How to Troubleshoot & Replace Samsung AP4577072 / DA81-01345B Refrigerator French Door Spring

Other reviews I have seen are just plain wrong when they say this repair can be done in 15 seconds ! It's not at all difficult but before the spring can be installed you need to remove 3 " caps" that are located under the 3 hinges for the door seal strip. The top and bottom caps can just be pried off with a thin blade screwdriver but the center one is the trouble maker. It is actually attached with a hidden screw and the cap will break if you pry on it. The center seal strip has a painted metal cover the runs it's entire length. Using a thin blade screwdriver or a stiff putty knife you can unclip it by starting on one end and working your way to the other on one side and then do the other side. Once it has been removed you will find a screw just under the center hinge . The screw will probably be cover with a foil backed insulation. Remove that screw and the center cap under the hinge will come off. Then all you have to do is slide the strip up on it's hinges so that you can insert both the top and bottom spring ends. Be sure to insert the leg of the spring with the little crook in it to the sealing strip. Slide the strip down and make sure everything functions correctly and then re-attach the center hinge cap before snapping the sealing strip cover back in place. Re-install the upper and lower hinge caps and you are done. Once you know about the hidden screw and how to access it, the work goes quickly . The other posts I read that said the spring could be replaced in 15 seconds evidently didn't count any of the time necessary for the preparation before inserting the spring or the time putting everything back together. Still was a pretty easy job that anybody willing to tackle it should be able to do. It took me nearly an hour to complete because I had to glue the center cap back together after breaking it. I didn't know about the hidden screw and had pried the center cap off. That's when I found the screw. If you know about the screw when you start, you should be able to do the job in less than 30 minutes. 

I looked up the parts I needed and ordered 2 new parts, a spring and a teflon sleeve in the door from AppliancePartsPros.com, The parts came in 3 days with normal shipping (Very nice!). It took all of about 30 seconds to snap everything in place. Door works like new, and this quick repair was much less expensive than I expected! 

First the web site made it very easy to select the correct parts; the parts arrived ahead of schedule and were appropriately packaged. After checking the web for various methods to install, I decided to use a needle nose plier to insert the spring, there was enough flexibility in the spring that, after a few tries, I was able to slip it into the pin and retainer. Removing the 2 screws in the door and lifting the flap probably would have been easier in the long run. One note: the right angle side of the spring goes down and the offset side of the spring goes up. 

Was able to match broken parts from parts manual. After they arrived installation was simple once I was able to see how they fit on the door from a photo I was able to find on the internet. It would have been very helpful if this had been included with the shipment. 

In order it SHOULD be done: Pried off two white caps covering the screws that attach the flap to the left door, then removed screws. Lifted flap up to remove from door and disconnected cable. Used a thin blade to pry out the inner cover of the flap, then carefully pried out the insulation piece inside. Loosened the screw holding the center cap from the inside and removed cap. Worked the cable out of the hinge piece so it could be removed and cable pulled through case. Pried upper and lower caps off to remove hinge pieces. Swapped everything over to the new flap case in reverse order, re-installed flap on door, and installed spring with its pin sheath. Done! 

New assembly. 

Ordered needed hinges plus replaced the top hinge and spring while I was at it. Used previous repair stories to get instructions. No one else mentioned replacing the cover, ie middle hinge so that was tougher. Couldn't remove the cap under the middle hinge but was able to pull out the old one and insert the new one by carefully twisting it in. Must unplug the cable first. Mullion works great now. Parts delivered in one day - wow! 

I ordered the Assembly French bar to replace the worn part. I ordered the spring thinking I would need to replace it. But, the spring was in the new assembly. If there was a note that I would no longer need the spring, I would have saved buying the spring. 

Inserted the offset end of the spring into the pin and pushed that upward into the pin holder and had to work a little to put the 90 degree angle spring part down into the hole on the right side of the door flap. Had to close the flap partway and push up and together to get the spring in that hole. You need some hand strength. 

IT WAS VERY EASY TO FIX, ONE SIDE OF THE SPRING GOES IN THE BOTTOM HOLE, THE OTHER SIDE SLIDES IN A SMALL PLASTIC SLEEVE AND INTO THE OTHER HOLE.