Your KitchenAid Ice Maker Stopped Making Ice. Start Here.
You opened the KitchenAid freezer this morning and the bin was empty. In my experience, the arm is the first thing worth checking: the fix costs nothing and ta…
Kenmore Ice Makers in Denver Metro Kitchens
On some Kenmore refrigerators, a lit icon means the ice maker is switched off, not broken. The refrigerator’s plate prefix decides which guide applies. Our insured, EPA-608 certified technicians handle Kenmore ice maker repair in current refrigerators, older Kenmore Elite models and legacy stand-alone units.
Which Kenmore Refrigerators Make Ice, by Plate Family
Kenmore sells no stand-alone ice maker today. Every current Kenmore ice maker sits inside a refrigerator, so the refrigerator’s plate is the one to read. Most Kenmore guides we read put it on a label inside the fresh-food compartment, and our Kenmore brand page explains the numbering.
Cooling faults, from demo mode to sensor codes, belong on our Kenmore refrigerator page. Kenmore ties ice production to freezer temperature. Ice makers are one branch of our Kenmore kitchen appliances section, beside the refrigerators that house them and the dishwasher.
Kenmore names no maker for its FDI101S ice maker or for any current family. We do not guess one. The table shows which models make ice and which take a kit.
| Prefix | Factory ice maker | Ice-maker ready | Ice control |
|---|---|---|---|
| 899 | 46-71332, 46-72312: ice maker FDI101S | 46-61332, 46-62312: kit FD/101S-8M | Wire signal arm |
| 896 | 46-71342, 46-71352 | Plates 896.6134 and 896.6135: kit FDI101S-8; 46-61362: kit FD/101S-8M | Wire signal arm |
| 248 | 46-51845, 46-75635, 46-75645, 46-75665, 46-75685 | None | An icon or key, read by its label |
| 897 | 46-75525, 46-75615 | None | Shut-off arm |
| 263 | None on the 46-75472 | None | Ice tray on some models |
Ice Symptoms, Checked Against Kenmore’s Guides
Kenmore’s guides trace several Kenmore ice maker problems below to a setting, a wait or the water supply, and each bullet names its models. Checking those first is how to fix Kenmore ice maker trouble without buying a part. When a part is needed, the Kenmore ice maker fix starts with our test, not an order.
- No ice at all: check the control first. On the 46-75645, a lit Ice Control icon means the ice maker is off. A Kenmore ice maker not working with its control on and a cold freezer needs a diagnosis.
- No ice, water still flows: on the 46-51845 and 46-75685, Ice Off stops the ice maker but not the dispenser. A Kenmore refrigerator not making ice but water works may have Ice Off lit. Check that icon before booking.
- Ice made, not dispensed: a Kenmore ice maker making ice but not dispensing may have Child Lock on, on the 46-51845 and 46-75685. The 46-51845 guide adds that cubes melted and refrozen after a power failure can jam it. The 46-75665 guide says to break a clump with a plastic utensil.
- Hollow cubes: the 899 guide ties hollow or irregular cubes to water pressure under its 20 to 120 psi range.
- Not filling: check the water supply first. The 46-75615 guide lists a line not connected, a valve not open and tubing kinked during a move. Past those, a Kenmore ice maker not filling with water is ours to test.
- Buzzing: on the 897 French doors, the fill valve buzzes while it fills. It also buzzes when the ice maker is on with no water connected. Switch it off until the water is connected. Running it dry can damage it.
- Water leaking: suspect the filter after a change. The 46-75665 guide says to stop using a filter that leaks and to call Kenmore if it persists. Otherwise, a Kenmore ice maker leaking water into the bin, or leaking into the freezer, is ours to trace on site.
- Stale ice: discard the first batches after installation. The 46-75615 guide says ice stored too long shrinks, clouds and tastes stale. The 899 guide warns that a failing water softener can damage the ice maker.
