The problem was as follows. We have a GE Profile fridge, Model PSC23NGSA (from 2005) with the vertical side by side doors. ("French doors".) Neither the fridge or the freezer was staying cool. The fridge was making a clicking sound. Opening the doors, the display on the front was flashing "HRS".
We did some basic troubleshooting. Put the food into coolers to try and save it as well as clear the vents. We unplugged and plugged the fridge back in. We made sure it was not in demo mode. The thermostat had been replaced in the past so that rules that out.
Doing some web searches showed that this has happened to others as well. The failing part is the main board. The exact part number for the replacement main board is WR55X10942.
The original board was recalled by GE on November 7, 2006. There was a letter that was sent out to technicians about this but not to customers.
We called GE at 1-800-386-1215, option 3. We stated what the refrigerator was doing. We brought up the recall and stated we wanted this part.
Installing it was fairly straightforward for me. Below are the steps I used. Your experience may be different.
Tools required: socket wrench, 1/4 inch socket, needle nose pliers, light
Steps to replace board:
- Unplug fridge from wall outlet
- Move it to where you can get at cover plate
- Remove cover plate using the socket wrench. You'll see something like the picture.
- Make a diagram or take pictures of which connectors went to what locations on the board
- Unplug connectors. You may have to use the pliers.
- Remove old board. It rests on these plastic standoffs
- Put in new board
- Plug in connectors into new board.
- Move fridge back in to place
- Plug into wall outlet
I found a parts diagram online. If you've ever swapped a motherboard in a computer, you can definitely do this. The instructions will walk you through it. If you have the model with the freezer on the bottom, one would cut some wires before installing. The instructions go over that as well. After you are done installing the board, it will take about 2 to 3 hours for the fridge to return to normal. This even in an empty fridge.
Overall, frustrating, but resolved now. Hopefully this will help someone else out there.
I have a GE Profile side by side
ReplyDeleteModel # PSW26PSTB SS
I called the 1-800-386-1215, option 3
Talked to a very nice lady who helped me.
She said my particular GE Profile was not on the recall list. I know it's the same Motherboard problem as the recalled products. She said she could get me a discount on service and parts. But there was also an $80 initial service charge for diagnosis.
So here's the thing... GE sells motherboard for $260+, so the half off discount makes it $130 which is what it would cost from Amazon.com and other places. I could also probably install it myself and save the cost of service too.
When I explained this, she took off the $80 initial service charge.
But I'm betting there's a lot of my models with same MB problem and GE will eventually have to recall and refund my service AND parts cost. So I'm going with the service call and see how much he charges and determine whether to do it myself or not.
Thanks for the post Fire Shadow.
I hope my experience helps others too.
I love reading through your post, I wanted to leave a little comment to support you and wish you a good continuation. Wishing you the best of luck for all your blogging efforts.
ReplyDeleteRefrigeration Equipment
I have the same fridge and the board in mine went on fire. I have read hundreds of these complains on the web, to get action from the government you need to have a picture of the board burned up and report it to the fire department. They have to report it to the government and that should trigger a new recall. You can't have these things up against a wall and have them go up in flames. I posted a picture here.
ReplyDeletehttp://shutupandride.info/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=176
This why this MB is contained in steel compartment on the back :)
DeleteToday I received a frantic call from my wife letting me know that our 6-year-old GE Profile died. I had to come home early only to confirm the fact of the warm refrigerator’s body. The only reassuring moment was the fact that nothing but indoor lights worked. It indicated to me that the problem was likely with the control board WKKT 0158-01-02. I removed it from the back of the fridge and checked electrolytic capacitors (there were a total of 14). Seven of them (all made in China by Nantung) appeared to be bad. All seven never die simultaneously, so the only thing strange was the fact that the refrigerator worked that long.
ReplyDeleteAfter replacing the capacitors and reinstalling the control board, I plugged the fridge back in and it appeared to be resurrected.
I am still going to call GM and complain.
Echo Jerry's comment. I would have never thought to check the capacitors. Nor would I would know how. You may be on to something that it's bad caps. I know a few years back I was aware of motherboards that went out due to bad caps.
DeleteHello Alex,
Deletedo you know by any chance the value of the resistance R6 of the control board WKKT 0158-01-02? I´ve got the same problem, but unfortunatly in my case the R6 was so burned that I can´t figure out the colour of the rings on the resistance)-:
Would be really really helpful.
most of bad caps are swollen.
