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 Moderated by: RegUS_PatOff, Pegi Topic closed
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lucyluc67
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 i have a jenn air side by side that is about 3 years old and cost me a lot of money by the way....lately the food is not staying cold...it started about 2 weeks ago..the freezer seems to be fine but i noticed today that some of the food is frozen and others are not.....what are my options? i read here that you should start by manually defrosting it and see if it works properly after that....if it does work properly after i defrost it what caused the problem in the first place? also i read that i should clean the evaporater coil on the bottom because of dust build up...i have never cleaned it underneath so how do i go about getting to the coil?   i would be very greatful to you thanks.......lucyluc67
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 Given that this is a Jenn-Air, a Maytag product, it's highly likely that you have a bad adaptive defrost control board.  But, this is a generalization based on the brand.  Post your model number for more specific help.
lucyluc67
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 model# JCD2389DES-jennair...thanks
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 Yes, yours has the infamous and failure-prone adaptive defrost control board. 



Check the back wall of your freezer carefully, I mean pull every thing out and really check it for any build up of frost on that back wall.  If it's there, you've had a defrost system failure.  If so, then almost always on these fridges, the problem is the adaptive defrost control board.
lucyluc67
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 :):):)...thanks so much!!!
lucyluc67
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 i forgot to ask you ....if i do it myself ,what would it be on a suds scale? and where is the adaptive defrost control board located on my refrigerator?:dude:
lucyluc67
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 hi again...i bought the part you suggested to me from fixit.com but now i need help on how to go about starting this project.....should i let the refrigerator thaw out completely before starting? and where is this replacement located on my refrigerator, and how do i go about installing it?  lol...i know i know so many questions..can you please give me the answers? thanks by the way for your outstanding help...i must add that i was very impressed with the fix it.com people also.....the part was $10.00 cheaper at fixit.com than it was from where i bought my disfunctional washer...thanks again
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 Thanks.  I think the website you're referring to is http://www.fixitnow.com.  That's my website, as you could probably tell from the hauntingly familiar samurai theme. 

The defrost control is item 13 in this picture.

This is all happening in the fresh food compartment, up top.  Be sure to unplug the fridge before disassembling or you could get a nasty shock.  Been there, done that.

If you don't defrost the fridge manually, then you should let it defrost on its own by turning it off and leaving the freezer door open.  Usually, I take apart the freezer and defrost the evaporator.  But, if you can get by without it for a few days, just let the fridge defrost on its own.
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 lucyluc67 wrote: i forgot to ask you ....if i do it myself ,what would it be on a suds scale?
A single mug on the SUDS scale.  :cool:
iceman
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 Hi Lucy or Samurai.  If you want to send me a broken one I am willing to try to reverse engineer it and post my findings.  If the fault is repairable, I will also post repair instructions.

You could mail it to me, as there is no rush.  Let me know if interested and I will get my snail addr to you.

 
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 Hey, that'd be cool, Iceman!  I have several of those boards laying around.  Private message your address to me and I'll send one your way.
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 it seams like the most common failure is the relay. often times when testing if i tap the relay on the board. it will start defrosting.
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 Thanks for the tip Denrayer, I will inspect it for fused contacts.  :borg:

Here is some info I found:

http://www.invensysappliance.com/linkedElements/ElectronicAdaptiveDefrostControl.pdf

Looks like you are right, in the July 1999 version, the relay looks to be of a higher current handling capacity than the 1996 unit pictured above.

But wait, what does a Siebe board have to do with Invensys you ask?  Read on...

http://www.invensysappliance.com.br/English/History_1_EN.cfm




 

Last edited on Mon Apr 18th, 2005 05:58 am by iceman
The Seven
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 iceman wrote:
Looks like you are right, in the July 1999 version, the relay looks to be of a higher current handling capacity than the 1996 unit pictured above.


I would concur with you and Denrayer. The 1996 is much worse than the 1999.

My comments to these control boards:
1) Most defrost heater takes about 3A to 4A at 120V.
2) Most compressor-motor during normal running takes a full-load current of 2A to 3A at 120V.
3)At start, the motor could take a lock-rotor current (LRA) which is 6 to 10 times the full-load current (say, LRA = 12A to 30A).
4) The lock-rotor current is the most damaging current which tends to melt the contacts in the miniture relay. The contacts could fuse together to form a permanent ON circuit. Or they could melt apart to form a permanent OFF circuit.
5) The copper tracks on the circuit board may not able to carry the heater current and motor current. These copper tracks may be heated up and cause some melted soldering points at the relay. This will cause "intermittent" fault.

See the attached JPG photo. Melted soldering points at COM (compressor) and DH (defrost heater)

The under-current rating "relay" and "copper tracks" are the two main failure causes of these boards.



