Having a problem with my refrigerator that I am having a hard time finding any info on. What is happening is that the fans seem to work, the compressor engages (not humming/stuck, but the standard compressor turning working sound), then after about 4 seconds the overload switch appears to kick in and cut off power to the compressor. This will repeat every 3 minutes or so.
The overload and start relay seems to be a common and easy enough beast to change but the usual symptoms are the compressor hums (as typical of stuck motors), but mine is turning.
Is this just a relay swapout or should I look elsewhere?
When my start relay went, the symptom sounded similar…the fridge sounded like it was trying to turn on. Ran for a few seconds. Stopped. Repeat after a few minutes.
Side story - I called a repair company to check out the fridge. The guy looked at it, spent a few minutes, and swapped out the part. Problem solved. Then he explained that instead of billing me for the minimum service call (half an hour), he was just going to list it as selling me the relay. Much cheaper. I tipped him well.
Put your hand on the compressor motor when it starts. Be careful it may be hot. See if the motor gets hot. Never heard of a overload on a refrigerator but they do have a thermal safety,
Being careful check to see if the discharge line gets warm or the suction line cool.