Fast Track Troubleshooting

Publication # tsRM255 Revision Date 03/30/2011

Models Covered: IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE – “For Technicians Only” This service data sheet is
RM255****/XAA, intended for use by persons having electrical, electronic, and mechanical experience
and knowledge at a level generally considered acceptable in the appliance repair trade.
Notice: Bulletin for Arctic Any attempt to repair a major appliance may result in personal injury and property
Zone cooling issue damage. The manufacturer or seller cannot be responsible, nor assume any liability for
injury or damage of any kind arising from the use of this data sheet.
Self Diagnosis: Press both buttons
(Freezer– Fridge) simultaneously (No
sound when both buttons are pressed at
the same time) ‟til the display quits blink-
ing and beeps, 8-12 seconds, then release
and read Fault Codes.
This will also cancel the Fault Mode cre-
ated by self-diagnosis at power up.

Forced Mode: Press both buttons (Freezer–

Fresh Select Zone) simultaneously (No
sound when both buttons are pressed at
the same time) „til it beeps and goes blank,
8-12 seconds

Press Freezer button one Press Freezer button a Press Freezer button a Wait 5 seconds
time at the Test Mode to second time to Force third time to Force Defrost between button
Force Compressor Run, Defrost of Fridge, meas- for Fridge & Freezer, pushes
measure fan and com- ure defrost voltage at measure defrost voltages
pressor voltages at PCB main PCB at main PCB

Refrigerant Charge Component Value Chart

R134a 7.76 oz. Component Resistance Wattage Voltage
Freezer Defrost Heater 72Ω 200 120vac
Fridge Defrost Heater 180Ω 80 120vac
CF Defrost Heater 144Ω 100 120vac
CR Defrost Heater 180Ω 80 120vac
F Drain Tube/Heater 2880Ω 5 120vac
R Drain Tube/Heater 2880Ω 5 120vac
Sealed System Dispenser Heater 2880Ω 5 120vac
Water Tank Heater 29Ω 5 12vdc
Fill Tube Heater 29Ω 5 12vdc
Sensors 2.5kΩ-89kΩ N/A 1~4.5vdc
Fans N/A N/A 7~12vdc
Sales Mode, No Compressor Operation: Press Energy Saver & Freezer temp buttons simultaneously for 3 sec
( you will hear a “Ding Dong”) to remove or put into Sales Mode. When in the Sales Mode the Display will show
"OF" "OF" Removing power will not cancel this mode.

SUPPORT INFORMATION
Training — Plus One http://my.plus1solutions.net/clientPortals/samsung/
Help — GSPN http://service.samsungportal.com/
Samsung Product Support TV http://support-us.samsung.com/spstv/howto.jsp
Customer information videos and chat programs. Programs for Fridges, Laundry, Ranges & D/W

# tsRM255 RevA 03/30/2011 1

 DC FAN MOTORS
Brushless DC Fan motors are used to save energy. The fans operate at two speeds. Fan speed information is read by
the Main PCB. If the fan speed exceeds 600 RPM or the speed is too slow, or stopped the fan drive circuit is disabled,
After 10 seconds the circuit tries again with 3 seconds of DC voltage. If the fan continues this activity for 5 cycles, 10
seconds off 3 seconds on, the fan drive circuit is disabled for 10 minutes.
TO TEST THE FAN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE.
Power off and back on to check the DC voltage to the motor, wait from 10 to 60 seconds for the fan voltage to kick in,
and then check fan voltage, the average reading is 9 VDC. If you get 3 seconds of voltage every 10 seconds for the 5
fan power up cycles, then the Main PCB is good.
NOTE: You may need to put unit in FORCED FREEZE mode to activate the fans/compressor.
If the fan blade is blocked by ice, then defrost and check the motor again, after removing power from the unit.
If the evaporator is ice blocked and thus blocking the air flow, the fan will over RPM and it is stopped. Remove ice and
check the motor again. If everything is clear around the fan blade then the motor would be at fault. Continuous fan errors
will be displayed on the front panel display. PLEASE NOTE: The door switches control the evaporator fan motors. Have
them closed to test the motors. Delay time 10 – 60 seconds.

