RB18EA-3AWL Magic Chef Refrigerator - Instructions

I just lifed the old grate off and layed the new one in.

This review would not be helpful if limited to this part. So I will describe the whole repair. The ice maker was first receiving too much water. This resulted in huge cubes and water dripping out of the ice maker compartment. I tried reducing the amount of water using the valve to the supply line. But then the ice maker stopped making ice. I jumped to the conclusion that the solenoid water valve needed to be replaced. The new valve was easily replaced, but no water was delivered to the ice maker. I then went to the web site and saw that 87% of the time it was the ice maker itself that needed to be replaced. I ordered one and it arrived quickly. Installing it was easy although I might never had figured out how to remove the electrical supply line to the old unit if I hadn’t watched the video. After installation no water went to the ice maker tray.

I had read a review saying that the supply line had frozen where it went into the ice maker. To check out that possibility I removed the line from the solenoid valve and tried to blow air through it. No air would pass. So I removed the ice maker so I could get at the possible ice obstruction. I repeatedly inserted a knife honing steel which I heated and reheated in hot water. Finally I heard water dripping to the floor from the supply line which I had left detached from the solenoid valve. Then I hooked everything up and ice making proceeded nicely. If the solenoid valve ever needs replacing, I have a extra one.

Received the part the day after ordering. Appreciated the quick service and repair took less than a minute.

Given that the augur motor had broken away from the ice tray, removal of the ice tray was simple. Simply remove one screw and slide the tray up and out. Removal of the motor was simple by squeezing the top and bottom of the wire harness plug located on the back of the freezer compartment wall, although it was by feel. The real problem came with trying to remove the augur from the motor shaft (it has a left hand tread) it is on tight and while trying to remove it – I stripped the threads on the motor shaft and couldn’t get the augur off. That’s when the cussing started. No easy fix for this so in addition to the ice tray, I had to order a new ice bucket auger drive motor kit (which included the augur for the end of the motor shaft). Once all the parts arrived, and I had the motor and solenoid assembled and mounted to the back of the tray, the hardest part was plugging the motor back into the plug on the back of the freezer wall- you’ll be doing this by feel (which is a poor design). One suggestion, take a picture of the wire connections between the motor and solenoid – just to be on the safe side – before taking it all apart.

Problem caused by ice cubes falling out of ice bin and collecting at rear and interfering with ice dispenser drive. Broke plactic drive ring. Pull down 2 clips at front bottom of ice bin. Pull ice bin out. Dump ice cubes. Remove 8 star drive screws to allow case to move far enough to clear broken drive ring. Replace drive ring. Reinstall and tighten 8 screws. Install ice bin. Correct loose right side ice cube retainer board to prevent cubes from falling out of ice bin.

The old light fixture and socket were easily removed. This was done with the power connected, but I already knew the switch didn't need to be handled. The solderless connectors are all insulated, so I just had to be careful. The new socket would not accept the connector for the "hot" (red) wire in the fridge, due to a design change. This is, of course, why you furnished a loose 3/16 inch crimpon connector. Rather than cutting the red wire (remember, the power is still connected), I obtained an insulated 3/16 connector of the opposite gender, and a short piece of red-insulated wire from an old fluorescent tube ballast, and made a jumper. The connector I provided (male) did not fit tightly in the original fridge connector, so I put a layer of resin-core solder on my male connector. You need tight connections. If the solder layer is too thick, it's easy to file down. Make sure to heat the solder sufficiently that the solidified solder is shiny and not dull gray. I used a 100-watt gun. 20 watts would probably work too. DO NOT USE ACID-CORE SOLDER OR FLUX ON ELECTRICAL WORK! I knew the switch was good, because I had checked for voltage at the socket terminals using my voltmeter, before I ordered the socket. It read 120 volts every time the door switch was open, and zero volts every time the door switch was pushed closed. A simple voltage tester would work here, too. Be very careful if you do this test or this repair with the power connected to the fridge; there is considerable potential to find yourself touching 120 volts with one hand while your other hand is touching a perfect "ground". There doesn't seem to be any choice if you want to test the switch. You do have a choice with the socket replacement - - the jumper described above. If you're not going to use the jumper approach, cut the power! If you are going to make a jumper and are not comfortable working on a "live" circuit, cut the power.

