[Jim Clark]

I need to figure out how to replace the ice actuator on my fridge. Does the front panel for the ice and water dispenser pop off or do you replace the actuator from inside the freezer door?

[PS Staff - Sheila]

Yes you have to remove the front panel on the door.

Remove the drip tray and you will see screws along the bottom.

Remove them and either push up on the cover or slide it to the side.

You will then have access to the actuator.

Here is a link to your fridge model PLRS267ZAB6.

[Jim Clark]

Originally Posted by Jim Clark

I need to figure out how to replace the ice actuator on my fridge. Does the front panel for the ice and water dispenser pop off or do you replace the actuator from inside the freezer door?

sheila, thanks for the reply. I was able to figure out the replacement on Saturday. However, I could not get the plastic line for the water dispenser back into the chute properly. The result is that the ice works fine now, but whenever we push the water actuator, the resulting stream of water is more like a spray rather than a controlled stream. Any suggestions?

[joshsmith]

Here are a few additional tips:
1. The drip tray is dificult to remove and may need to be pried out using a small screwdriver. insert the tip of a small flat tip screwdriver at the inside joint between the drip tray and the trim. *GENTLY* pry the drip tray away from the trim. once the tray has disengaged from the trim it can be easly removed.
2. to insert the water line into the chute, UNPLUG the fridge. remove the drip trat and control plate. insert a small screwdriver or coathanger up the chute so it can be seen inside the mechanism with your left hand. with your right hand and a pair of needle nose pliers, grab the supply line and fit it over the tip of the screwdriver. You can now use the screwdriver to guide the supply down the chute while pushing with the pliers to insert the supply into the chute. the supply line should be visable from the outside (sticking out of the chute ~1/8".

hope this helps.
josh

[berkeleydave]

I read several of these posts before installing my water actuator. The procedure is not too difficult but there are a few tips that will make your job much easier.

First, the diagrams were wrong for my model. It seems they use the same diagram for every water/ice dispenser. Here is the important information: On my fridge model, removing the drip tray was easy, but there were no screws exposed once this was done. The plastic panel/cover to the dispenser is actually removed without removing any screws. On the underside of the plastic front panel of my dispenser unit there are two slots or grooves in the plastic. The slots are just large enough to fit a screwdriver into. I found it helpful to place a folded over paper towel next to the slot to protect the refrigerator finish. Insert the screwdriver into the slot and turn to pry the bottom of the cover off. This should disengage the bottom portion of the front panel cover from the fridge. Next, be very careful to only force open the bottom section. The top section comes loose by sliding the entire panel up. Once you slide it up, it should easily detach.

Second, ignore the screws at the bottom of the unit. The screws you will remove are at the top of the unit, around the circuit board in front of the actuators. After you remove the screws, three on my unit, very carefully pull out the entire top assembly. You will need to unplug the old actuator, release the tension spring and loosen the screws at the hinge to remove the old unit and attach the new one. (This is the easy part, it's all straightforward. I replaced the water actuator on my fridge.)

Third, reassembly is tricky only with respect to fitting the water supply line back into the chute. It took me a while to figure out, but on my unit, there is an access hole on the right side of the inside panel that you can fit a finger through. You should be able to push the water line into the chute with your finger, then with a pair of needle nose pliers, you can pull the water line down so that it stays in place. Once the water line is securely in place, you're ready to pop the front panel back onto the fridge, plug it back in and roll it back into place.

Once you know how to do it, it's really not that difficult. I hope these tips help you complete the job. Good Luck

[Caper]

I did the above but now my ice dispenser runs steady. It starts immediately and I can't get it to run right. What might I have done wrong? The ice door seems slow to close now as well. When we were doing the job, the ribbon cable pulled out of the front control board. We put it back and closed the connector but are suspicious this is the source of the trouble. Is there a proper way to put this cable in and seal it?