1068580370 Kenmore Refrigerator - Instructions

First of all it's nice to have an exploded view of the ice/water dispenser.
First remove the trim around the ice'water dispenser by carfully prying the bottom out and popping the trim up to release the top.
Remove the 2 screws that hold the light switch and light, move out and to the right, do not disconnect.
Remove the 2 hex screws that hold the old arm in place. This will allow the arm to drop down so you can remove the arms' ice guide.
The arm has a spring for tension on the right side. Remove it and retain.
Above the water dispenser is a screw that holds the ice door closer spring, remove this screw and slide out the spring loaded closer
Loosen the right screw that holds the water dispenser, it is spring loaded.
You should now have room to remove the old ice dispenser arm.
Slide the new arm up into place behind the ice dispenser door
install the spring tensioner to the right side mount screw at the same time align it with the left side of the water dispenser arm. The ice dispenser arm and the water dispenser arm share this mount so both arms have to be in place in order for the arms to work properly.
Install the left mount and screw of the ice dispenser arm
Install the ice dispenser arm's ice guide using the screw removed earlier.
Next reinstall the Ice door tensioner spring and screw making sure the metal arm of the ice door is engaged in the slot of the tensioner.
Finally reinstall the screws to the light swithch and light bar and snap the trim back into place.

At age 65 I have never attempted to repair a refrigerator, until now. It took longer than needed because I did not read these articles carefully. Please note that when you open the door and the light blinks twice, waits a second and blinks again, the optics are working fine. I ordered an emitter and receiver when I didn't need to. I sent it back, the money was refunded, and ordered the ice maker. I replaced the old icemaker by removing three screws and slipping it out of its holder.

Here is how I found out I needed the new ice maker. I took the supply line apart that runs down the back of the refrigerator. I blew through it without any trouble. This told me that the line was not frozen within the refrigerator. I put the supply line back together, and jumped the solenoid that was connected to the supply line at the bottom right of the refrigerator. My model is the side by side, so it has two solenoids. The solenoid that runs the water to the dispenser in the door was always running, so I knew if there was a problem it would be with the ice maker solenoid. So, how did I jump the solenoid. Kids, don't try this at home. I disconnected the wiring harness to the solenoid by pulling it straight out. Then I took the female end of an extension chord and placed a twelve two electrical wire with the ends stripped into the positive and negative slots. I then jumped the solenoid. Water ran to the ice maker, but there still wasn't any ice made. Since the optics and the solenoid were working it seemed to me that the ice maker wasn't doing it's part. There are easier ways to check the solenoid in this forum, but this worked for me. I saved a lot of money and the parts got here quickly.

The gooseneck on the icemaker fill tube extends out beyond the back cabinet of the refrigerator, and is easily broken. Luckily, this part is a piece of cake to replace. You'll literally spend more time pulling out your fridge and cleaning out behind it then you will replacing this part.

Shut off water supply line, and turn off ice maker (lift the metal bar in the ice bucket all the way up). Loosen the hose fitting, and remove two screws. Pull out the old tube, and slide the new one in. You may have to wiggle the tube around from the inside to get the alignment correct. Replace screws and fitting. Turn water and ice maker back on, and check for leaks. It really is that easy! It took me longer to type this than to actually replace the part.

Only one potential catch. The instructions warn that you may have to cut the new tube to match the length of the old tube, so make sure you compare the length of the old and new tube. I didn't have to to do anything - the replacement part was the exact same length of the original. If by chance you do need to cut the tube, you'll need small saw of some sort, such as a coping or hack saw.

While investigating a water leak I discovered the condenser fan seized. I removed the fan to prevent a fire and ordered the part. The hardest part was identifying the correct fan. That took longer than the installation.
I cut the wires and spliced in the new motor. It rotated correctly and I replaced the crill.
Done
Total time of ice maker water leak repair and fan replacement about 1 hour.

I removed the two screws that were readily in view. I then figured out the there was a faceplate which I was able to pry off after removing the temp control knobs. The temp control unit was easily accessible and was held by two screws which I removed with the nut driver. The only difficult part was replacing the plastic tubing which covered the sending unit.

