KBUDT4265E (04) Thermador Refrigerator - Instructions

Thanks to the pictorial diagram, I was able to order correct parts. It was just a matter of removal of broken parts and replacing them. Ice maker now working and air is no longer getting into freezer which was freezing up ice maker. Thanks for timely delivery, now I am able to use ice dispenser, which I haven't used for long time. Thanks

First, I tested the ice maker "switch" that actually just covers the beam that regulates the ice maker. In the "off" position, it still made ice. Then, I removed the three screws on the cover over the transmitter and disconnected the circuit board at the wire connector. It stopped. After ordering and receiving the new transmitter and receiver boards, I replaced both boards. They are located on either side of the freezer compartment under panels held in place by three screws. Probably saved 150 to 200 bucks.

We waited two years to do this because we didn't want to hassle with a repair man to come out and charge us arm+leg for something so simple. Finally we searched and found the part on line. It came two days FASTER than promised. Kudos to Part Select.
Snapping it on was a breeze, although you do have to apply more pressure than feels comfortable with plastic clips. We can know get ice out of the external door system again.

after ordering ice dispencer repair kit, and removing the outer parts found out that the problem was the ice dispencer door shell . this part is no longer available.It seems to me that if whirlpool wants to have return customers they have to stand behind the product. Well I made a L bracket and drilled a hole to to recieve the spring keeper and glued this to the housing and used a 3 1/12"finishing nail as the pin all works fine

Patience is a virtue. The kit really works. 1st, lift the front plate of the ice dispencer by placing a flat head screw driver into the two slots at the bottom of the panel. When the panel is lifted up slightly at the bottom, push up on the panel to remove it. Careful not to break panel and the wires attached. Next, remove the wiring panel by removing the two screws on left and right sides. Then, unplug the old black ice cover from the wiring panel (this is the heating plug that you will nolonger need). Next, remove the parts and replace them with the parts in the kit, noting where each part comes from, etc. All parts in the kit are necessary and should be used. Some of the replacements need trial and error. Patience will be important. Also needed is a person that loves to solve problems, especially because the kit does not come with instructions. But the kit definitely works!

I removed the ice maker from the refrigerator, by removing one screw on the underside bracket and loosening the two screws at the top side, then lifting the ice maker off the loosened screws. I then unplugged the electrical harness that supplies power from the refrigerator to the ice maker. I then disassembled the ice maker by removing the front cover which is snapped in place, then removing two recessed screws at the front. I removed the broken part, I then reassembled the ice maker with the new part. I replaced the two recessed screws at the front and snapped on the cover. Then I reinstalled the ice maker in the refrigator by plugging in the harness, slipping the ice maker over the loosened screws in the refrigerator and replacing the screw that was removed from the underside bracket. Tightening all the screws completed the project.

I used a flat-head screwdriver to pop out the old light rocker switch. Then, I unplugged the wires, plugged them into the new light rocker switch, and then popped the new switch into the hole. That's it! Lights began working again.

The easiest thing to do was pull the ice make off. After taking the 3 screws out of the wall of the freezer, take a screwdriver (flathead) and push on the tab for the electrical plug and wiggle the cord out. Then you can take 3 screws out for the main cover and another 2 screws on the next cover. There's the part, pop it out and replace holding pins and start the process of putting back together the opposite way you took it apart.

Remove many screws to access top electronics boxes. Remove 2 screws to open main control board box. Disconnect the 6 coded plugs. Release tabs holding board on box and transfer to new board. Install jumper on center of board in same location (not supplied with new one). Fit new board to box. Connect all plugs. Re-mount box and all covers and screws. Plug in and turn on power switch. Note:This repair was done after a long diagnostic process and downloading of the factory technical manual. Not recommended for the novice DIYer.

Unplug the refrigerator. Snap off the ring surrounding the dispenser from the bottom. There are two slots on the bottom. This is the toughest part of the repair because my refigerator is older and the part stuck. Then unscrew the two hex screws and unsnap the parts, then reassemble with the new parts. Snap the ring back on and you're all set. Pretty easy.

I first removed the power cord of the refrigerator from the receptacle. I then removed the screws (3 each) from both the emitter and receiver face plates with a phillips screw driver. I than carefully removed the connector to the each of the circuit boards. A simple pull maneuver. I removed the circuit boards from the face plates. I took the new parts and put them back in reverse order. I put the power cord back in the receptacle.