Deletei read on the internet that R6 is 110 ohms
DeleteSame thing here: wife called, refrig dead, called a service tech, replaced the board for $325 total. Researched and found this post, called Richard's number but his voicemail said please call GE at 800-749-6629. I gave them my model and serial number and they said sorry but the recall program is limited to 5 years - and mine is about 6 years old. Story of my life...
ReplyDeleteIf Alex is still watching, how the heck did you know to check the 7 capacitors??
Wow!! Thanks a lot! I am really pleased to see your blog sharing such a nice and informative content. I am actually looking for something exactly like this! Thanks again
ReplyDeleteRefrigerator Repair
my fridge just died. we had the same exact problem. I called the first time and the lady said our fridge wasn't listed under the recall and advised me to just go ahead and set up a tech appt. She kept arguing that there was no "recall". Days later I came across your site and called the direct GE Refrigerator Recall # 800-749-6629 (instead of the standard customer number provided on the GE website). I was able to reach someone fairly quickly. Told her the situation and she looked it up. She said that yes, the motherboard recall was in effect, but is no longer active (it was for fridges 1-5 years within - mine was 6 years out). So she wasn't able to get it fixed for free but should could get 25% off our service and parts that would be charged. She seemed very personable and said she would follow up with me to see how the appt went. I have the guy coming in tomorrow so we'll see how it goes and how much $$ it will cost. Thanks a lot!!
DeleteHi Cathy,
DeleteYou are welcome. Oddly enough, I don't think I called the GE # from their website; just the one you'd called. They are really responsive. I guessing because GE is so big dept. "A" doesn't talk to dept. "B". As far as costs, the WR55X10942 main control board sells for $90 on Amazon at this time. A service tech will probably bill you for an hour of his time. I would not pay for more than that though.
Thanks for the encouragement. It's nice to know that my experience can help others.
I have a model PSC25PSTA SS. The defroster has stopped working and I am told by my insurance company that it requires an aftermarket repair kit-which the insurance does not cover. Can anyone tell me if this unit was recalled? Nothing on the website states it is.
ReplyDeleteHi Djonovich,
DeleteI looked; Model PSC25PSTA SS is not listed in the copy of the letter that was sent out.
See Dan's post dated Aug. 10 2011 above. To it I would add the following. If you are capable and willing, take the panel off yourself. Then see if the part number is the same. If so, I would give GE a call as your unit may be under a different recall I'm not aware of. If not, then one decides if ordering the part and swapping it in will resolve the issue. In my case, it did.
Hate to hear about the broke fridge. I've been there.
Great info and thank you for posting. This is my second GE fridge to die in 10 years. First went up in flames (but self extinguished) and now I have my GE Profile PSG25SGSBCSS flashing HRS on the display. It has struggled to get the freezer and fridge down to temp for the past month and finally died. Can I assume that WR55X10942 will fit in my fridge too? I have basic tools so was going to attempt to install it myself - looks relatively simple.
ReplyDeleteThanks again and appreciate the info.
Also just found this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dPDW0hlja8
DeleteHi Mick,
DeleteI did not see that particular model # on the recall letter. Once you take the cover plate off, you should be able to see what board you have. If it is WR55X10942, call GE and ask them about it. Hopefully they'll send you a free replacement. Or at least discount it as you are doing the work yourself.
BTW, that youtube video is dead on. Glad I could help!
Thanks Fire Shadow, part arrived yesterday (ordered from eBay - Texas supplier), took 2 mins to fit but all fired back into life immediately. Fridge and freezer now down to temp with only thing not right being temperature now showing in farenheight not Celsius. Basic conversion has them set correctly so if this is the only thing not right, i'm super happy to have my fridge freezer working again for such a cheap fix.
DeleteThanks for the original post, extremely helpful and saved me lots in call out fees and fitting costs to diagnose and rectify.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHOLA! Shadow, mi nombre: petter peñas, tengo el mismo prblema con, PSW26PSTB SS I, nesesito la placa original de este modelo PSW26PSTB SS. si me puedes ayudar en eso telo agradesco, Gracias.
