How to Troubleshoot & Replace Ge AP3670155 / WR02X10585 Door Recess Spring

After watching the video I was able to determine how to access the internal components. After that, I concluded my problem stemmed from the solenoid which was all rusty and corroded. It sure looked like it needed replacement. I ordered one along with a new door flapper, crank and spring. Again watched the video and installation was relatively easy. However after getting it all installed I tried manually operating the door flapper, and it would never close. I thought I had installed something wrong. So I disassembled everything and started over. Same result. The door just would not snap closed. It appeared the crank rod was binding in the little recessed groove. I was going to "modify" the crank rod, but decided to install the circuit board and door trim, plug it back in and give it a try. Guess what? It worked like a champ. I couldn't figure out why it would work with power, but not work manually without power. Then I remembered reading somewhere on here about a 5 second delay before the door snaps shut. Obviously that was it. It needs power to operate correctly. Oh, one more thing. The water line. I disconnected it at the coupling down at the bottom on the outside of the door (remove the grill plate - 2 screws) and pushed the paddle and water flowed. So, that indicated it was just a frozen line somewhere in the freezer door. Probably caused from the cold air leaking out around the flapper. Unplugged unit and let it unthaw overnight. Next morning, water again. All fixed. Turned out I didn't need a new flapper, crank, or spring. Just the solenoid. The old ones cleaned up nice. Now I have a few spare parts for next time. An assistant with a good flashlight helps too. ; >) 

Ice was constantly getting caught in the disk-shaped ice door assembly. This would cause ice to pile up behind the door. Sometimes it would drop a huge amount of ice when the logjam cleared. Sometimes it would just get completed packed and have to be cleared manually. The exact cause was a mystery at first. The solenoid was working and the ice door was opening, remaining open for a few seconds, and the closing when the ice dispenser button was pressed, as it should. However, ice was still getting caught when the door closed about 70% of the time. Closer inspection revealed that the rubber that makes up the outer portion of the disk-shaped ice door was warped. This had initially unnoticed effects. First, because the door was warped, the opening through which the ice fell wasn't wide enough, causing ice cubes to get caught and jamming the door in a partially open position. Second, we were never getting a good seal. Warm air was always getting into the freezer through the ice dispenser door, resulting in excessive frost. This extra frost collected mostly around the ice maker, which compounded the first problem since ice built up inside the chute that the ice cubes fall through to be dispensed. I knew that the warping of the rubber on the little door as a big factor. The dispenser door recess crank also looked warped and the plastic was worn down where it links to the ice dispenser solenoid. I also thought the door recess spring might have lost some of its springiness over time, resulting in less force pushing the ice door closed. Finally, I noticed that the linkage between the solenoid and the dispenser door recess crank was rusty and worn. Replacing the door might have been enough. The refrigerator is very old though so I decided to just proactively replace the solenoid, spring, and dispenser door recess crank in addition to the door. Shipping isn't free and I didn't want to order parts one at a time. More importantly, my wife did not want to continue suffering with the problem while I replaced the parts one by one. This is a key consideration in any repair. The parts are all easy to replace so I only have 4 tips: 1. Be sure to turn off the power or unplug the appliance. There's line voltage running to the control panel that you have to remove to get to these parts. You can get a shock if you try this repair without cutting power. You can also short out something on that control panel, resulting in needing to buy another part. 2. Be careful with the wires going to the control panel. They plug in with locking connectors and that plastic gets brittle. Be gentle unplugging them. 3. Note the path that the wires take through the other parts before unplugging them from the control board. You have to feed them through the same way or they'll get crushed or cut when you reassemble everything. 4. If you're new to DIY repairs and are afraid of taking the fridge apart and having trouble getting it back together then take cell phone pics at every step of disassembly. Then you don't have to worry about remembering where things go. 

When diagnosing the problem, I discovered that the ice door was not properly sealing and that the solenoid had appeared to rust/corrode forcing the door open. I replaced most of the ice dispenser internals (solenoid, crank, door, and spring) following the video. The door will now open when dispensing ice (which it does!), and will oddly stay open for a few seconds once I am finished, but does seal properly and the chute/container no longer frosts over. 

I didn't bother to determine which part was at issue so I bought everything that could be a problem (solenoid, ice door, spring, and door recess crank) since the total cost was only about $40. As I took everything apart, I'm glad I ordered all pieces as solenoid was corroded and everything else was showing signs of wear along with mold build-up. The replacement was simple as all that was required was philips screwdriver. Online instructions were great. The only thing I would add to online instructions would be to let people know that there is a delay on the closing of the ice door (5 seconds). At first, I thought door was still getting stuck open but after reviewing install manual of fridge, I found where it mentioned the 5 second delay. 

I bought spare part from AppliancePartsPros.com and followed the instructional video. It was easy and saved a few bucks. 

Replaced upper and lower thimble's, lever arm, cam closure. Door stop was not the problem, but ordered it and replaced it too. The door of course has to come off, remove the top hinge, and lift it away. Lubricated moving parts with silicone spray. Be sure and put the door back in the open position, so the lever arm and cam closure can properly interact, then close the door. Remove the plastic grate at the bottom to get at the lever arm. Presto. Problem gone. Don't put excessive weight back in the door, this is what causes the problem. 

Replaced springs, flapper assembly and ice door retainer as described in videos and it was easy. So far so good..water dispenses. 

I replaced the solenoid, door, spring and bucket. The bucket cracked from ice freezing inside it. Ice froze inside the bucket because the solenoid stopped pulling the door closed which allowed hot humid air into the freezer. While I was in there I replaced the dispenser door, spring and crank because they are cheap and the old ones were moldy. The mold is most likely from the door not closing and causing condensation on the parts as well. 

Before this order for the microswitch, I previously replaced the water fill valve at the lower rear corner with part from this firm. This did not fix the problem so I ordered the microswitch and related parts that I installed. Still did not dispense cold water but still did dispense ice. The microswitch I installed was still good. I left the refrigerator unplugged for maybe 5 hours then plugged it in and water dispensed. What is my conclusion? The hose in the door was frozen or the control board was somehow reset by being unplugged for a while. We had been having "Public Safety Power Shutoffs due to high fire danger and I had been running a small generator. After the power problems, the refrigerator would go into "Fast Ice" mode by itself. I would shut that off and it would come back by itself. Perhaps the board was acting odd from the strange power. Don't know but it works fine after being left unplugged. Appliance Parts Pros were a big help and parts were promptly delivered. 

As I read all the reviews on appliance pro about similar problems I decided to order a new flap spring, solenoid and door crank. The videos supplied by Appliance Pro were perfect. I ended up replacing the door assembly (flap) and solenoid. The crank and spring were still in excellent shape. It all works great now. no more ice cubes stuck in flap and no more frost in chute or bottom of ice bin. I recommend ordering all 4 parts and since it seems like a common defect, I ordered two of each because my refrigerator is only 3 years old operationally and I expect the solenoid and flap to go bad again.