First I removed the old lightbulb from the socket and replaced it with a new one to confirm that the bulb was not the problem. I then pryed the socket out with a flat-head screwdriver. I could tell that the socket was anchored in its hole with clips so it was relatively easy to pry it out. Once the socket was out, I disconnected the lead wires and ordered a replacement socket kit from Partselect. When the new one arrived, I reconnected the lead wires to it, snapped it back into its hole, screwed in a new lightbulb, and presto!! The light was back on with no further problem. Thank you, Partselect!! A $15.00 part saved me what probably would have been at least a $100. service call and heaven knows what the technician would have told me I needed!!!

Changing the KITCHENAID MOTOR ASSEMBLY TO THE ICE-MAKER was fairly straightforward. The hardest part was figuring out WHAT was broken and how to fix it. I was determined to save myself hundreds of dollars by doing it myself and avoiding a visit by the 'repairman'.

1.) Went to KitchenAid website to look at Parts List for my side-by-side refrigerator and ice maker assembly (a PDF file, easily downloadable) . The illustrations helped me visualize the assembly and various parts involved.
2.) Removed cover on front of ice maker.
3.) Removed hex-head screw on undersurface of icemaker on the right, which stablilizes a plastic cover for the electrical connector to the ice maker. Once this is off, it's then possible to slide the ice maker out.
4.) Slide the ice maker out from it's 'shelf' in the freezer. You won't be able to completely remove it until you disconnect the power supply.
5.) Disconnect the multi-pin power connector. (It's probably safest to unplug the refrigerator altogether before doing this, but I did not. No exposed metal wiring or connectors. No problems when I did it this way.)
6.) Once the ice-maker was out, remove the white cover from the motor assembly (on the left side of the unit).
7.) Remove the three screws from the black housing of the motor assembly. (This is where I discovered that the connector between the motor and drive-train was broken and needed to be replaced.)
8.) Remove and replace the drive system for the ice cube ejector.
9.) Then reverse the steps to reassemble.

This may seem a bit vague, but it's really quite straightforward once the ice maker is out of the freezer. The replacement motor assembly includes the motor, the motor housing, the drive-train, and the ice-cube ejector. Very easy to re-asemble.

Shopping for and ordering the part took some time since there are so many different after-market parts dealers. In all honesty, I'm glad I decided on PartSelect.com. They had a decent price, safe checkout, and timely delivery. All the essentials of a good online store.

Thanks, and good luck to the next guy who has to deal with a KitchenAid snafu.

The control bracket is made of plastic and holds two microswitches that activate the ice dispenser and the water dispenser. The plastic clips that held the switches on the control bracket broke so that the switches no longer operated when the ice dispenser lever was operated.

Two screws held the external dispenser bezel, and two screws held the control bracket in place. The wiring and switches were transferred to the new bracket and the new bracket screwed into place. Then the bezel was replaced.

Total repair time was less than 5 minutes. The control bracket was $16.50 with shipping and arrived two days after I placed the order.

The PartSelect website had a clear diagram of the control bracket so I was comfortable with the order.

If you've ever replaced a computer hard drive - you can do this too. I didn't even unload the freezer. It really is about 10-15 minutes of work. I ordered the recommended replacement part - which was a newer part#. It's best to remove the shelf barrier under the ice dispenser assembly (pops off) for ease of access - the motor hatch is a bit awkwardly placed. Removing 2 x 1/4" screw nuts pops off the lower hatch on the underside of the ice dispenser assembly.
Inside, remove the wire connector + 4 x 1/4 nut driver screws and the whole motor is released, while the hex drive shaft remains attached to the dispenser assembly. No sweat so far. The new motor pops in the same way the old one came out - you might need to give the top of the hex drive shaft a twist to align. A powered nut-driver is recommended to do all of this yoga 2 feet off the floor with only 2 hands. Secure the 4 nut screws and reconnect the wire connector and you're almost done. But wait - read the directions and you notice that there's a rubber washer that has been introduced to prevent water leeching into the motor. @$%^ - didn't see that little thing in the shipping box - ok so I get to do this twice... don't make the same mistake. Attach that rubber washer to the hex shaft. Then, reattach the panel with 2 more nut screws and you really are done. Now dispense some fresh ice into that rum & coke. Ahhh.