Attachment: FaultyCircuitBoard.jpg (Downloaded 300 times)

Last edited on Mon Apr 18th, 2005 08:27 am by The Seven
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 Wow
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 Re: Adaptive defrost - this operation varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. To understand the operation visit: http://www.kwantlentrades.com/appliancerepair/technology.htm and scroll down to Adaptive Defrost. This will also answer those questions as to how to "force" a defrost - do I jump L1 and test? do I close and open the light switch 5 or 6 times? do I unplug - turn cold control off - then power up again? etc., etc. Forcing a defrost to diagnose a problem varies which each make of refrigerator. With the newer electronic touch pad models it becomes even more exacting (tech sheets and service information becoming even more vital) as the adaptive process is now built in to the main electronic board. Also visit our site at: http://www.kwantlentrades.com/appliancerepair

Ken Freeborn, Instructor, Appliance Servicing, Kwantlen University College, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
The Seven
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 Ken Freeborn,

Thanks for your website link which is very informative.

Wander if you could enlighten me on the circuit part of the damper of "Frigidaire A.D.C (Automatic Defrost Control) � Adaptive".

Is the damper always energized?
What are functions of the Front and Back Damper SW? Seems some part of the circuit is missing.

The Seven
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 Is the Jenn-Air JCD2389DTB the same thing?  I think i have the same problem
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 I got a new ADC under warranty and did not use the plastic cover that came with it. A Maytag repairman at the dealer, Affordable Maytag in Huntington Beach, Calif, told me the cover is the culprit  as it traps the heat and causes the relay to burn out. he said he has actually seen some melted.

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 TJO:  yes

Breezy:  This theory, while creative and, on the surface, plausible, is unlikely given that the relay board is in a refrigerated space!
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 So funny! :dude:

 

 
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 :ufo:
dean00
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 Hi,

I have  a  Jenair/Maytag JCD2389DE having the same type of symptoms as what Lucy had described earlier.   Fridge is warm.  Freezer is cold .  I see frost build up everywhere in the freezer.  After manually defrosting the unit, I followed the instructions for forcing defrost cycle on the  Adaptive Defrost Control Board (shorting L1 and TEST).    I heard the clicking sound of the relay.   What does this really mean?  Is the board fried?

Thank you,

Dean

 
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 Thats what mine did. Turn it off and replace that board. That should do it ....
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 dean00 wrote:
After manually defrosting the unit, I followed the instructions for forcing defrost cycle on the Adaptive Defrost Control Board (shorting L1 and TEST). I heard the clicking sound of the relay. What does this really mean?

The clicking is the sound of the relay on the ADC board. Whether or not it's actually doing anything is another matter and can only be determined by measuring voltage with your meter. Since you manually defrosted the evaporator, the defrost t'stat was likely open and so would have prevented the defrost heaters from firing. An easy test would be repeat the force defrost on the ADC board when the freezer is at normal operating temperature and see if the heaters fire up.

Last edited on Fri Aug 26th, 2005 05:22 pm by Samurai Appliance Repair Man
jackpai
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 I too have the defrost failure on my 2001 Maytag MSD2756GEW, the way I do to manually defrost is to make an AC connector across the Heater Element and apply 120V AC to it, you don't have to remove any content from the fridge. I do this once every 6 to 10 days for about 30 minutes while researching and waiting on Maytag's answer. (Got their answer back, refuse to assist since my warranty expired! I paid $1,700 in 2001 for Maytag name, this will be my last Maytag I assure you)

When short out TST and L1, did not hear click. Replaced the relay, and micro controller, still don't hear the click, will look into the relay driver circuitry and post back my findings.

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 jackpai wrote:
I too have the defrost failure on my 2001 Maytag MSD2756GEW, the way I do to manually defrost is to make an AC connector across the Heater Element and apply 120V AC to it, you don't have to remove any content from the fridge. I do this once every 6 to 10 days for about 30 minutes while researching and waiting on Maytag's answer. (Got their answer back, refuse to assist since my warranty expired! I paid $1,700 in 2001 for Maytag name, this will be my last Maytag I assure you)

When short out TST and L1, did not hear click. Replaced the relay, and micro controller, still don't hear the click, will look into the relay driver circuitry and post back my findings.

Make sure you have made metal to metal contact when shorting out the test & L1 pins since there is a coating on the circuit board and pins to prevent moisture from causing havoc on the circuit board. You can check this with an ohmmeter.

You should also check that both your fans are running (evaporator & condensor) when the fridge is running.

I found the problem with my Jenn-air to be an intermittent termisitor and a condensor fan motor which sometimes worked and sometimes didn't work. After replaced both I have a working fridge again.

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 Finally it's fixed, the ADC board clicks when shorting L1 and Test, 23 minute is the cycle of forced defrosting. Check AC across the heat element and across the whole heat assembly you will know if the termister is faulty. The culprit was the relay. Notice I replaced it along with the micro controller all together, which is a bad thing to do and I had a such bad luck, the new replacement controller was defective! After checking all parts on the board I decided to replace again the micro controller, bingo!

I used a higher rating relay, about twice as high as the original one with same footprint, it fits well.

Thanks for all the help from you folks, couldn't have done it without you guys.

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 I have the same problem with the defrost cycle and need help diagnosing if it is the control board or the thermostat/element.