FLEX TRAY Ice Makers Shattered Ice – Flex Tray

When the initial power is applied, the ice tray will stand by for 2 hours.
When all ice shatters, it's because of a bad
After the 2-hour standby time, the Ice Maker Sensor will check tray or ice cube temp that is too cold (lower
the temperature, when it is lower than 1.5℉ for more than 5 minutes, than -5 degrees). In some areas, there are
it will do a harvest, with or without ice in the tray, then fill with water. water issues that can also cause shattered
58 minutes after water is supplied to the Ice Tray, the Ice Maker cubes. The temp in the freezer should not
have any effect on this issue, as long as it’s
Sensor temperature will be checked. When the Ice Maker Sensor below 1.5 degrees F, as a properly installed
maintains lower than 1.5℉ for 5 minutes, it completes the harvest sensor will not read the freezer temp, only the
(if the ice bin is not sensed as full). water/ice temp.
Thermistor senses temperature to determine water fill on newer units Check the Ice tray for defects in the plastic.
Filling the tray Ice that is too cold will shatter during
After the water fill is completed, the ice maker sensor will evaluate the harvest. This can be from the (1) sensor not
water volume one and a half minutes later. When it detects no or low reading the correct temp (2) or the sensor not
water level, it will add more water. First supply time will be 1.5 sec, mounted correctly (3). By programming the
icemaker offset value to a lower number (4),
next one will be 1 sec and the last will be 2 sec. the board not understanding the reading.
Ice Maker Test Button Guide – Bin Full To check the sensor, you must check the tray
temp (not air temp) and compare it to the sen-
sor reading. The sensor should read 3.7 volts
at the main board connector when the cube
temperature is 1 degree. After the fill, the sen-
sor will read water temp 1.5 to 2.2 volts.
Ice Maker Thermistor Please note, some shattering is normal for
a flex tray icemaker.
Temperature/Resistance/Voltage Chart for Refrigerators Sensors
Temp. (Ω) Volts Temp. (Ω) Volts Temp. (Ω) Volts Temp. (Ω) Volts
-29.2°F 64227 4.326 1.4°F 28021 3.685 32.0°F 13290 2.853 62.6°F 6771 2.019
-27.4°F 61012 4.296 3.2°F 26760 3.64 33.8°F 12749 2.802 64.4°F 6521 1.974
-25.6°F 57977 4.264 5.0°F 25562 3.594 35.6 °F 12233 2.751 66.2°F 6281 1.929
-23.8°F 55112 4.232 6.8°F 24425 3.548 37.4 °F 11741 2.7 68.0°F 6052 1.885
-22.0°F 52406 4.199 8.6°F 23345 3.501 39.2 °F 11271 2.649 69.8°F 5832 1.842
-20.2°F 49848 4.165 10.4°F 22320 3.453 41.0°F 10823 2.599 71.6°F 5621 1.799
-18.4°F 47431 4.129 12.2°F 21345 3.405 42.8°F 10395 2.548 75.2°F 5225 1.716
-16.6°F 45146 4.093 14.0°F 20418 3.356 44.6°F 9986 2.498 77.0°F 5000 1.675
-14.8°F 42984 4.056 15.8°F 19537 3.307 46.4°F 9596 2.449 78.8°F 4861 1.636
-13.0°F 40938 4.018 17.6°F 18698 3.258 48.2°F 9223 2.399 80.6°F 4690 1.596
-11.2°F 39002 3.98 19.4°F 17901 3.208 50.0°F 8867 2.35 86.0°F 4218 1.483
-9.4°F 37169 3.94 21.2°F 17142 3.158 51.8°F 8526 2.301 87.8°F 4072 1.447
-7.6°F 35433 3.899 23.0°F 16419 3.107 53.6°F 8200 2.253 89.6°F 3933 1.412
-5.8°F 33788 3.858 24.8°F 15731 3.057 55.4°F 7888 2.205 91.4°F 3799 1.377
-4.0°F 32230 3.816 26.6°F 15076 3.006 57.2°F 7590 2.158 95.0°F 3547 1.309
-2.2°F 30752 3.773 28.4°F 14452 2.955 59.0°F 7305 2.111 96.8°F 3428 1.277
-0.4°F 29350 3.729 30.2°F 13857 2.904 60.8°F 7032 2.064 100.4°F 3204 1.213
# tsRM255 RevA 03/30/2011 2
 Samsung 'Refrigerator' Diagnostic Code Quick Guide
Error Items LED TROUBLE TESTING
I/M-SENSOR (R on Twin Ice Maker Sensor Error- open or short-circuit, connector failure. Cause is The voltage at MAIN PCB
I/M units) also a temperature reading > 122°or < -58 ° F Sensor between 4.5V~1.0V
Refrigerator Room Sensor Error- open or short-circuit, connector failure. The voltage at MAIN PCB
R-SENSOR
Cause is also a temperature reading > 122°or < -58 ° F. Sensor between 4.5V~1.0V
DEFROST SENSOR OF Ref. Defrost Sensor Error- open or short-circuit, connector failure. Cause is The voltage at MAIN PCB
R ROOM also a temperature reading > 122°or < -58 ° F Sensor between 4.5V~1.0V
This error indicates the Refrigerator Evap Fan is not spinning at the correct Fan voltage at MAIN PCB shall
R-FAN ERROR
RPM or the fan feedback line is open. be between 7V~12V
I/M FUNCTION This error indicates the Ice tray has not returned to level after an ice
Replace I/M
ERROR(R on Twin I/M) harvest. The error is displayed after three failed attempts.
COOL SELECT ZONE Cool Select Zone Sensor Error- open or short-circuit, connector failure. The voltage at MAIN PCB
SENSOR Cause is also a temperature reading > 122°or < -58 ° F Sensor between 4.5V~1.0V
Disconnect defrost connector
R-DEFROSTING Refrigerator Room defrost heater- open or short-circuit, connector failure,
from PCB, check resistance
ERROR or defective temperature fuse/bi-metal. Defrost on over 80 minutes

