Help! Model MZD2768ge frig not cooling... crisper drawers usually at 32-34 degrees, now at 45-47, little fan behind the drawer not running. Freezer back wall frosted up, looks like snow. Ice cubes melted and dripped down all the shelves but the water was frozen down them, looked like an icicle. Weird... food is frozen solid in the bottom two pull out baskets ,BUT not the top of freezer. Ice maker not making ice. The gaskets on doors are sealing. What else could it be? I can't afford a repairman... Please help!
PS Frig is 5 years old, should anything be going bad?



**UPDATE**: We checked coils, fan and compressor. Everything very little dust, cleaned it anyway. Compressor was warm and fan running. Pulled freezer apart. Evap covered in "block" of ice. FAN running fine. We melted all the ice and put back together and stuff back in freezer. We then noticed fans on both crispers are NOT running. Ducts at top of s/s is blowing cold air (great!), but not very hard (is that normal?)
Both temp controls are maxed. Crisper drawers are at 70 degrees(it's been four hours now) and not going down at all! (fans not running but little duct is open) From this duct, I feel a little cold air coming through also. I know that these two crisper drawer fans not working is bad but why isn't the rest of the fresh food side getting colder? Even though all the little ducts are working, why is it still so warm? Do the crisper fans contribute that much to the overall temp? And, WHAT controls these fans? My husband is a very experienced auto mechanic so I know we can do this, we just need a few tips.
Thanks for the two replies so far. But, what can it be now? Oh, he's sleeping and I can't find the darn defrost heater and timer. Where exactly is it? Nothing can be on bottom of this s/s unless you mean under the frig. The compressor is extremely hot now. Is that OK? Freezer has been running for 4 hours now and my stuff isn't frozen yet? Normal? It's very cold and the ice maker works now. Although, the ice looks like it was a little wet. I would love to see what the evap looks like now, but I would have to pull everything out and I'm extremely tired... it's 4:42 AM Florida time. I will check back later today and I'm also going to call an appliance parts store to see if they know.
Any and all replies are greatly appreciated!!
THANK YOU!
Chris
PS Yes, we have a meter and know how to use it. If they test OK, then what? What controls the crisper drawer fans?

First, look and see if the evaporator fan is running. Remember to push in on the door switch to tell if it is running. Is the compressor running? Pull unit out from wall and clean coil and fan thoroughly. Must be very clean. You can take a hair blower set to low heat to defrost evaporator. I can help you with this next step if so needed. Next test the defrost heater and defrost timer. Do you have a meter and know how to use it? Post back with results

I agree with Esquire1, and Sounds like it is not defrosting, sometimes when the humidy is high the normal defrost cycle does not remove all the ice, or it could have a bad defrost timer or a bad defrost heater.
If you look down near the bottom of the refrigerator you will find the defrost timer it is usually a black box with wires on one end,( 3"x4"box) you will see a screw driver slot that will turn only one direction, turn it slowly and you will feel it click, this puts it in to manual defrost. Now wait and see if it defrosts ( when it clicks the compressor will stop running) This slot is on the side of the defrost timer. If it does defrost then do it one more time to get all the ice melted off. Mike

See my update on original post, please. Then read this one...

After 8 hours there is no frost on freezer back wall and frig is OK cool(maxed out on temp control) Freezer temp is set in the middle. Food is frozen now. Made some ice cubes and they do not have a wet look to them, they look normal.
Crisper drawers dropped to 63 degrees (fans still not running). I can't find anything on why these fans wouldn't be working. Anyone know?
Is the icing up in the freezer (back wall and evap) a freak thing or could something be intermitting and going to happen again?
Thanks in advance!
Chris

Unless the dirty coil was the problem it probably will act up again. These things just don't fix themselves. Have you checked the defrost heater and defrost timer? Test heater for continuity and like acetc mention, turn the timer. I would do some of this now before it ices up again and things thaw out. Also until I was very sure it was working properly I wouldn't buy a lot of items to store in it. Good Luck

The defrost timer is located under the refrigerator,the manual defrost screw is some times accessible through a hole in the cabinet behind the lower grill. Good luck, Mike

Ok, we are going to look for this defroster timer... it's hard on this model, there's no room between the floor and the front bottom of frig! No one has said anything about the two fans that run the crisper drawers?? They aren't working.

Is there a grill on the front? If not it will be in the back under neath, the crispers fan will either work with the door switch or thermostat or rocker switch, (not sure on your model)

I have the same problem! I have done everything above but the crisper drawer fans are not working. csracing67 - did you ever get an answer to the crisper drawer fans? Thanks

Ok UPDATE: well, everything became normal again up until now... (back in 7/2007 found defrost timer and hubby used a screw driver and turned something in that timer and had to leave freezer control(arm) right past the "off" place and every night for the past 1 1/2 yrs I'd here it make buzzing noises, but it was working to defrost up until now!) now a 1 1/2 yrs later I guess it has finally DIED? The frig started getting warm and the freezer side was melting stuff. Now, I have to use the freezer control (arm thingy that slides, on frig side at the top) to kick on the freezer fan to try and cool down the frig side (& freeze stuff too) but it doesn't always work. And the sliding control arm won't run the fan once I go past 1... sometimes I have to slide it to "off" for a few minutes and then slide it to the right a little bit to kick that freezer fan on... The coils to do not have ice on them at this point either... today I am finally going to go buy the defrost timer, BUT now I'm wondering if I may need another part, to make that fan motor on the freezer side run... maybe now the Cold Control Thermostat is bad OR could it be the defrost thermostat? Or are they one in the same? PLEASE ADVISE ASAP!! Thanks for any replies!
**PS. All these parts are in the top of my frig, not behind or underneath my frig...


To "tantram61" if you ever look here again... yes, the frig fans in the drawers did eventually start working and started keeping everything cold like they were supposed to.. it just took them two days to get back down to 31 & 38 degrees from the 60's they had been at!