GD5RVAXVY02 Whirlpool Refrigerator - Instructions

If you remove the bottom vent panel of the refrigerator there are two schematics for the refrigerator. One for the fridge and one for the icemaker. The icemaker has an emitter and a receiver that will tell the icemaker when it is ok to dump ice and add water. The receiver has an LED that blinks different codes. The codes give you an idea where your problem is located. In my case it coded out to be the optics (emitter and receiver). Replacement of the parts involves the removal of three screws on each component and disconnecting a wire harness on each component. Install the new components by following the removal process in reverse. The total cost was $80.00. This was half the price Sears wanted for the parts and about the same price to have a Sears repairman just show up at the house.

I have a side by side so in order to access the bi-metal switch I first had to empty out the freezer. The switch is clipped on to the top of the evaporator coil. I had to remove 8 screws to remove the back panel of the freezer compartment. The bi-metal switch was right there in plain view. There are two colored wires that come out of the switch. I tried pulling them out of the socket they were plugged into but gave up for fear of breaking something. I ended up cutting the wires and splicing them together. I used the plastic twist caps. I made sure when I closed everything back up that the open end of the caps were pointing down so no water can accumulate in them. It has been 3 days now and so far so good

DISCONNECT POWER. Removed all shelves/baskets.Popped upper panel off (just clips in) Removed 6 screws in lower back panel ( 3 each side) slid panel in place but down. You can then easily see the defrost thermostat/defrost termination switch. Cut the wire connectors (pink n brown wire) stripped back wire, attached new defrost thermostat. Thermostat clips on. New thermostat ohm's at 5.5, old one was "open". Slid cover back up meeting the upper cover grooves. Screwed lower panel in. Put shelves etc back in. Plugged in. Turns on, put a bottle of water in freezer. Checked a while later, frozen. has been frozen for a week.
-James

Parts arrived at 2:30PM.

Read instructions, gathered tools, and went to work. I'd already watched an online video at your site on how to do the repair.

Removed the hinge cover covering the hinge top by using a nut driver to remove the single screw holding it in place. (The video described an older frige and it did not have a screw. I figured that out when I finally went and got a ladder. I had tried to pop it out like the video shows.) There are three screws holding the hinge top in place. I tried using the nut driver to remove the screws but they were pretty firmly in place. I resorted to using my ratchet wrench and that made it easy. (Keep track of your screws, one of mine rolled under a cereal box on top of the frige and I thought I would never find it.)

I had emptied out all the items on the door of the frige, removing the shelves. It was easy to lift the door off of the bottom hinge and lay it on its side against the ladder. At this point I had my son hold the door steady (its kind of unwieldy and 'slippery' when you are trying to remove a screw from the bottom of the door.)

I removed the screw that held the plastic Door Closer, Upper Cam using the nut driver. I used a straight bladed screw driver to pry the old part out of the door (it has an insert for the hinge pin and it had been in place a long time). I also cleaned off the bottom of the frige door (you would be surprised what gets stuck on there - obviously someone spilled oranged juice on the floor and it splashed up on the bottom of the door). The old part had a lot of particle dust that came off it when I removed it. The new part popped right into place and I screwed it back in. The video shows that the repairman had to use a drill and tap set to rethread a larger hole but I just put the old screw back and it held fine. The video also showed the repairman adjusting the Door Stop Bracket but I didn't have to do that, the new cam installation wasn't impeded by the bracket.

I moved to the frige cabinet (again, good to have a second pair of hands to keep track of the door and not let it get damaged while I turned my attention to the Door Closer, Lower Cam. I used the nut driver to remove the screw holdin it to the hinge bottom. It came off easily (it practically fell apart and turned to dust). I placed the new cam and screwed it in using the old screw. No problem.

You could put the door back on with one person but it helps to have two. One to manhandle the door and the other to place it on the lower hinge post.

I put the upper hinge back on and put in the three screws but I left them lose so that I could adjust the door. When I tighted the single screw closest to the door after positioning the door, we tested how it opened and it was hitting the side of the interior cabinet when it closed - you could feel it dragging and it made a clunk/swoosh sound. We readjusted the door using the outside upper corner as a guide and retightened the screw. This time there was no problem. We tighted the other two screws using the ratchet wrench and then put the plastic hinge cover back on with the single screw using the nut driver.