Here are the facts:

1)The first time I jumpted L1 and test the defrost cycle went on for about 20 minutes(removed back wall to confirm this).
2)Subsequent tries (while frozen over) stopped the motor but did not turn on the element).
3)There are no burn marks on the board to indicate a burnout.
4)The resistance on the thermostat measured 240k ohms with slight fluctuation +- 20k between hot (room temp.) and cold (15 degrees).
5)The 2 year full waranty just expired (my luck).

Can you tell me definitively samurai if the board or the thermostat is the culprit, or, do you have any further diagnostics to confirm which component is at fault?
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 Shogun, do we know what brand your box is and the model number??
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 Sorry how stupid of me. Forgive me. Maytag Side by Side MSD2458GEW.
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 Best way is to check the defrost heater and the defrost termination thermostat with your ohm meter with the box un-plugged.  If they test good then you have the ADC left as the problem.

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 If the defrost thermostat measured 240K then it is open. Maytag uses a thermostat with a 240K ohm resistor in parallel to the contacts. This is used to simply diagnosis. Without having to expose the evaporator take an ohms reading between blue on the cold control (power off ) and the yellow wire on the adaptive defrost control (remove the connector plug - isolate) if you get 240k ohms plus the value of the heater (approx 20 ohms if O.K.) this indicates the defrost thermostat is open. If you get just the value of the heater this indicates the defrost thermostat is closed. Of course if your ohms reading shows infinity (no continuity) the heater is open. This can all be done by dropping the control panel of either the top mount or SxSides and accessing the cold control and ADC. Take a look at the schematic - simple - eh? For a partial schematic go to: http://www.kwantlentrades.com/appliancerepair/technology.htm  and scroll down to the diagram. Hope this helps
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 shogun wrote: I have the same problem with the defrost cycle and need help diagnosing if it is the control board or the thermostat/element.

Here are the facts:

1)The first time I jumpted L1 and test the defrost cycle went on for about 20 minutes(removed back wall to confirm this).
2)Subsequent tries (while frozen over) stopped the motor but did not turn on the element).
3)There are no burn marks on the board to indicate a burnout.
4)The resistance on the thermostat measured 240k ohms with slight fluctuation +- 20k between hot (room temp.) and cold (15 degrees).
5)The 2 year full waranty just expired (my luck).

Can you tell me definitively samurai if the board or the thermostat is the culprit, or, do you have any further diagnostics to confirm which component is at fault?
To confirm your facts, you did see the heater glowing when you forced the 20-minute defrost cycle and the evaporator was frozen at the time of testing.  Then subsequent tries failed to trun on heater when evaporator was iced over.  Am I correct in interpretating your facts?

The thermostat will close when it's iced over, the heat element will be energized when defrost cycle active.  When ice started melting to a certain point, the thermostat will open to prevent further defrosting regardless the cycle is active or not.

The best way to find out exactly what's wrong is to measure the voltatge between L1 and the DEF HTR when plugged in and in defrost cycle, make sure there's 120V AC.  Be very careful to do this due to risk associated, depends on your electrical skills.   Or you can remove the board, and apply 24V DC (12V should be able to do it too) to the relay coil and measure the continuity between the SPDT's pole and Def Heat (3 leads, one pole, one NC to compressor and one NO to heater).  The relay could click but not make good contacts everytime to energize the heat assembly.

From what you observed, you may have a bad relay or an intermittant teministor.  If you can measure 120V AC or good continuity on relay everytime it clicks, then you have a bad terministor. 

 
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 Yes your interpretation is exactly right.

It will take me some time to digest and follow your instructions since my knowledge of electronics is fairly basic, but you have given me a good start and I should be able to handle it.

If the culprit is a bad relay or terministor, is the solution to replace the whole board, or just the defective link in the chain?
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 To Jakpai, kwantlenappliance, and Pegi here is the end of the story. The defrost thermostat was indeed the culprit not the control board.

I devised my own test. I removed the defrost assembly and placed the thermostat in a cup of water in a different freezer. When it was frozen solid I tested for resistance. There was no change in the reading and if that wasn't cold enough then I don't know what is.

Just to be sure, I ordered a control board at the same time which I have since returned.

And they lived happily ever after.
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 my coils are filled with "snow"

OK, after reading these messages, it seems my ADC is bad.

(my bad, I once or twice tried using a 2000 W power inverter to power the fridge in case of power outage) must have fused the "run" contacts.

My question is how do I get to the ADC?

The big plastic cover over the main temp control won't seem to come off.

I see the tabs holding it, but can't fiqure out which way / what to do.

I tried sliding it forward while pulling down, ect.

MSD2756AEW

thanks

 
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 Remove the top shelf inside the beer compartment so you can stick your head inside and turn it to the sky.  The ADC control is in the that top-most control compartment, right hand side.  Start by unplugging the refrigerator. 

There are two sets of screws,a Phillips pair, and another 1/4" pair, toward the front that need to be removed.  There's also a pair of 1/4" screws on the back way that need to come out.  This diagram might illustrate it better. 