PANTRY-DAMPER- Sensor system in Pantry Room errors Disconnect heater connector

HEATER ERROR from PCB, check resistance
CR Room Sensor Error- This can be an open or short-circuit, contact The voltage of MAIN PCB
CR-SENSOR 4-Door
failure. Cause is also a temperature reading > 122°or < -58 ° F. Sensor between 4.5V~1.0V
DEFROST SENSOR CR CR Room Defrost Sensor Error- open or short-circuit, connector failure. The voltage at MAIN PCB
ROOM 4-Door Cause is also a temperature reading > 122°or < -58 ° F. Sensor between 4.5V~1.0V
DEFROST SENSOR OF CF Room Defrost Sensor Error- open or short-circuit, connector failure. The voltage at MAIN PCB
CF ROOM 4-Door Cause is also a temperature reading > 122°or < -58 ° F. Sensor between 4.5V~1.0V
CR Compartment Defrosting heater- open or short-circuit, connector Disconnect heater connector
CR-DEFROSTING
failure, or defective temperature fuse/bi-metal. Defrost on for over 80 from PCB, check resistance
ERROR 4-Door
minutes
Disconnect heater connector
CF-DEFROSTING CF Compartment defrosting heater-open or short-circuit, connector failure,
from PCB, check resistance
ERROR 4-Door or defective temperature fuse/bi-metal. Defrost on for over 80 minutes
Disconnect heater connector
WATER TANK HEATER
Error is displayed when the water reservoir tank heater is open or shorted from PCB, check resistance
ERROR

Ambient Temp. Sensor Error- open or short-circuit, connector failure. The voltage at MAIN PCB
EXT-SENSOR
Cause is also a temperature reading > 122°or < -58 ° F Sensor between 4.5V~1.0V
Freezer Compartment Sensor Error- open or short-circuit, connector The voltage at MAIN PCB
F-SENSOR
failure. Cause is also a temperature reading > 122°or < -58 ° F Sensor between 4.5V~1.0V

