KitchenAid Refrigerator Ice Maker Not Working: Door Wires Rebuilt in San Jose
A KitchenAid refrigerator in San Jose stopped making ice because the factory wires at the bottom door hinge had cracked. We replaced every wire in that section with flexible silicone wire, soldered each joint and sealed it with heat shrink.
Repair at a glance
| City | San Jose, CA |
|---|---|
| Appliance | Refrigerator |
| Category | Major Brands |
| Brand & model | KitchenAid French door refrigerator (model label not available) |
| Repair date | |
| Customer complaint | The ice maker was not working. |
| Diagnosis | The wires running through the bottom of the door, at the hinge, were cracked and broken. These wires are foamed into the door at the factory, so they can't be replaced separately. |
| Repair cost | $500 (parts and labor) |
| Warranty | 6 months on parts and labor |
| Outcome | Repaired |
What the customer told us
The customer in San Jose called because the ice maker in her KitchenAid refrigerator had stopped working.
What we found
During diagnosis we found that the wires at the bottom of the door, where they pass through the hinge, were cracked. This is a common problem on these refrigerators.
The wires are sealed in foam inside the door at the factory, so they can't be pulled out and replaced on their own.
Why these wires break
The factory wires are low quality, and the floor area under the refrigerator is cold. Every time the freezer is opened, cold air drops down and chills the wires.
Over a few years the insulation stiffens. Each time the door opens and closes, the stiff wires bend at the hinge until they crack and break.
How we repaired it
We use high-quality stranded silicone wire of the same gauge and close to the same colors. Silicone stays soft and flexible even in the cold, so it holds up to the door opening and closing.
We replace all the wires in that section at once, not just the one that broke. Each joint is soldered rather than crimped and covered with heat shrink, which keeps the connections small and thin. Then we route the wires properly through the hinge.
After the repair the ice maker worked again. In our experience this repair lasts much longer than the original factory wiring.
Photos from this repair
Factory wires at the bottom door hinge. 
Cracked factory wires. 
New stranded silicone wire. 
Checking the wires at the hinge. 
New wires ready, with heat shrink. 
New wires spliced in. 
Soldered joints near the connector. 
Joints sealed with heat shrink. 
New wires routed under the door. 
Repair complete.
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