Help, GE fridge stuck in defrost?

[58limited]

My friend has a 1970s or early 1980s GE fridge. When plugged in you can hear the compressor come on, but the defrost engages and the fridge will not cool. It gets hot in the freezer section on the lower sill at the front.

We have not checked the freon charge. This is not my fridge and I really do not know much about it. Any help is greatly appreciated - mainly we are trying to decide if this is worth fixing.

Model # TBX18SHB
Ser # TT 500018

 

[coldspot66]

Sounds like a bad defrost timer.....It should engage the compressor or defrost heaters, but not both at the same time. Does it do this as soon as you plug it in? The defrost timer is usually located in the fresh food section control console.

 

[coldspot66]

New part # is WR9X502. Retails around $35.00.

 

[cuffs054]

You can usually use a slotted screw driver to manual advance the timer to get it out to cycle. Timer is usually under fridge behind grill and looks like a small washer timer.

 

[rp2813]

I agree with cuffs, if GE indeed has the defrost timer behind the grille like Whirlpool and Kenmore. Just advance it with a screwdriver and see if it does the trick. I don't think a new timer would be a big deal to install if it's easy access behind the grille.

 

[58limited]

Thanks everyone.

I'll try to advance the timer with a screwdriver today.

~Does it do this as soon as you plug it in?

Yes, it does.

We are going to trouble shoot it today or this weekend.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Also...

Make sure the defrost element isn't shorted/grounded. Quite a few of those had glass enclosed defrost heaters where the glass could break and let the element ground and heat up without the timer calling for it... older Admiral designed units were famous for cracked and broken element glasses as were older Frigidaires.

RCD

 

[sudsmaster]

I had the same problem with an 80's vintage GE top freezer fridge.

The timer actually had broken one of its terminals, which left it in permanent defrost mode once it advanced that far. I got out the soldering iron and fixed it, and it worked fine until I scrapped the fridge for a KA top freezer that uses 1/3 the power.