ReplyDeleteHi Petter,
DeleteI'm using a poor translation of your comment. If I'm understanding correctly, your fridge is doing the same thing. See Mick's post above. If GE is unwilling to help you, other have bought the board off Ebay. After doing so, he reported good results. Hope this helps!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJust e-mailed GE, as my refrigerator keeps running too cold. Did some research on the web and found out that the models a year after mine had the motherboard on recall. GE wanted me to buy the motherboard at their employee discount price. I explained that it is obvious that they have had problems with the mother boards in newer models, so they are now sending the part at no charge, even though my fridge is older than the recall. Great customer service. Be persistent and it may work for you!
ReplyDeleteAs many other victims of GE engineering have reported earlier related to the recall mentioned above, my refrigerator (Mod. No. GDS20KBSBBB) began making clicking sounds (every 1-2 seconds) during increasingly long intervals. An inspection of the mainboard (WR55X10416) revealed that two capacitors (470 uF/25V) had obviously gone bad. Also, a 110 Ohm resistor (R6) had burned through.
ReplyDeleteI had an interesting discussion with a customer support representative from GE Appliances Canada. While he acknowledged the recall, he told me that it doesn’t apply to Canadian customers. He was sorry that he couldn’t send me a replacement board and that I’d have to come up for the repair costs myself. Interestingly, he also tried to convince me that it is perfectly normal for a refrigerator to have such problems after 8 years of operation. Of course that’s true if you build in substandard components in badly engineered control boards. Since that seems to be a general GE policy I am not going to buy any of their products anymore.
In the meantime, I replaced the capacitors and the blown resistor with higher quality parts (total cost approx. $1). After switching the refrigerator on again the resistor blew out right away, but otherwise it is working fine again. My suspicion is that this resistor was fried in all the boards that were subject to the recall the first time they were turned on. It does not seem to be essential for operation but it may have an effect on the lifetime of the capacitors. I would like to hear if other customers have observed this fault as well.
If you look up "GE WR55X10942 Refrigerator Main Control Board" on Amazon, there's actually quite a bit of discussion in the reviews about the electrical components that went into the board. Most of it goes over my head. You may find it informative.
DeleteHey Pete,
DeleteI´ve got the same problem. I replaced the broken parts of the mainboard of my fridge. Which where in total the following parts: R6, C32, C29, C30.
The Mainboard is a WKKT Model No:0158-01-02
But it happend the same what you described. After replacing the parts I connected the fridge and after 2 sec. the Resistance R6 was burned again, but the fridge is still working fine. Since 3 days the fridge is doing his job again(-:
Is yours still working?
cheers
Hans Peter
This is The BestBlog on the net to actually Answer/give real information and not just some run around. Wish I would havew come here first instead of the 2 hours I have wasted on all these other links that gave me NOTHING about the problem. I don't know what my problem will be-I am hoping for just the motherboard and not the compressor as another site had said. I am going to have my son take it apart and find out.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much to everyone who has posted here. I really appreciate it.
I have a GE Profile PCF23NGTDSS and all the lights work inside the fridge but none of the LED or display lights for settings. The fridge and freezer are hot and it is making no noise what-so-ever. I hope I can get it repaired inexpensively, $110 buck or less, and not $500. - on fixed income and that would definitely be a deal breaker
Hi Cindy,
DeleteIt may be a matter of having your son push the fridge away to where the back is exposed. Then vacuuming the dust from underneath the fridge. I do this myself about every six months.
I would give GE a call as PCF23NG is listed in the letter. They'll want to sell you the part. If you bring up the recall letter politely but firm, they may send it to you for free/reduced cost.
Hope this helps!
My 8 yr old PCF23NG coded last night. The fire department told me not to plug it back in. This refrigerator has been a nightmare. I had years of temperature problems before I replaced the motherboard. I was never notified of the recall but got GE to provide a motherboard even though six years had passed. I installed it myself. Lasted about a year and then the same temp problems started again. Then the door switch went. Those 40watt bulbs brought the temp up to 88 degrees. Fiddled with the door switch and seemed to work again. Last night I heard a metallic crack that echoed through the house. Sounded like something arced (sp?) The kitchen filled with an awful smell that I couldn't get rid of. Damn fridge was still running! Called the fire department to investigate and make sure no wires were burning in the walls or small attic. The fridge was found to be the cause of the burning smell, but there is absolutely no visible sign of damage. Compressor, switches, wires all look fine. I've had it with GE Profile. Can't even count the number of times I've lost everything in the fridge and freezer. I hope to have better luck with the Samsung being delivered tomorrow. Good riddance GE. A $2200 refrigerator should last more than 8 years and not have continuous problems.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHello everybody,
ReplyDeleteI`ve the same problem with the fridge. It started clicking and then suddenly stopt working, except the light. But that didn´t really help to cooling the food.