Researched this problem on the web. Disassembled the main refrigeration unit (slide out freezer floor panel). The cooling coils were completely iced up. Thawed overnight. Tested the coil thermostat with a multimeter and discovered it worked. Note that the activation temp on this thermostat is 15 degrees Fahrenheit so the ice-water bath test on many web videos will NOT work. My test was in another refrigerator freezer compartment (everyone has two, right?). When the temperature went below 15 and stayed there for 15 minutes, the thermostat opened the circuit. Further investigation revealed that the defrost heater was burnt and shorted. Replaced the defrost heater only to discover that the defrost timer was also broken. After replacing the defrost timer and testing each component thoroughly, the refrigerator is back in service. Freezer maintains about 8 F and the main refrigerator stays at about 36. The unit cycles off properly and the defrost timer is correctly initiating a defrost cycle. Further, when the defrost heater is cycled on, the thermostat correctly shuts it off once the coils are defrosted. Watch the youtube videos. Find your parts and note their specifications so you can test them properly. And good luck.

Removed the six screws holding the bottom access plate found at the rear of the refrigerator. This gives you easy access to the run capacitor that has a retaining clip. Remove the wire clip and pull out the capacitor (it has two quick disconnect terminals). Reverse the process using the new run capacitor to complete the repair.

Well the repair was not bad the package came in real fast thank you very much. Doing the work was real hard took about an hour to do and then putting it on I do not think it stayed on good still using some duck tape to hold it and the top and bottom are real fat and will not sink on in. I do not know what to do or what I did wrong. I am kind of afraid to take it off because it might rip. Some of it ripped as I was putting it on too. Do you have any ideas of what I can do or what might be my problem? Thanks.

Sincerley,


Dustin Takla

Easy repair - Don't over complicate it. 1) Flip up ice bar to stop making new ice. 2) Pull out the complete ice bin/tray. 3) shut freezer door while you work on the ice bin. 4) All you need to do is remove the 4 screws holding the ice bin holding tray to the front of the Ice cutting section in the front. 5) Screw drive can then be pulled forward to remove the old/broken white drive cap. Just replace the White Drive ring, put the drive screw back into the ice bin tray and re-install the 4 screws. 6) When re-inserting the bin, you may have to twist the screw drive slightly to re-align with the motor bracket in the back of the freezer. Suggestion: throw out old ice because if it is wet or slightly melted, when you put it back in the freezer the ice will freeze/clump together into a large ice clump; not cubes. Also dry out the ice bin so there is no water to freeze up or create a new jam when the ice bin now re-freezes.

removed torx screws and replaced ice bin drive ring.

I pulled the dispenser bin and emptied the existing ice (the maker worked, the dispenser would not dispense). Though there appears to be more, there are about 4 (reciting from memory)very small tap screws holding the front of the dispenser unit to the bin. The dispenser activation screw mounts over protruding items at each end. The item at the back (away from the dispenser gear package) is the drive ring that was broken. The drive ring is a small plastic cup that inserts into an opening at the back of the bin (female side to the rear) and slides into the distal end of the activation screw on the same end. One must line up the small slot on the inside of the drive ring with the end of the screw. Slide the assembly together (make sure that the cube/crush switch rod is properly clipped in place with the return spring hooked to the clip), GENTLY install the 4 or so screws and return he assembly to the freezer. It should work flawlessly. Elapsed time: 15 - 20 minutes.

I did remove the run capacitor of the starthing kit of compressor and another one new. It work fine.

Easy disassemble removing screws to separate front of ice bin.Be sure to note how metal rod is attached to rear of ice bin. Installed drive ring and reattached face (front) of ice bin in about 15 minutes.

After plugging in the new relay to no avail. I replaced the thermostat. That fixed the problem.