new control board and my lights are back on. Looks just like the photos, so I am saving it for a solder repair later. I also ditched the incandescent bulbs for LEDs to prevent a reoccurrence.


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## johnana

Happy to report that the fix described by dantera (post 65 on page 5) worked for me as well.
Fixing the burnt out board trace was not enough, but after I replaced the transistor next to the burn, everything was back to normal.

The transistor on my board was an SMD (surface-mount device) with label 3F. After googling, I found that this corresponds to BC857, which is a PNP general purpose transistor.
The local electronics store didn't have BC857, but they did have BC856, which is close enough. Note that this transistor doesn't directly pass the current for the bulbs, but simply helps control the relays. Therefore, it doesn't have to support extremely high voltages (BC857 is rated at 45V, and BC856 is 65V).
Recommended way is, of course, to find the exact replacement part that was originally on your board (just google SMD and whatever code is on the transistor). If you don't get the exact same transistor, make sure you get the same type (PNP in my case). 

Word of caution; if you don't have any soldering experience, I wouldn't recommend tackling this. The transistor and board contacts are tiny, and you are more likely to destroy the board than to fix it if you're not careful.
Personally, this was my first time soldering an SMD component, but I have lots of experience with soldering ordinary components.

My capacitors were fine, but make sure to check yours in case one or more need replacing.

Hope this info helps somebody.


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## wrkmpls

*Easy Fix! Thanks!*



Musiccha said:


> Geetings all,
> First great site and forum. You all helped me fix my frige (GD5RHAXNT00). However, I did take a slightly different path than most did.
> I also found a hot spot on my board. At first I was going to do the jumper thing at the board connector but my model did not have the black wire on the ten pin connector. I decided to keep the board as some did and do some rewiring (the board is 1/3 the cost of the frige).
> 
> Thanks to jeff I found the wiring pdf and was able to get a good look at how this thing works. The switched leg (yellow wire) that turns on the lights also sends a signal back to the board seemed important to me so, I did the following..
> 
> At the wiring harness near the center of the frig (behind the cardboard in the back) 3 wires come out from the body of the frige and goin the main harness. I cut the yellow/rd wire and taped the end that goes to the control box. I refed the other end (that goes into the connector leading into the frig body) by splicing it into the black wire located in the harness. This black wire is a 120v feed from the power cord.
> 
> What my fix did (I think) was reduce the load on the board and bypass the fucntion that turns the light on and off while keeping the function that turns the display on and off. It also resulted in a kiss from my wife.:thumbsup:


 :thumbup: This is a GREAT post and easy fix. It took me 15 minutes to splice the wires as described above and we now have lights in the fridge for the first time in 6 months! THANK YOU! If there is any way to pass my email address to the Musiccha, I would gladly send him a gift card.


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## fltflo

indyvol said:


> :thumbup:
> 
> After living with no lights (on the refrigerator side) for about a year, we decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and pay the $100+ for the control board. My wife had called our local repair guy and told him about the problem mentioned in this thread. He hadn't heard about this problem and told her the bulbs were the problem. So just out of curiosity I googled the model number and found this site. After reading the posts I decided to try the repairs mentioned on earlier posts. For those who are wondering--that fixes the problem.
> 
> To help clarify...My frig did not have the 2 black wires on the 10 pin connector either. Like instructed in an earlier post, I tapped the yellow (w/ red tracer) to the solid black wire in the wire bundle that runs along the bottom of the frig. (Not the black wire w/ white tracer.) In the middle of the frig, just behind the cardboard cover is a 3 wire connector w/ 2 yellow wires and the yellow/red wire. Clip the yellow/red wire below the that 3 wire connector--making sure you have enough to reach the solid black wire. There is not a lot of slack there. I put a wire nut onthe yellow/red wire that goes back to the circuit board and taped it up. I simply clipped the solid black wire and wire-nutted the yellow/red wire to the (now) 2 black wires and taped everything back. Make sure you tie or tape everything back to take any strain off of the wire nut and avoid chaffing or pinching the wires.
> 
> Good luck and spend you $120 on something other than a part Whirlpool won't stand behind!