Now, here's the tricky part.  To pull the control plate tray out, you need to pull the tray down and toward you at the same time.  It's tricky until you get the hang of it.  Remember: finesse, not force.  You're dealing with cheap plastic-- if you force it too much, it'll break. 

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 "Remove the top shelf inside the beer compartment..."

 

what to do with all this beer, what to do.....

thanks, got it, but no screws on this model, not much finesse either.

The trick was to "bow" the plate while pulling down and forward on both sides at once.

Last edited on Fri Oct 7th, 2005 06:50 am by RegUS_PatOff
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 Good job, I knowed you could do it! :cheers:

BTW, running your fridge on an inverter would NOT cause the ADC board to fry; it fried because it's one of the Achilles Heels on this machine. Common fail item. You are one of millions.

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Dlecocq wrote:
What does it mean if the reading between L1 and Def Htr reads 0 (not 120V AC)?
Assuming your meter is set to read AC voltage, it means that there is the same electrical potential at L1 and Def Htr == usually means the board is in defrost mode, trying to energize the heating elements.

I replace the relay on the ADC and tried to trigger the defrost cycle by jumping L1 and Test. The relay does a buzzing sound, almost like a timer, but the defrost element does not get hot.
Not sure about that buzzing bidness-- got too much o' that going on my head! Speculation: it's the wrong relay for the application. Sounds like a well-known phenomenon called "relay bounce" where the improperly energized coil in the relay causes the relay arm to bounce on the contact, rather than stay put, resulting in a poor connection.

BTW what is a terministor?
A solid state device commonly used to measure temperature i refrigerators, ovens, dryers, and dishwashers. And extended application is to make a solid state start relay in compressors.

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I have a Maytag MSD2756AEW and had the same defrost problem.

I drew a schematic of the ADC and found the cause and fix for the "buzzing relay"

It's a bad electrolytic capacitor, C2,  22uF @50v

Try jumpering in a good one across it. (there is a protective coating over the entire board)

Watch the polarity and also be careful, the minus (-) side of the cap is connected to L1 120v HOT side of the power line.

I drew the schematic with MS Paint, and will soon draw it  with a schematic program and upload it here. (a few messages below)

 

also, neither the compressor nor the defrost heater will work when the temp control is turned down (but the relay will still energize)  try it at max cooling setting.

Last edited on Sat May 24th, 2008 10:20 am by RegUS_PatOff

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Way to go, Reg! Excellent information-- that earned you a promotion. :cheers:

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Maytag, probably a bad ADC, these have known problems, located up in the food section in the housing your controls are located...

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Ref. # 13 in this breakdown, part number will be 61005988.

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RegUS_PatOff
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here ya go !

 

1996 Maytag ADC Defrost Controller Schematic  ( MS Paint > pdf )


rev. 10/08/05

Attachment: MAYTAG ADC.pdf (Downloaded 404 times)

Last edited on Sun Oct 9th, 2005 05:08 pm by RegUS_PatOff

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Very cool, Reg! Did you reverse engineer this yourself to create the schematic?

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Samurai Appliance Repair Man wrote: Very cool, Reg! Did you reverse engineer this yourself to create the schematic?yes !

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wow !  this site is great... 

Here's my story...

I had this exact problem (Maytag SxS 2556) about 2 months ago... called in a Maytag repairman to the tune of about $200.  He "knew" my problem before even arriving... asked me to start defrosting my freezer section before he showed up.  Saw that the evaporator coils were almost a block of ice and blocking the inlet from the fridge section (hence no flow, warm fridge, cold freezer).  He replaced the defrost thermostat for $20 and the whole thing worked fine... for about a month... same problem... this time I knew what to do.... thawed out the evaporator coils, and upon inspection I saw that the thermostat was not connected to the evaporator line like it was supposed to be. (being the "genius" that I am I though mearly clipping this back on would solve my problems)... well, a month more later and presto, same problem..:X    ok... I really don't like spending $200 to have something "fixed" and not have the problem solved... this time I was taking on the task (with no knowledge of refridgerators at all)... found some scehmatics on the Maytag website and eliminated the theromostat as the failure point... one google of "Maytag Adaptive Defrost Control", and presto, i'm here!  Great stuff !

Thanks to all here, and a special thank you to Reg, nothing like going from a $200 service call to replacing a $50 part, to fixing the $50 part with a $1.19 capacitor !

Due to lack of decent electronics shops in the area, i've used a 22uF 35V cap from Radio Shack at the C2 position.  Can anyone tell me if this can lead to long term problems.  I'm thinking of getting the proper cap (22uF 50V) and putting that in (sorry Reg, tatalums are about $15/each !! ouch !!), but will this 35V one from RS work in the meanwhile, or maybe it will be fine as it is ??

Thanks again everyone that posted, and what a great site Samurai !  (ps. nice place otterville is.)

cheers, gs

 

RegUS_PatOff
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The 35v cap should be OK, it only charges to about 35v with 4ma, and while the relay is on, it's only at 24v.

If the cap can't handle it, it won't ruin the cap, in this case.