What to Check Before You Book
Kenmore’s own no-ice tables make the Kenmore ice maker troubleshooting guide below: a recent installation, the switch and the water supply come first. To troubleshoot Kenmore ice maker faults past these checks, we test the water valve and the ice maker itself.
- Control: lower the wire signal arm on a 899 or 896 top freezer, or the shut-off arm on an 897. An arm held up means off. On a 248, read the icon by its label, using the table below.
- Time: a Kenmore ice maker not making ice in a new installation may only need time. The times below come from Kenmore’s guides.
- Freezer temperature: the 46-75615 and Kenmore Elite 795.7205 guides recommend 0°F for normal ice production. A Kenmore refrigerator ice maker not making ice on the 46-75615 may be waiting for 14°F, its starting point.
- Water supply: the line connected, the valve open, and no kink behind a refrigerator that was moved.
- Arm or sensor: on the 46-75615, nothing should block the shut-off arm or sit between the two electronic shut-off sensors.
- After emptying the bin: the 46-75665 and 46-75645 guides say to wait at least 90 minutes for more ice.
- 897 French doors
First ice 12 to 24 hours after installation; full production after 72 hours.
- 46-75665
About 24 hours to the first batch and 2 to 3 days to fill the container. Discard the first three batches.
- 46-75635
Run the ice maker one to two days, then discard the first one or two buckets.
- 46-51845
More than 10 hours if air has not been purged from the water line.
- 46-75685
Allow 10 hours after the water line is connected.
Ice Controls and Indicators, Family by Family
The current Kenmore guides we read print no ice-maker fault code. What they print are states. Kenmore refrigerator ice maker troubleshooting therefore starts with the label under the icon, because lit can mean off.
The Kenmore refrigerator ice maker on/off switch is a wire signal arm on the 899 and 896 top freezers. Up stops it and down runs it. It also stops itself when the container is full. Kenmore says to keep it up until the water is connected.
On a top freezer, a Kenmore freezer not making ice may simply have its arm up. The 897 French doors use a shut-off arm. Kenmore says to empty the bin whenever that arm is set to OFF. On a 248 model, a Kenmore freezer ice maker not working may be switched off at the icon below.
| Models | What the ice control shows |
|---|---|
| 46-75645 | Ice Control icon lit means the ice maker is OFF; dark means it is running |
| 46-51845, 46-75685 | Ice Off icon lit means the ice maker is off; the dispenser still works |
| 46-75665 | Ice On light lit means the ice maker is working |
| 46-51845, 46-75685 | Flashing lock icon means Child Lock, and the dispenser will not work |
| 46-75665 | Filter icon after about 300 gallons |
| 46-51845, 46-75685 | Filter icon after about 200 gallons |
Kenmore Elite In-Door Ice Makers and Older Stand-Alone Units
A Kenmore Elite refrigerator ice maker not working on the 795.7205 may have its switch at O, not I. Frost on its ice-detecting sensor can stop production. So can uneven ice, which makes the ice maker misread the level. Leveling the ice helps.
On the same 795.7205, a Kenmore Elite refrigerator not making ice may have its ice-compartment door ajar. The guide warns that this lets bin air freeze food in the fresh-food section and can stop ice. We check that seal first. Then we test the Kenmore Elite refrigerator ice maker assembly behind it.
On Kenmore’s older stand-alone ice maker, plate 106.8958, the ON/OFF button does not cut power. Its guide asks for a cleaning cycle of about 70 minutes when Cleaning Needed lights, or after 9 months. A loose drain cap can mean thin ice or none. Rooms above 90°F reduce output.
Water Supply, Valves and Kits
Kenmore’s kits fit the ice-maker-ready top freezers: FD/101S-8M on the 899.6133, 899.6231 and 896.6136 plates, and FDI101S-8 on the 896.6134 and 896.6135. The 899 guide sends installation to after-sales service. If you are working out how to replace a Kenmore refrigerator ice maker on an ice-maker-ready top freezer, start with that kit number.
