The short answer
On the Amana 4w5j21 refrigerator family, an ice maker that has stopped filling the bucket points at the fill tube, because one overshooting fill leaves a plug of ice that makes every fill afterwards miss the mould entirely. The brand-generic article puts the ice maker module itself at the top of this symptom; on this platform it sits fourth, behind causes that are quicker to rule out.
What you observe on these models
- A sheet of ice under the bucket rather than cubes in it — Fill water is missing the mould, usually because the tube is partly frozen.
- Cubes come out thin, hollow or half formed — A short fill rather than a failed harvest, which points at water rather than at the module.
- The bucket is empty and the maker never runs — Nothing cycles, nothing fills, and the cabinet is otherwise behaving normally.
- NEAR MISS — water leaking at the same time — A fill that overshoots is a leak page as much as an ice page.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Fill tube frozen shut — The first thing to rule in. One overshooting fill leaves a plug of ice in the tube, and every fill after that misses the mould entirely. Nothing has failed electrically, which is why the module often gets replaced for nothing.
- Low water pressure at the valve, or a clogged filter — Second, and close behind the first. The maker fills on a timed valve opening rather than to a level, so anything that slows the water gives a short fill. The result is thin crescents and a bucket that never fills.
- Shutoff arm or ice-level sensor holding the maker off — Third. A bail arm nudged up by a bag of frozen food, or a beam sensor blocked by frost, tells the maker the bucket is full. It is the fastest thing on this list to check and the most often missed.
- Ice maker module, ejector or its thermostat — Last, and the only one of the four here that is not owner work. When the harvest never starts, the mould stays full and the cycle stops there. It is a real failure mode, and it empties a bucket in exactly the way several cheaper causes do.
Check in this order, and why
- Look at the fill tube where it enters the mould — Start here. A plug of ice there explains everything downstream and is cleared rather than replaced.
- Fill a cup at the dispenser if the cabinet has one, or watch a fill — Then this. A slow or hesitant flow is a supply problem, and it explains thin ice without any part being faulty.
- Look at the shutoff arm or the sensor window — Third. An arm nudged up by a bag, or a frosted window, stops a healthy maker instantly and costs nothing to correct.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off.
Models covered by the 4w5j21 family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| 4W5J21-05 | amana:refrigerator:4w5j21 |
| 4W5J21-06 | amana:refrigerator:4w5j21 |
| 4w5j21-01 | amana:refrigerator:4w5j21 |
| 4w5j21-02 | amana:refrigerator:4w5j21 |
| 4w5j21-03 | amana:refrigerator:4w5j21 |
| 4w5j21-04 | amana:refrigerator:4w5j21 |
When to call a technician
Call once the supply, the shutoff arm, the bucket and the freezer temperature are all proven good, because what is left is the module or the valve. Call before cutting into any water line. A saddle valve on a supply pipe is the single commonest cause of a repair that turns into a plumbing job.
The other faults covered for this family
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