The non-tantalums may last another few years.

If you can find a tantalum  22uF @ 35v, that may last forever.

I'll check some sources.

 

 

 

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Boy I'm glad I found this thread. I too have a Maytag MZD2766. I was initially blaming the kids for leaving the door ajar because it was intermittent at first. Then I noticed after a week or so I would have to manually defrost the coils because the ice/frost was preventing airfow into the refrig compartment.

I did the little test of shorting L1 and Test on the ADC and sure thing I got a buzzing sound. After a trip to the parts store and $60 later I installed the new ADC and preformed the L1 - Test short. The compressor turned off and the the heating coil came on. Bingo. Bad ADC. I saved $100 bucks, learned about the defrost cycle, and apologized to the kids.

Thanks a million

Oh if anyone wants a bad ADC let me know and I'll send it to you.

John

RegUS_PatOff
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jmizzi wrote: Boy I'm glad I found this thread. I too have a Maytag MZD2766. I was initially blaming the kids for leaving the door ajar because it was intermittent at first. Then I noticed after a week or so I would have to manually defrost the coils because the ice/frost was preventing airfow into the refrig compartment.

I did the little test of shorting L1 and Test on the ADC and sure thing I got a buzzing sound. After a trip to the parts store and $60 later I installed the new ADC and preformed the L1 - Test short. The compressor turned off and the the heating coil came on. Bingo. Bad ADC. I saved $100 bucks, learned about the defrost cycle, and apologized to the kids.

Thanks a million

Oh if anyone wants a bad ADC let me know and I'll send it to you.

JohnI could use it if nobody else responds...

James athey
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hoe do i get to the adaptive control board on a model msd2756aew? may tag refrigerator

RegUS_PatOff
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James athey wrote: hoe do i get to the adaptive control board on a model msd2756aew? may tag refrigerator
 

see the 3 messages on page 2 starting with the one from RegUS_PatOff on: Sat Sep 24th, 2005 20:12

 

 

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Excellent site. Awesome thread... after reading it, I could see at the end of the tunnel :)

I have a Maytag MSD2756AEW. I read all the discussions about it and the infamous ADC. I read the message about how to get there an short the L1 to TEST. If I had gotten there I would have even gone ahead and replace the also infamous C2 so I can solve this well known problem once and for all.

But... I couldn’t. I almost got a hernia trying to take off the first white plastic cover. It seems designers try really hard to make it difficult for mortals like me… and they are getting very good at it. Besides the tabs holding it, there is like a little nail sticking out as a stop for the cover to come out. I followed RegUS_PatOff’s instructions and “super-bowed” it. Then, I got the screws out, everything seemed ready to come off and finally get to the ADC, but… I believe the big piece of styrofoam (parts 14, 15, 16 in the provided parts diagram-see attached) is what prevents me to take all out to access the ADC. Big frustration.

I know many of you have gotten to get all the way to the ADC; please let me know the trick. Thanks a lot!

Agustin

Attachment: Maytag.jpg (Downloaded 244 times)

RegUS_PatOff
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no need to remove 14, 15, 16

 

the ADC is 13

 

 

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thanks for the reply.

Refering to the same parts picture, I could see the ADC (part 13) by bending the inner plastic cover (part 1) so I knew it was there... but I couldn't reach it! :headbang:

I thought I need to somehow take part 1 (inner cover) off to reach 13, am I right?. Cover 1 is tightened up with the 14,15,16 and hides the ADC.

Thanks again.

RegUS_PatOff
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sorry, it's been awhile since I've took it apart.

loosen the (2) big-flat-head screws, one behind each light socket, then slide cover to the right.

Last edited on Mon Nov 7th, 2005 10:34 pm by RegUS_PatOff

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RegUS_PatOff wrote:
I have a Maytag MSD2756AEW and had the same defrost problem.

I drew a schematic of the ADC and found the cause and fix for the "buzzing relay"

It's a bad electrolytic capacitor, C2, 22uF@50v

Try jumpering in a good one across it. (there is a protective coating over the entire board)

Watch the polarity and also be careful, the minus (-) side of the cap is connected to L1 120v HOT side of the power line.

I drew the schematic with MS Paint, and will soon draw it with a schematic program and upload it here.



also, neither the compressor nor the defrost heater will work when the temp control is turned down (but the relay will still energize) try it at max cooling setting.



Wow, what an excellent source of information! :-)

My refrigerator: MSD2756AEW

Can a bad C2 cause any other failure modes besides a buzzing relay? Shorting L1 & TEST on my ADC causes the relay to click but no buzzing. The heater coil doesn't get hot. I don't believe the compressor turns off either. Perhaps this is just a momentary click (now I feel like an idiot for putting the whole thing back together again without verifying that). Shorting L1 & TEST again does not produce another click, so I assume the relay is still energized, unless the PIC somehow enforces a minimum time between cycles.

