GE refrigerator failure - part 1

In order to write about the current failure of the GE refrigerator I had to write what happened in January of 2021 when I was preparing to take a cross country trip to inspect and buy a race car in Florida. To my horror there were two potential showstoppers threatened to derail my departure.

First was this unexpected trouble code. Looking it up on the phone and it is the oxygen sensor. As Brunnhilde had been parked out on the gravel surface many months I immediately suspected that rodent must had gotten to the sensor's cable. While with the engine still idling I pop the hood to investigate.

oxygen sensor trouble code

What I was greeted immediately was a sight I couldn't believe. It was this wild rabbit sitting on top on the idling engine petrified, and I was no less startled. I grabbed with my hand and didn't want to condemn it until I had a chance to investigate. I place it inside a cardboard box and put it behind the close door of the bathroom.

not as cute as most think

in no time I spotted the oxygen sensor cable was indeed chewed with one wire severed

it didn't take me long to repair the damage

Because of the proof I retired the rabbit. As if that wan't enough challenge, I would soon discovered the refrigerator has gone berserk.

When you plan for a cross country road trip to arrive within the target day, it is no fun to discover the refrigerator has failed. Doing a search on Youtube it suggests may be the main control board's electrolytic capacitors have failed. 

I went straight to the back side and look for some electronic modules

I removed the board to inspect and I could immediately spot the two with the tops bulged

to remove them is a bit of struggle due to the lead free solder and tight through holes

the two 470uF/25V has failed; it is very unlikely I have anything close to these due to the 25V rating

I looked at all my capacitors as well as PCBs that may contain something close enough but to no avail. The most likely source of donors are PC power supply as that are what these caps are in the switch mode regulator circuit.

Finally I managed to find a 1000uF/25V in my electronics parts collection. It has axial leads rather than the needed radial leads. but I I can make it work.

it is a used capacitor so the leads are too short to reach the through holes; I improvised and made sure the installation is safe

From start to finish it took under 3 hours and my trip was saved. I didn't have to throw away any food in the refrigerator. 

I was on my way to Florida - stopping for fuel in Nebraska

of the two cars that I went there to personally inspect them, one turned out to be totally misrepresented; I bought this well sorted one from a nice person