Took us about 25 minutes and made my wife very happy (biggest benefit). The door now 'locks' open and 'locks' closed just like when we bought it and the two doors are aligned (level accross the top) which should have been a dead giveaway that the door closing cams had worn down.

Done by 3:00PM.

I removed the old tracks and installed the new ones. There were small round protrusions on the new tracks that prevented me from sliding them into the brackets in the refrigerator so, I filed them down with a fingernail file and then they slid right into place.

I removed the screw holding the spring steel retainer/clip using a quarter inch ratchet wrench a swivel with a quarter inch socket and a short extention, then just installed the new one. This spring steal through the door ice maker / water despenser lever spring was an easy fix.
I found you by googling appliance repair parts, and found your site really easy to use. I couldn't believe how fast the part came and the very reasonable price. I put you on my web browser's favorites.
Thanks,
Ron

First removed the outside cover plate which was some what scary not to break plastic cover. Had read about another discription of removal of cover to start from the bottom because the top is inserted in slots that would have broken if removed from the top. After cover plate removed it was simple to remove the broken parts and install the new parts. The most difficult part to put back in was the spring and rod had to be inserted the same time.

removed the shaft that had worn end-replaced with new one- ok now

Snap out - snap in.

I took out the ice collection box and auger to get access to the three screws holding the ice maker assembly against the left wall of the freezer. You can use a screwdriver or a nut driver. I then unpluged the assembly and wiggled it loose from the water fill tube. I assumed that unplugging the unit would disable the water valve but I put a plastic tub under the fill tube just in case. I studied the assembly on the kitchen table for a few minutes before I disasembled it. After removing a snapon plastick cover I removed three or four screws on the gearbox and was able to pull and wiggle the parts apart. The heater contacts have rubber O rings so you have to be firm pulling the mould out of and into the gearbox mount. Make sure it is fully seated. On reassembly note that the ice kicking arm is notched so it fits into the gearbox only one way and it helps to have it in position when you screw the gearbox back on. I also found the plastic ice guide that fits on top of the mold a little awkward in snaping back together. Make sure its fingers space evenly with the ice kicking arms.

I removed the ice maker assembly from the freezer compartment (four nuts/ nut driver) and unplugged the wire harness. I discovered the nature of the problem and I went on the Internet to look for replacement parts expecting I'd have to buy the entire ice maker. When I found PartSelect.com I looked through the pictures of the parts available for my ice maker. I found the correct part quickly and easily. And having an acurate photo on the site, I was able to match all the key features of the mold I had with the one on the screen. I ordered the part, and installed it the day it arrived with just a Phillips screwdriver and a nut driver. It functions perfectly.

It was SOOO easy, I turned and popped out the old filter and turned and snapped in the new one....I don't even think it took a whole minute to replace!!

I looked at some online diagnostics info and the owner's manual. The "error code" blinking red light on the receiver unit (located adjacent to the ice bucket) indicated that the emitter/receiver units were faulty. I located the parts on the PartSelect website (their price was less than half of what they wanted on the Sears website) and ordered them. I didn't pay for the expedited shipping and still received the parts within two days of ordering. Powered down the refrigerator, three simple screws to remove each cover for the emitter and receiver, unplug the old units and pop in the new units, replace the covers for each unit, repowered the fridge and, voila, you've got ice. I completed the repairs in less than 10 minutes. Couldn't be happier with the price, the diagnostics links/info or the prompt service. Next time I have an appliance issue, my first stop will be this website.

Once I saw the replacement part I understood how to pry out the switch with a small screwdriver. Then just unplug the old one, plug in the new one and pop it into place.

The PartSelect site made it easy to correctly identify the correct part, it was inexpensive, and the shipping was fast.

I'm very pleased!

I unplugged the refrigerator, then I taped ice shield up to top of refrigerator and taped the little flap on the left side of the refrigerator to side wall then I unscrewed one screw on the right side that holds the plug cover, which was then removed. I then updid the little latches on the icemaker and pulled the old ice maker out far enough to unplug the connector, which was not easy, but did unplug. I then unscrewed the three screws with the nutdriver and attached the bottom cover to the new ice maker. I then slid the new icemaker far enough to connect the electrical connector, then slid the new icemaker in until it latched. I replaced the connector cover and untaped the two items that had been taped and pluged the refrigerator into the wall socket. The new icemaker has produced ice every since.