Refrigerator section in Frigidaire fridge not cooling: A troubleshooting guide

Are you standing in front of your Frigidaire fridge, confused and slightly annoyed because the refrigerator section feels more like a lukewarm closet than a cool haven for your food? You’re not alone. This is a common head-scratcher for many homeowners, but AppliancePartsPros.com is here to help.

A refrigerator section not cooling typically means there’s an airflow issue, which can be caused by a couple of different things. Today we’re going to focus on the damper motor, thermistor and control board.

If you find out that you need any replacement parts for your Frigidaire fridge, you can enter your model number at AppliancePartsPros.com to order them. Most orders arrive in just two business days, and we have thousands of free guides to show you how to install your new parts.

Disclaimer: The troubleshooting information provided in this article is based on general service manuals and may not apply to your specific appliance model. While we strive to offer helpful advice for DIY appliance repairs, variations in models and configurations can lead to differences in troubleshooting steps, error codes and part replacements. For the most accurate guidance, we strongly recommend consulting the technical sheet for your specific appliance model.

What you need

• 1/4-inch nut driver
• Multimeter

Safety precautions

When working on any appliance, remember to keep safety first. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Always power off and unplug your appliance or switch off the circuit breaker before you attempt any maintenance or replacement work. This keeps you safe by preventing any risk of electric shock.
• Turn off the water supply at the outlet before beginning repairs. Keep towels ready to catch any residual water in the system when removing parts.
• If the appliance has recently been used, give it plenty of time to cool down before working on it.
• Take your time while working to prevent accidents and personal injuries. Rushing is the enemy of precision.
• Work in a well-lit area so you can clearly see and access appliance parts.
• Keep your workspace free of clutter and other obstacles. Keep children and pets away from the work area.
• Never work on internal parts with wet hands. Make sure the work area is completely dry.
• Check the user manual to see if there are specific installation or safety instructions related to your appliance or replacement part.
• Be gentle when handling or removing parts. Excessive force might damage the appliance or cause personal injury.
• Wear insulated work gloves to protect your hands from sharp metal parts and debris.
• When working with wires, avoid touching any exposed wires or terminals. If you need to touch a wire, use a non-conductive tool or wear insulating gloves to prevent electrical shock.
• Don’t test live voltage with a multimeter if you’re unfamiliar with how to prevent short-circuiting.
• Consider wearing safety glasses and/or a dust mask when working with chemicals, dust or a large amount of debris to prevent irritation or injury.

Troubleshooting instructions

Before we dive into deeper troubleshooting, make sure your fridge condenser coils and vents are clean. Debris buildup in these areas can negatively impact airflow in your refrigerator. You can find a condenser coil cleaning brush here and watch this video to find out how to use it.

If cleaning these areas doesn’t fix the problem, read on for the next steps.

Step 1 – Access the control board

The first thing to check is the control board, which can be a common reason why the damper motor isn’t running. The board supplies power to the damper motor, and if the board is faulty then it won’t send the right amount of voltage to the motor.

1. Make sure the fridge is turned off and unplugged.
2. Turn off the water supply to the fridge.
3. Remove the 3 – 1/4-inch screws under the control panel. These will be recessed into the panel.
4. Take out the filter.
5. At the back of the refrigerator at the top, you should see a ¼” screw on the right side behind where the filter is located. Remove this screw.
6. Drop the cover down.
7. There will be 2 – 1/4-inch screws on the corner of the left side that are recessed in. Remove both of them.
8. Drop the control housing down so you can access the control board.
9. Push the two clips that hold the control board in place to remove it from the housing.

Step 2 – Test the control board

LIVE VOLTAGE WARNING: For this test, the fridge needs to be plugged in and powered on. Please be very careful to protect yourself from electric shock, which has the potential to cause serious injuries. Don’t ever test live voltage if you’re uncomfortable using a multimeter.

You can test the control board for AC voltage.

1. Make sure the fridge is plugged in and powered on.
2. Set a multimeter to Volts AC.
3. Find the P1 connector on the board, then find the red wire with a white stripe and the light blue wire. These will be pin 10 and pin 11.
4. Place one meter lead on the wire at pin 10 and the other lead on the light blue wire.
5. Check the meter reading. You should get 120 volts AC here.

If you got 120 Volts AC, then you’ll need to check the damper motor.

If you don’t get 120 Volts AC at the control board, then you’ll need to check the thermistor. If the thermistor is good, then that means the control board is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Step 3 – Test the thermistor

Since the control panel is down and you have access to the thermistor, you can check it next.

A bad thermistor can cause the control board to think the temperature is correct when it’s not and prevent the evaporator fan motor from turning on when it needs to.

The thermistor needs to be tested for resistance.

1. Set your multimeter to the resistance setting, which looks like this: Ω.
2. Disconnect the thermistor harness.
3. Place one meter lead into one side of the connector and then one on the other side.
4. Check the meter reading. At room temperature, you should see a resistance reading of 10K ohms.

If you don’t get 10K ohms of resistance, then the thermistor needs to be replaced.

If the resistance is good, you can check the damper motor.

Step 4 – Check the damper motor

A failing damper motor can also cause a refrigerator to be warmer in the fridge section. If it’s not running, then you’ll need to figure out why.

Since the control panel has already been removed, you can access the damper, which needs to be tested for AC voltage.

LIVE VOLTAGE WARNING: For this test, the fridge needs to be plugged in and powered on. Please be very careful to protect yourself from electric shock, which has the potential to cause serious injuries. Don’t ever test live voltage if you’re uncomfortable using a multimeter.

1. Make sure the fridge is plugged in and turned on.
2. Set your multimeter to volts AC.
3. Find the blue and grey wires on the damper motor and where they connect to the damper. These will be your testing points.
4. Put one meter lead on the terminal of the blue wire and the other on the terminal of the grey wire.
5. Turn the fridge power off, then turn the power back on.
6. Check the meter reading. You should get a reading of 120 volts AC when the fridge is powered back on.

If you didn’t get 120 volts AC, power off the fridge, set your multimeter to continuity (looks like a sideways WiFi symbol) and use your meter leads to test each of the switches, which should all have continuity. The buttons on the switches need to be pushed in to get continuity.

If you don’t get continuity on the switches, then the damper needs to be replaced.

If you got 120 volts AC to the damper motor but the damper isn’t opening, then you have a bad damper motor that needs to be replaced.

If there’s not 120 volts AC going to the damper motor and the control board is sending power, then there’s a problem with the wiring.

More information

Thank you for reading! We hope this guide helped you get your Frigidaire fridge working again.

If you have any other appliance repair needs or projects, don’t hesitate to explore our other troubleshooting guides and videos.

If you need replacement parts or some extra help with ordering them, grab your model number and head over to AppliancePartsPros.com, where you can chat with a pro, read our DIY blog and more. We can also help you troubleshoot common refrigerator problems here.

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