Just wanted to offer a big Thank you for the quick and very easy fix. Mine was a garage Frig and no way I was spending over 100 bucks for a new board. Yet having no lights was still a royal pain in the back side.. 

Following your instructions I got all the wires identified, (very clear BTW) easy to trace. I made the cuts reattached wires as directed wire nutted all connections and the dead lead ,taped all wire nuts down and all was good to go, lights and LED display now working.....Thank you again very much, gotta love the internet...


----------



## tledge

*Opening door kills compressor*

I had a similar problem with my control board relays. However, my Whirlpool GS6SHAXML00 Side-by-side, mfg date 11/2003 would start cycling a relay when I opened the refrig door, but only when the compressor was not running. This relay clicking would continue for several minutes, even after the door was shut. Then after a couple of months with this problem, came home and found the freezer thawed. After checking the control board for damage (none found) and verifying the relays (3) all worked, I plugged the unit back in and the compressor came on. But when I opened the refrig door (not the freezer door), the compressor stopped and would only come back on by cycling power at the wall plug. After verifying this repeats every time I opened the door, I simply taped the door switch down and the unit worked fine--just no lights now.

From this blog, I found that I could wire the door switch (yellow/red striped) wire going to the P2 10-pin connector directly to the 120 volt line. Note that hot wiring the plain yellow (no red stripe) wire would bypass the door switch and leave the lights on all the time, even when the door is shut. As my unit does not have the two black wires going to the P2 connector, I just tied into the black wire going to the P1 4-pin connector on the board. Per the wiring diagram, this wire comes directly from the incoming power and allowed all the splices to be done inside the control box. Problem solved without buying a $200 control board. Everything works, no relay chatter and the compressor doesn't shut down when I open the door. Back in service thanks to the prior bloggers.:thumbup:


----------



## Melrose ll

*6Yr old KitchenAid Refridgerator*

Can't get circuit board


----------



## Willing

*the PC board*

I hope to someday repay the user dantera for providing an intelligent solution. I had no intention of "hot wiring" an appliance that could burn our house to the ground. So I ordered 2 of the SMD PNP BJT's figuring I'd mess the first one up. I watched a couple videos on SMD solder/desolder. I needed only one transistor. and the jumper. Lo and behold a former PE in Chemical Engineering fixed an electronics problem. Actually, I simply followed well written instructions. Our 2005 Whirlpool lives in 2016. I think I'll have a congratulatory cookie.


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## urb0123

I found this thread last summer in 2015 when I got this non working fridge for free from a co-worker. At that point the boards were hard to find and expensive. I stumbled across a place that repairs circuit boards online. $160 and a 2 year warranty. I figured why not.

They apparently knew about the problem because there is a solder jumper over the offending area. I don't think that trace had actually burned yet. maybe it had and I don't remember rightly.

Stuck in the new board and it worked fine for about two months until the compressor died. I think a wind blew. I didn't have time to mess with it and have 2 other working fridges so I let it sit.

Fast forward to last week. I replaced the compressor and everything worked fine for a few days. Then this board fries in a different location.

There is a jumper, JP52, on the top side of the board that connects the previous weak spot to this new burned spot. Where it burned here is a much wider path.

Maybe this will help someone close in on the event that is killing these.

Oh, and as of lately, I can't find replacement boards for any amount of money. At least I'm still in the warranty for the repair done to this one.


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## rjniles

You would have to pay me to haul a non working frig. to the dump.


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## lulumoon1961

What is the best way to pop the control panel off the front of a Whirlpool Side by Side Ultra Ease? I dont want to break it


----------



## FatTony

Musiccha, I liked your post. My problem is also coming from the main control board. My freezer won't go into defrost mode. Since you have a pdf of the board's schematic, can you tell me which relay controls the defrost function? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Of course a copy would be more than helpful.