Freezer Room Defrost Sensor Error- open or short-circuit, connector The voltage at MAIN PCB
F-DEF-SENSOR
failure. Cause is also a temperature reading > 122°or < -58 ° F Sensor between 4.5V~1.0V
This error indicates the Freezer Evap. Fan is not spinning at the correct Fan voltage at MAIN PCB shall
F-FAN ERROR
RPM or the fan feedback line is open. be between 7V~12V
This error indicates the Condenser Fan is not spinning at the correct RPM Fan voltage at MAIN PCB shall
C-FAN ERROR
or the fan feedback line is open. be between 7V~12V
CF Room Sensor Error- open or short-circuit, connector failure. Cause is The voltage at MAIN PCB
CF-SENSOR 4-Door
also a temperature reading > 122°or < -58 ° F Sensor between 4.5V~1.0V
Disconnect defrost connector
F-DEFROSTING Freezer defrosting heater- open or short-circuit, connector failure, or
from PCB, check resistance
ERROR defective temperature fuse/bi-metal. Defrost on for over 80 minutes
CF-FAN ERROR This error indicates the CF Compartment Evap. Fan is not spinning at the Fan voltage at MAIN PCB shall
4-Door correct RPM or the fan feedback line is open. be between 7V~12V
CR-FAN ERROR This error indicates the CR Compartment Evap. Fan is not spinning at the Fan voltage at MAIN PCB shall
4-Door correct RPM or the fan feedback line is open. be between 7V~12V
ICE PIPE HEATER
Error is displayed when the ice maker fill pipe heater is open or shorted. Replace Fill Tube Ass'y
ERROR
Uart ERROR This error is not applicable, if the error is detected during diagnostic testing
No Repair Necessary
COMMUNICATION please ignore it.
L?M ERROR
Communication error within the Main PCB Replace main PCB
COMMUNICATION
P?M ERROR Check wiring in door & cabinet,
Communication between the Main PCB and Keypad
COMMUNICATION Panel PCB, Main PCB

# tsRM255 RevA 03/30/2011 3

 CN= Connector # for measuring voltages; () means go to connector #, pin # shown in () for voltage common.
CN30 Sensors & Switches Component Name
4-(CN76-1) F Def Sensor (Org-Gry) 2.3~4.2vdc
Voltage on operating component
Pin #s & wire colors on each connector to measure voltages Key To Read PCB Layout

CN72 120vac
CN73 120vac 1-(CN70-9) CR Room Lt (Wht-Red)
1-(CN70-9) Cube Mtr (Yel–Red) 3-(CN70-9)CF Room Lt (Brn-Red)
3-(CN70-9) Auger Mtr (Pnk–Red) 5-(CN70-9) R Room Lt (Blu-Red)
5-(CN70-9) Water Solenoid/Valve (W/Blk–Red) 7-(CN70-9) F Room Lt (Prp-Red)
7-(CN70-9) Ice Solenoid/Valve (Prp–Red) 11 Line N (Gry)
15- Htr Commons (Org)

CN70 120vac
1-(CN72-15) CR Def Htr (Blk-Org)
3-(CN72-15) CF Def Htr (Yel-Org)
5-(CN72-15) R Def & Drain Htr (Wht-Org)
7-(CN72-15) F Def & Drain Htr (Brn-Org)
9 Line1 (Red)

CN71 120vac
3-1 Dispenser Htr (W/Blk-Gry) CN76
CN78 1 & 11 +12 VDC (Blk-S/Blu)
5-7 Home Bar Htr (Blu-Gry)
1 +5 VDC (Red) 1-2 CF Fan Mtr (Blk-Brn) 7~12vdc
3 VDC GND (Blk) 3 CF Fan FG (Red)
5 +12 VDC (Yel) CN01 1-4 Ice Pipe Heater (Blk-Org) 12vdc
Gate Way 11-5 CR Fan Mtr (S/Blu-Yel) 7~12vdc
6 CR Fan FG (Pnk)
11-10 H2O Tank Htr (S/Blu-Wht) 12vdc