The thermostat works fine (i.e. closes when cold) and the coil gets red hot when I apply 120V directly. I've been defrosting manually every weekend for several weeks, but I'm leaving town tomorrow for almost a month and hope not to come home to a puddle of water on the floor. :-(

FWIW, last time I went on vacation I came home to find the control board behind the front panel controls had a shorted triac, which energized the solenoids in both the ice maker & dispenser door long enough to melt the plastic beyond repair (had to replace it) and eventually burned out a trace on the board. I fixed the board with a $1.99 triac and some wire. Now 6 months later my ADC is bad? I bought Maytag because Consumer Reports told me it was reliable. Puke.

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Thanks a lot for the info on C2! If worked perfectly well - no buzzing anymore; test defrost was perfect; will see how it will work in the next months.


I wanted to share some info to help others finding the capacitor. It is an Electrolytic Axial type. Sunnyvale and Palo Alto Fry's carry 50v and 63v in their stores at $0.99, while Radio Shack has a lower voltage (35v) only. Note that Radio Shack also carries an assortment of capacitors in a single box, which includes 22uF63v, but it's radial and will be less convenient to connect.

At a local Fry's I bought 63v capacitor, which is marked as "NEH22M63CB" - use Google and you will find plenty of online stores, who carry those. If you have Fry's in your area - call them and ask if they have part #1710243 (63v), or #1710195 (50v).

In addition to capacitor, I bought Silicone Conformal Coating by MGChemicals to cover capacitor and board after soldering.

Good hunting : )

steeler11
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Thanks for this great site and the info. I have the same defrost problem on my Maytag, just replaced C2 per RegUS_PatOff's instruction (thanks to RegUS!) and am waiting to see the result.

RegUS_PatOff, if I understand your schematic correctly, C2 would get the full 120V charge when Q1 is off, meaning the 36V Zener diode is mandatory in this case? Thank you again.

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I have a Maytag Wide by Side model# MZD2766GEW series 10. I ohmed the thermostat and it is opening and closing correctly. I ohmed the defrost heater- tested Ok. I then jumpered the heater and it heated just fine, so I determined that the ADC was defective. I checked all the voltages to the board to make sure it wasn't a connection problem and they were all correct. I shorted L1 and the Test but the unit still doesn't go into defrost. My temp control was closed at the time, which according to the information I read is right. I do not get any buzzing of the relay. I purchased a new ADC at a local dealership, but it looked used and has the same problem my original one does. The dealer refuses to refund or replace the ADC, so I am trying to find a way to repair the PCB. From what I have read, C1 seems to fail.  There is alot of information on replacing the C1, but does anyone have any information about a replacement relay?

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...and Google draws yet another DIY appliance repair victim to your site! :yikes:

But thanks to this thread (and Google), my food is still cold!  Yay!! :D

I've got this Maytag MSD2556AEA, which isn't defrosting. At least not automatically. A few nights ago I took the board out, beat on the relay with a screwedriver handle a few times, put it back in, shorted L1 to Test and successfully initiated a manual defrost cycle.  That brought the freezer from 20F down to 5F over several hours.  The following night I shorted L1 to Test again.  I heard a click, but no defrost cycle.  Just kept right on refrigerating.  Same thing again the next night.  Wasn't easy, but I got my screwdriver handle all the way back there and beat on the relay again.  After hitting it several times (and cussing a lot), it kicked over to defrost mode.

Sounds like the relay contacts, right?  What I'm wondering is, has anyone replaced the relay on this board, perhaps with a heavier one?  I'm ordering a new ADC board, but I'd like to repair this one, since it seems I may go through several of these boards over the (hopefully long) life of this fridge.

BTW - In case anyone's wondering, it seems Maytag is crap anymore.  I've read so many horror stories over the past week. I've had way to many problems with this fridge since we got it, and the notion that this silly board is going to fail every five years, it's all a little rediculous, idnit?  Add to that, a one year warranty on a major appliance that should last at least 20?  What's up with that?

Sorry, I shouldn't be whining.  It could be a lot worse.

Thanks for being here,

                              Charlie

 

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after reading the post i was just wondering if anyone had determined what was causing the problem? i have found in my travels that i also need to replace the heaters and or the termination switch as well ? and these are and or parts that also need replacing. those micro relays just arn`t that great

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patricia wrote: 

the relay is just another name for contactor theses can be purchased for rat shack but you will need to reseal the board this can be done using what is called plastic dip which is used for dipping tools to recoat the handles

 
I have a Maytag Wide by Side model# MZD2766GEW series 10. I ohmed the thermostat and it is opening and closing correctly. I ohmed the defrost heater- tested Ok. I then jumpered the heater and it heated just fine, so I determined that the ADC was defective. I checked all the voltages to the board to make sure it wasn't a connection problem and they were all correct. I shorted L1 and the Test but the unit still doesn't go into defrost. My temp control was closed at the time, which according to the information I read is right. I do not get any buzzing of the relay. I purchased a new ADC at a local dealership, but it looked used and has the same problem my original one does. The dealer refuses to refund or replace the ADC, so I am trying to find a way to repair the PCB. From what I have read, C1 seems to fail.  There is alot of information on replacing the C1, but does anyone have any information about a replacement relay?

cwilkins
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 Whatever you use to seal the board, you really need to seal the relay (aka contactor) as well.  The problem is moisture, both in the form of simple high humidity, and possible condensation directly on the board.