----------



## JimGym

*Re: Fix*



dantera said:


> Fix for "Whirlpool lights Flicker Problem"
> 
> I went ahead and fixed the control board myself. It took about 2 hours of figuring out the circuitry (difficult without a schematic) plus time to solder and replace some parts, and cost about 25 cents (that’s right, cents not dollars!). Hopefully with my posting it’ll take the reader only a few minutes to fix the board. You can directly go the end of the posting for the instructions if you don’t want to read my two cents.
> 
> I still don’t know the root cause of the problem, and I can only guess. Maybe if I set up some experiments I might have a better idea, but who’s got the time. (And once again I don’t have a schematic so it’s even more difficult)
> The trace layout on this board is very poor. I design boards and it’s pretty obvious the people who laid out this board did a poor job at it. If the bulb went out when the door was opened it’s conceivable that some inductive surge event could have caused the problems that followed. One component that went bad was the transistor (see picture) next to the burnt trace. It could have died due some detrimental inductive/capacitive coupling caused by poor board layout. The transistor going bad could have caused the initial flickering of the light bulbs – the transistor controls the relay and it was rapidly moving the relay arms back and forth between “power” and “no-power” states. Eventually the transistor completely dies (I measured 16 ohms between emitter and base), which then switches the relay arms from “power” to “no-power” state. And that’s where it sits until you replace the transistor. I still don’t know why the trace burned (that trace is the 110V line that powers the bulbs – connects to the yellow/red tracer wire). Splicing the yellow/red tracer wire directly to 110V will also help, but if there’s ever a situation when the control logic deems that the lights need to be turned off then you are out of luck – “splicing” hard wires the lights to 110V (when the door switch is closed). So, if your lights are out, then replace the transistor (see instructions below).
> In my case not only did I not have the lights, but my fridge wasn’t cooling. I traced that problem to C16 220uF, 35V Electrolytic cap (next to the biggest cap on the board). You should read around 3k Ohms across that cap but I was reading 13 Ohms. In the case of this board you should read high resistance values across all the caps – (3k being the lowest value across the aforementioned cap). If you don’t read high resistance values across any of the caps then replace that cap.
> 
> And finally the instructions (you need to have access to a soldering iron – pretty cheap). The picture is small, if necessary compare to the larger picture on page 4.
> 
> 1) Put a jumper across the burnt trace. From the picture below the most accessible points are the two solder points marked in the red Xs. It’s important to have one end of the wire on the X on the left. The other end is just 110V – you can get it at the other X or from one of the connectors but this spot is easy. Don’t use too thin of a wire (20ish AWG is ok). For better isolation between the jumper wire and components//solder points on the board put some Kapton tape on the board under the wire.
> 2) Replace the transistor (see picture) with a PNP BJT with at least 150V rating (any electronic supplier, Digikey etc – cost is less than 10 cents.) I used the MMBT5401.
> 3) If your fridge isn’t cooling, then if possible measure resistance across all the caps and replace as necessary. Assuming your problem is the same as mine, then replace the 220uF capacitor (next to the biggest cap on the board and on the other side of the board). Be sure to use a 105 degree C cap as it’s pretty warm where the board resides. A cap with a voltage rating of 35V (or whatever voltage is indicated on the cap) or higher should be used. Cost of cap is less than 20 cents.
> 4) Optionally, you could put a snap-on ferrite bead (big enough) on the 3 wire (white, yellow, yellow/red-tracer) cable going up to the lights in the fridge. If there is a surge issue, then the ferrite will suppress it.
> 
> That should do it. This way you save a lot of money. By the way, that was a heck of a lot of current that burned the trace – it’s potentially a safety issue. I think everyone should raise a bit of a stink about this.
> (If a bigger and clearer picture is needed, I can email it - I can't seem to attach a bigger picture to my posting - if anyone knows please let me know how.)
> [email protected]


Thanks for this great fixit post, I just finished up fixing the board as instructed above, and I think that was the smallest transistor that I've ever tried to install ! Amazing that the failure was exactly the same, even though this fridge lasted quite a few years after most of these posts. Ran a month or so with out the light/LED display as I waited on the transistor to be shipped from China. I notice that this circuit board being older now has doubled in price to > $200, or some have fixit services for less than $100 but you must mail in your old board (not sure how this works since the fridge would be out of service). It does take a bit of effort to solder in that smd.


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