Removed ice bin then pulled front cover with nut driver . Pull small rod from side ( one screw holding rod and spring). Pull auger out. Take plastic nut off end ( CLOCKWISE) LEFT HAND THREAD. Keep all ice crusher blades in order when you pull them off. Install new auger and reverse steps. web site has exploded view. It looks difficult but it isn't.

1. Removed the cardboard cover.
2. Removed the terminal block and unplugged the old motor.
3. Removed three screws that held old motor to the bracket.
4. Removed the fan blade from the old motor.
5. Installed the fan blade (after cleaning) to the new motor.
6. Crimped on new wire terminals onto the leads on the new motor.
7. Installed the new motor using the fasteners provided.
8. Plugged the new motor wires onto the proper terminals in the terminal block.
9. remounted the terminal block.
10. reinstalled the cardboard cover.

The problem was discovered to be a cracked fill tube head, This part extends behind the refigerator and is VERY vulnerable to breakage when the box is pushed backagainst a wall space! Placing a shim under the vertical part of the fill tube fixed the problem even without replacing it with the new part. So, now I have a spare!

Confirmed that the solenoid controlled water valve (Part # PS358631) between the water source and the back of ice maker was defective. I did this by removing the valve and plastic hose from the back of the refrigerator and pointed the end that went into the icemaker towards the sink. I applied 110 volts to the valve and noted that no water was getting through. Replacing the valve was a snap.

I wasn't sure the kit included the part I needed from the pictures, but it did. The part slipped over the flat plastic bracket attached to the right freezer wall and the shelf fit over it. No tools required.

Easy as cutting through warm butter. Just grabbed the base of the broken stem flush with the wall of the fridge using the wide-angle setting of a normal pliers, and twisted it out. Left over was a hole to insert the replacement stem. Inserted stem, twisted clockwise into place, and done. Much better design than other units I've worked on becvause the replacement part has stout-gauge wires that, when new stem is twisted into place, "locks" it in so you don't need to reinforce it, acting somewhat like an anchor screw on the wall for hanging a picture. Thanks for the perfect part!! Service and delivery are excellent.

Parts went right into place as the pictures showed and was working again in about 30 minutes. The only thing that wasn't working was the ice took forever to make, but solved that problem by turning up the temp in the freezer.

Unplug
Remove entire back panel (both chipboard and metal fan grill)
Unscrew both fan mount plate screws - fan won't be able to come out because it is still plugged in
When looking at back of fridge, locate a small plastic box to the immediate left of the condenser. It's a circuit block. Release the metal spring clip holding the plastic cover in place, and trace the fan wire connections back to the fan. Make a note of which wire is connected to which terminal (1 of the fan wires has white lettering and 1 is just black)
Unplug both fan wire connects from circuit block to release the fan power cable.
Remove the fan mounting plate
Release fan blade clip by pressing fan against motor and unscrewing and remove fan blades
Unscrew motor from brackets - note alignment of motor on brackets
Mount new motor on brackets. Leave plug wire disconnected (replacement motor has a harnessed plug wire)
Connect new plug wire to the circuit block keeping wires connected to the proper terminals
Snake new plug wire behind condenser like the old wire was and run through cable bracket to the back right of the condenser
Plug wire harness into motor and re-mount fan mount plate
Reattach fan blade and secure using blade mount kit
Replace back panels

simply removed old motor and replaced new. I'm over 82 and it was hard to get down and up to floor level!! One thing was a little puzeling -that was to insert the right screws which had a nitch in the end of the threds to keep it from loosening- I thought I was spoiling the threds cause I had to use a little pressure to start the screws and thought I had the wrong screws--they had sent several sets of them for different name brands- but II got it and everything seems to be allright - Could you tell me if I could purchase a replacement compressor and some refrigerent -the new kind. thank you, George Erlandson Only if my comp. goes out!!!

I was not sure what was causing the problem, I thought at first it was low water pressure causing the hollow ice cubes. After some trial and error testing I figured a likely cause could be the water valve in the ice maker itself. I replaced that part rather easily using the existing fasteners in about 15 or 20 minutes. The ice maker has been working flawlessly since the repair.