CN50 Display
4-6 +12 VDC (Org-Pnk)
5-6 +5 VDC (Yel-Pnk)
8-7 Ice sw (Prp-Blu)
CN75 9-7 Water sw (Wht-Blu)
1 +12 VDC (Red) 6 vdc GND (Pnk)
2 Coil A (Blk)
3 Coil A Inverse (Yel) CN40
4 Coil B (Org) 1-3 Cube Mtr Sw (Blk-Gry)
5 Coil B Inverse (Blu) 2 Home Bar Dr Sw (W/Red)
CN74
1 C Fan FG (Red)
CN90 Ice Maker 2 R Fan FG (Brn)
1-2 I/M Motor (Red-Blk) 12vdc 3 F Fan FG (Blk)
3-4 I/M Sensor (Wht-Wht) 2.1~3.7vdc 4-7 C Fan Mtr (S/Blu-Gry) 7~12vdc
5-8 Test Sw (Gry-S/Blu) 5-7 R Fan Mtr (Org-Gry) 7~12vdc
6-8 +5 VDC (Blu-S/Blu) 6-7 F Fan Mtr (Yel-Gry) 7~12vdc
7 Hall IC Out (Prp) 7 vdc GND (Gry)

CN30
1-7 F Dr Sw (Blk-Gry) 2-7 CF Dr Sw (Brn-Gry)
3-7 F Sensor (Red-Gry) 3.5~4.2vdc 4-7 F Def Sensor (Org-Gry) 2.3~4.2vdc
5-7 CF Sensor (Yel-Gry) 2.7~4.05vdc 6-7 CF Def Sensor (Pnk-Gry) 2.3~4.2vdc
Ext Sensor 8-14 R Dr Sw (Prp-Gry) 9-14 CR Door Sw (Blu-Gry)
read 7-8 of F Hinge 10-14 R Sensor (Wht-Gry) 2.4~2.8vdc 11-14 R Def Sensor (S/Blu-Gry) 2~4.2vdc
connector 1.2~2 vdc 12-14 CR Sensor (W/Blk-Gry) 2.4~3.2vdc 13-14 CR Def Sensor (W/Red-Gry) 2~4.2vdc

# tsRM255 RevA 03/30/2011 4

# tsRM255 RevA 03/30/2011 5
Compressor & System Operation Testing
The Time Divided Multi-cycle (TDM) System (Stepper Valve) is
used to switch refrigerant flow . This improves temperature
control and energy efficiency.
If it fails in the all evaporator mode, it should work properly,
using slightly more energy. If it fails in the Freezer evaporator
only mode, there will be a Fridge no cool Force on the Fridge
with the ―Power Cool‖ option. Monitor the Fridge evaporator(s)
temp by using the Defrost Sensor(s). If the temp doesn’t de-
crease, then suspect the Main PCB is not supplying signal to
switch the diverter valve.

Ice Maker

Water Filter

Inverter PCB
Main PCB

Water Tank
Insert flat blade screwdriver in the slot shown and unlock the tabs

Handle Removal

Disassembly of Quatro Cool Compartment Floors, both access the same way

# tsRM255 RevA 03/30/2011 6

Arctic & Fresh Zone Fan/Sensor Covers, both access the same way

Pull cover up and out far

enough to unplug wire
harnesses Remember to
Water Tank Heater Connector lock in bottom first when
reinstalling

Fresh Food
Compartment

Fridge Evap Ass’y

Fresh Food

Failure of the Drain Hose Heater

could cause water build up on
fridge floor and cooling issues Convertible Section

# tsRM255 RevA 03/30/2011 7

 Snap off cover

Remove 4 screws
Remove screw
caps Unplug wire
harnesses

Freezer
Failure of the Defrost Drain Hose
Compartment Heater could cause ice build up on
freezer floor and cooling issues in
Freezer and/or Arctic Zone

# tsRM255 RevA 03/30/2011 8