This moisture could lead to corrosion, electrical current leakage, and accelerated erosion of relay contacts.  Any of those could cause the board to fail (ahead of schedule, I mean), or worse.

So both sides should be dipped/sprayed/whatever thoroughly to ensure a complete "hermetic" seal of the board and all components, especially the relay.

Here's one option (brush-on application, acrylic lacquer based): http://www.mgchemicals.com/products/419b.html ...or you can google for "conformal coating."

Now I suspect it's quite likely that you could neglect to seal the board/relay and suffer no ill effects at all, but I don't like taking my fridge apart and installing $50 parts any more than necessary, so I'm not taking any chances.

My $0.02...  Apologies in advance to those who think all this is obvious. :)

-cw-

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Hi,

Looks like I'll be trying som eof the solutions here.
I blamed the kid for leaving the door open. 8-(

Oh well, I'll pick up a cap. I did hear buzzing one night.
I think it was trying to go into the defrost cycle but could not.

I know it's a defrost problem, no air into the refrig but frezzer bone cold and freezes icecream rock hard.

tech

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My spelling was horrible in the last post.
Anyway, I picked up the part from a local distributor.
Fridge is unplugged and defrosting.
I'll pull the cover tonight and install the part.

Even though I'm an engineer, I didn't feel like replacing the relay and cap. I'll repair them on the old board and keep it as a spare. The local price for the ADC board was about $60. More than new cap and relay but less than a repair man.

tech

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Hi all,

I posted a message Mon Nov 7th, 2005 12:41.

Sorry for the late update after 4 months. I couldn't start trying it right away, plus, I wanted to observe the results for a while. Yes, I replace the cap, and everything is "cool" now. No more problems so far... only that my vegetables are getting too "crispy".

BTW, I placed a temperature logger inside the fridge and freezer giving me ~5degreesC (~41F) and ~-17degC (~1.4F) average... is this ok?. What should be the regular/normal/popular temperature in both?

Regarding the ADC, thanks RegUS_PatOff for the schematic and guidance (I may try the zeners next time). Thanks to the Samurai for the web site, it's great.

'til next time...

tech_head
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Your fridge should be below 40F.
Anything above that can lead to bacteria growth. Before defrost mine will swing down from 38F to about 28-30F.

As far as the freezer; how hard do you want your ice cream to be?

tech

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Schematics and tech sheets are always useful. Domo! :dude:

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yea....same problem here. Im going to replace what needs to be replaced.... just wondering.. should i replace the c2 and the relay? they both sound defective/not beefy enough.

CAG8OR
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First post here:

 

Great topic and excellent information.  I have a Maytag MSD2758DR (2001).  I have same problem as described many times previously.  Just lost $500.00 in steaks and king crab while on vacation.  Going to try replacing C2 and Relay as I live close to a Fry's here in San Jose.  I will post my results later.

 

Many thanks to Reg for schematic.

CAG8OR
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I managed to purchase all the parts to upgrade my ADC circuit board per the posted instructions and all appears well.  However, now I appear to have a new problem.  The freezer is very cold and the beer cooler is luke warm.  I have read many posts about frost blocking the air flow passage to the beer cooler, but this does not seem to be my problem.  I feel plenty of cold air coming from the freezer into the beer cooler at the upper top left corner.  My beer cooler has some fancy meat and produce coolers at the bottom with their own digital thermostats.  These are not cooling down at all.  It has been about six hours now and they are still around 70 degrees.  For comparison a 16 ounce bottle of water I threw in the freezer four hours ago is nearly completely frozen.  Is there a seperate air flow passage for these drawers?  I notice there are two seperate fans for each drawer and they are not running.

:X

I have a side by side Maytag MSD2758DR (2001). 

Last edited on Sat Jun 10th, 2006 08:07 am by CAG8OR

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I have a Maytag Mod. MSD2756DEW. It is not defrosting and makes the buzzing noise behind the temperature control levers. Before I try to replace the defrost control panel or any of the components, does anyone know if I can replace the electronic control panel with a manual, clock type, defrost control? It seems like that would solve the problem for good if it is possible to do that.

Vincent
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:jedi:What a great site! Googled myself here, read five pages of this thread, went to Radio Shack, paid $1.29 for a capacitor, did the first bit of soldering I've done since I was a teenager working on an electric guitar, and fixed a Maytag that my wife was planning on replacing. If I could do this, anyone can. Who would think?! Absolutely beautiful. Thanks to all of you! Cool, cool site.

