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So the compressor is working when it turns on… it cools perfectly… it just gets hot to the touch. After running for a while, it will be hot enough that I can put my finger on it for about 1-2 seconds before I have to remove my finger b/c it is too hot… Is that hot enough to make the relay trip? And yet, the relay doesn’t always trip to turn it off I don’t think…. like I said, it ran for over an hour straight before shutting off on it’s own b/c it was cold in the refrigerator… it’s just sometimes you get the click, 3 second buzzzzz, then another click and the compressor won’t start. Then it tries again 3 minutes later… same thing… all the while the fans are blowing. BUT, if I unplug the unit for quite some time and turn it back on, and plug it back it, the compressor will turn on. So I already knew it was probably one or the other of the two..the compressor or relay… with this information, what is it more likely? Is a compressor supposed to run about that hot?

One last question.. with this part, it is just ONE part correct? I saw with some units it has like 2 parts stuck together that stick onto the side of the compressor… if I’m going to order the part, just want to make sure I don’t need 2 parts.

Looks like that one manual you sent shows an overload part? With everything above, could that be bad as well or the culprit… if so, part #?

Okay, I replaced the relay and it still does the same thing. If you can take my description from above and add it to the following description to give me a different idea of what it could be. Last week, I would hear a Click, 3 second buzz, then a click again. This would happen every 2-3 minutes or so. I felt the compressor and it’s hot to the touch. Basically if you leave your finger on it for more than 2 seconds, you have to take it off. At this point, the fans are still running but no compressor and of course this quickly heats up the air in the unit. If I unplug the unit for a while and plug it back in, the compressor will start. The compressor won’t start if I try to unplug the unit and then immediately plug it back in. Have to let it sit I guess. But when the compressor is on, it seems to work fine b/c the unit cools off nicely down to 1 degree F. So, I thought it was the Compressor PTC Start Relay because that’s what the Internet said it probably was. I went ahead and ordered and replaced this part #10097202 and crossed my fingers. It’s still doing the same thing. Now the internet said it could be the compressor, but that’s the strange thing…it cools the unit when I can get it to turn on. Like right now, the air in freezer is 1% F. One extra thing it does is that I can reach into the fridge and turn the temp control down and it will turn off, but when it eventually tries to turn back on later, it does the familiar click, buzzzzz, click… The fans turn on but no compressor. So, I’ve been limping along with this this plugging and unplugging it. If I don’t unplug it, it just seems to run forever when I have the temperature cranked all the way down. My next experiment was to put the temp control somewhere in the middle and see if it shuts off by itself instead of me having to turn the control… I normally have to turn it 3/4 of the way to off from full on, before I hear the click of thermostat and it shuts off.

The compressor is getting too hot and tripping there overload. When it cools back down, the overload resets and the compressor comes back on. The buzz and click you hear is the compressor attempting to start when it is still too hot. Make sure your coils are clean and condenser fan motor is running. The compressor should not be over heating if these are both good. Make sure any vents along with the spaces around the bottom of the unit are not blocked. Also, the toe panel in the front. Is the unit in a very tight spot to prevent good air flow. The condenser fan motor may not be running at full speed possibly. If everything checks out the compressor must be faulty. That would be strange but possible.

God, I think I’m so close, but I don’t know. I already cleaned the coils. Admittedly, when I went to do that , they were really dirty. Probably 3/4 inch of junk along the front coils. Maybe over the course of a long period, the compressor just didn’t like it and started to go? But then again, when it actually kicks on, it cools everything just fine. it makes ice, stays around 1 degree. Here’s the thing though which I don’t understand and I hope you can clarify is that the refrigerator, once it gets running will run and run for 2+ hours if I let it. I cranked the cold all the way up and it gets down to about 1 degree and the compressor will run and run. You would think that if it WAS overheating, that it would have tripped the overheat thingy and wouldn’t run for 2 hours like it can. But once I turn the temp control down a bit to 4 on the settings, the refrigerator will turn off. If I then try to turn it back on, it won’t go on right away. Condenser fan is running full…it blows my hair back so it’s not the problem. lol So, PTC relay replaced, everything cleaned, fan is running on high, but still I get the above situation.

Okay, I think I can say the compressor is probably shot but you are the experts so tell me. So this morning, I turned it on again and it fired up right away….but this time it only went for about 40 minutes and then suddenly turned off. Now, even hours later and with time for the compressor to cool off to room temperature, when I plug it in, I hear the familiar click, buzzzzzz, click… and no compressor comes on…even though it’s cool to the touch. Could it be anything BUT the compressor?

Could only be the compressor at this point since you have replaced the relay already.