The factory unit on the 899.7133 and 899.7231 plates is the FDI101S. Kenmore still lists a White Icemaker Kit for its top freezers made in 1993 or later.
Kenmore’s guides print different water-pressure ranges, so we measure the supply against the range for your plate. With pressure and supply checked, a dry fill points us at the Kenmore ice maker water inlet valve. Kenmore ice maker water valve replacement comes only after that.
We source parts through national supplier networks and manufacturer contracts, and we fit OEM parts when the supplier has the right one.
Warranty: The Ice Maker Rides on the Refrigerator’s Terms
An ice maker inside a Kenmore refrigerator falls under the refrigerator’s warranty: one year on the appliance, per Kenmore’s warranty page. Kenmore’s warranty page prints no separate ice-maker statement.
The 899 guide excludes expendables such as filters. The 46-75615 guide adds that the water-line installation is not covered.
While coverage runs, a covered defect goes to Kenmore’s warranty service, through the store that sold it. After it ends, the repair is ours.
The stand-alone 106.8958 guide printed one year on the ice maker and five years on its sealed system. We found no current Kenmore source that confirms those terms today.
When to Call Wilson & Myers
Run the checks above first. If the control is on, the freezer is cold and the water is connected, a Kenmore refrigerator ice maker not working is ours. When a Kenmore refrigerator ice maker leaks water, we trace the line before the valve.
We take the valve, the ice maker assembly and the water side. If an 897 French door stands where the room can drop below freezing, Kenmore says a qualified technician should drain its water system. That drain is our job. I usually read the icon label and the freezer temperature before I touch the valve.
New supply lines are a separate job, handled by our refrigerator water line installation service. Every paid repair carries our 100-day labor warranty on the work on your invoice. If your note reads “my Kenmore refrigerator is not making ice”, add the plate number and the icon state. Book a repair with both in hand.
Kenmore Ice Maker Repair FAQ
Why is my Kenmore refrigerator not making ice?
Check four things: the control, the time since installation, the freezer temperature and the water. A lit Ice Control icon on the 46-75645 means the ice maker is off. The 46-75615 and Kenmore Elite 795.7205 guides recommend 0°F in the freezer for normal production.
If all four check out, the ice maker itself needs a diagnosis.
How to reset ice maker on Kenmore refrigerator models?
Use the off and on control your family has. That is the wire signal arm on a 899 or 896, the shut-off arm on an 897, or a key on a 248. Before you hunt for a Kenmore ice maker reset button location, check what that control shows. On some 248 models, lit means off.
Why did my Kenmore ice maker stop working?
Two causes come before a fault. If ice stopped after you emptied the bin, the 46-75665 and 46-75645 guides say to wait at least 90 minutes. If the dispenser stopped after a power failure, the 46-51845 guide points to refrozen clumps.
A Kenmore ice maker stopped working with neither cause is ours to test.
Why is my Kenmore ice maker not working but water dispenser is fine?
On the 46-51845 and 46-75685, Ice Off stops only the ice maker, so water keeps flowing. Check that icon before anything else. If it is dark and the freezer is cold, book a visit.
How much ice should a Kenmore ice maker make?
Kenmore’s own figures for daily ice disagree. The guide for the garage-ready top freezers says about 5.5 lb a day; Kenmore.com says up to 3 lb for the same models. So we promise no figure, and we judge an ice maker by a test cycle, not by weight.
Do you handle Kenmore ice maker repair near me, or only the refrigerator?
Both: we check the ice maker and the cooling side on the same visit, because Kenmore ties ice production to freezer temperature. Cooling faults are covered on our Kenmore refrigerator page.
Kenmore Ice Maker Stopped or Not Filling?
Tell us the refrigerator's plate model number and what its ice control shows. On some Kenmore models, a lit icon means the ice maker is off.