P.S. Not related to appliances but somewhat related to samurai- Go is an incredible game. If you like chess, check out these sites:

http://www.usgo.org

http://kgs.kiseido.com/

CAG8OR
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Well, I found out why my beer cooler was not cooling.  Actually, both the beer cooler and the meat locker thawed out after some time.  Thanks to this site, I was able to locate the problem pretty quickly.  My compressor start relay/overload combo had burnt to a crisp.  I am supposed to receive it tomorrow and hopefully will back on line.  I also ran across a post for a technical service bullentin for the beer cooler being warm while the freezer was cold.  I am going to perform this routine as well, to see if it helps anything.  Hard to believe they actually instruct their service repair men to tape up the grill like the front end of a NASCAR race car instead of sending out the later updated part.  Sounds like there should have been a recall! :X

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I am being told by Jenn-air I can use part DEFROST KIT,ENHANCED ADAPTIVE
Maytag Part Number: 12002104 in my jcd2389geb series 11.  Is this an improved part? Will it work?

CAG8OR
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Well it has been almost two weeks now and all is well with both sides of my Maytag.  Good thing too, because it was over a 100 today and the beer is still very cold!  Thanks to all that posted the fixes here.  By the way, the tape on the grill really helped to cool things off in the beer cooler side.          :cheers:

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I definitely have the same problem with my Maytag MSD2957AEW, and am thankful for all the good advice on this thread.  I visually inspected the ADC board and found that the C2 was a bit bulged at one end.  Based on what I've heard, seems like that's the culprit.  Am ready to pony up the $55 or so to replace, but like everyone else, want to save a buck where I can.  So...

How involved is the process to solder a new C2 onto my existing ADC board?  (I don't have the tools, etc, but am up for a challenge)

Should I take the old C2 off first?

Thanks...

Mr. Ho
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Decided not to replace the C2 cap, but rather the whole ADC board on my Maytag MSD2957AEW.  After doing this, I followed advice on this thread about jumping L1 to Test.  When I did this, compressor & freezer motors went off, ADC buzzed, but no action on the heater.  Tried every which way with the jumpering...motors on/off...touching on contacts, and holding connection between for a few minutes.  Nothing.  Figured it must be the heating element and/or defrost terminator, so bought both as a new unit.

After installing the new heater/DTT, did the same jumping trick to try to initiate a defrost cycle.  First, did this when the freezer temp lever turned to OFF.  This produced a click then another click after about a second, no defrost.  I tried this again with the lever set to midway, so that the compressor & freezer fan motors were running.  This produced one click, and the motors going off.  The interesting thing here is that in this second case, I could not turn the units back on by moving the lever from OFF, I had to reset the Referig switch on my main (house) circuit breaker first.   I tried this procedure both with removing the screwdriver from the contacts after hearing the click, and keeping it connected for some minutes afterward.

So, for all I know the system works just fine now, but I can't initiate the defrost and "see it for myself".  Is there any way to be sure here?   I do have an Ohm/Volt meter, but it has the "probe" ends and not the clamp type.  Any measurements I can easily take here?

Help!   :?

CAG8OR
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Mr. Ho:

I am no expert, but was able to fix my problem with the information posted.  I am quite sure you wasted your money on the heater element.  The unit never went into defrost cycle after jumping L1 to test, because your freezer was not cold enough to trip your thermostat switch, which is connected to one of the incoming lines to your evaporator.  That is the coil with fins on it in the back of the freezer.  The thermostatic switch  is just that, it is a normally open switch above a certain temperature and closes when under that temperature.  It is inline with one of the power leads to the heater.  Therefore, even if the ADC board is sending power to the heater, unless this switch is closed the heater will not heat up.  I am not sure what the setpoint is, but I am sure it is near freezing.  I suppose you could test by submersing the switch in ice water and then jump L1 to test.  If anyone dissagrees with my assessment, please feel free to correct me.  Good Luck!

Last edited on Wed Jun 28th, 2006 01:33 am by CAG8OR

CAG8OR
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Mr. Ho:

If you are having a hard time getting the compressor to start running after you have everything connected back up properly, please read my posts carefully on this page and see if your compressor overload relay is bad.  If your fridge is similar in age to mine, I would bet it is on its way out.  Simply pull it straight off the compressor and shake it.  If it rattles it is bad.  Mine was visibly burnt as well.  Hope this helps.

Pegi
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You are exactly correct....it is called a defrost termination thermostat or a bi-metal  or thermal limiter, re-sets usually around 14 degrees or so...good post...;)

Mr. Ho
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CAG8OR and Pegi,

Thanks for the advice about icing down the DTT.  (I had thought that the jumpering somehow "bypassed" that link).  After icing and jumpering, the defrost heater started sizzling!

If anyone wants to pay the shipping on a good heater/DTT and/or bad ADC board, they're yours.

RegUS_PatOff
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I'll pay the shipping for the bad ADC board if you still have it...

let me know or email me...

 

thanks

 

 

douaic
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I successfully replaced my ADC last year with the info from this great site.  However, I now have a iceberg growing on the floor of the freezer.  The defrost cycle appears to be working fine, but the drain that leads to the pan below the motor, keeps freezing up.  The water from the defrost drips down to the bottom of the freezer and builds the iceberg.  Anyone seen this?

Pegi
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All of the time, remove the ice and find the clog in the drain and clear it...


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