I took out the mainboard. Tried to replace the broken parts: R6, C32, C29, C30. Unfortunatly the Resistance R6 was so burned, that when I touched it the cover fell of so I can´t figure out the colour of the rings to know how much the risistance is.
The Mainboard is a WKKT Model No:0158-01-02
Does anybody know the value of the Resistance R6 of this mainboard?
Thanks it advance for all helpful comments.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteWanted to add my experience with this same problem. Just talked with Matthew at 800-749-6629 and even though my model was listed as a 2003 model, it was on the recall list and for $58 and change, a new mainboard will be delivered tomorrow morning. All things considered I thought that was more than fair. I've read some complaints about GE's support, but when I called this morning, after the initial "greeting", it was less than 10 seconds before Matthew answered. The whole transaction took less than 10 minutes. Great service!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI have a GE Profile Artica with the doors side by side - like French doors - which I purchased in 2002. I never had any issues until my fridge stopped working. It got warm in both door compartments and I subsequently learned that a module burnt out as evidenced on the underside of the board where it had burnt. As a result the fridge stopped working. Thankfully, to avoid two trips by the Service Technician, he used a board which is compatible with the fridge; WR55X10942 instead of the recommended or even the substitute electronic control boards; WR55X10171 or the Substitution, WR55X10552.
ReplyDeleteI called GE @8006262000 (option 4) and confirmed that this board could also be used. So all is well now. A tip for you; Unplug fridge, remove the protective covering at the back of the fridge and vacuum it.
Vacuuming the area around the electronic control board, just like you would do a computer, will reduce the risk of dusk collecting around the components and causing damage overtime. Of course if you are not comfortable doing that, call a technician.
ReplyDeleteOn phone with GE now... they are telling me there is no recall and they are wanting $186.50 for replacement.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteMy GE Profile Refrigerator with bottom freezer went all lights out and no lights on front controls. It smells like an electric burn in the refrigerator. Not good for a Sunday evening with no tech to call. It is only 16 months old.
ReplyDeleteThis blog post and the comments here probably had the most useful information out of all my online research. Called 18007496629, told them refrigerator was not running, only interior lights, after online research tested the mainboard and found I should call GE regarding a replacement program. I was told their program has ended but they offer a discounted price for WR55X10942. Considering the price and age of the machine, I didn't bother fighting. Total for overnight fedex $59 before noon, I believe $50 or $55 if you choose standard shipping. My Model was PDS20SFSALSS
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt’s really a nice and helpful piece of info. I’m happy that you shared this useful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleterefrigerators in uae
I am happy to find your distinguished way of writing the post. Now you make it easy for me to understand and implement the concept. Thank you for the post. refrigerator repair service in orange county
ReplyDeleteI have bookmarked your blog, the articles are way better than other similar blogs.. thanks for a great blog! GE Monogram refrigerator repair Orange County
ReplyDeleteI really loved reading your blog. It was very well authored and easy to understand. Unlike other blogs I have read which are really not that good.Thanks alot! Sub-Zero, Viking REFRIGERATOR REPAIR IN CHINO
ReplyDeleteWhether the oven is a single or double oven ensure the cabinet aperture is the correct size for the appliance as heights can vary. Check the electrical rating of the appliance and fit the appropriate sized outlet Refrigerator, Dryer, Washer, Stove, Oven, Range, BBQ Repair in Carpinteria
ReplyDeleteRefrigerator service in dubai
ReplyDeletehttps://www.hometech.ae/service/refrigerator-service/
UAEs Authorized Major brand Refrigerator Service in Dubai, On-Demand experienced professionals for refrigerator service in Dubai.
1635300827446-15
Santa Barbara Stove Repair offers competitive and affordable prices for their stove repair services, making it accessible to everyone.
ReplyDelete