The short answer
A Black+Decker refrigerator showing this usually tells you one thing: a single dead button with the rest working is a worn membrane, not the logic behind it. The diagnosis is free and takes a minute; the repair is a panel part rather than a control board.
What you actually see
- The display shows a code and the cabinet still cools — A code with intact cooling is a sensor or a communication complaint, not a cooling failure.
- The panel is dark but the light inside works — Two different supplies: the lamp can be live while the control is not.
- Settings reset themselves overnight — A control that forgets is losing power briefly or is losing its stored state.
Causes, ranked for this refrigerator
- Membrane panel worn through — The usual answer. the printed membrane behind the buttons wears at the two positions owners press most, so one or two dead buttons with the rest working is a membrane failure. Rule it in or out properly here; a maybe at this position costs an hour further down.
- Power interruption left the control in a bad state — The runner-up. it costs nothing to rule out and it resolves a large share of these complaints, so it has to come first regardless of how the fault looks. Getting a definite answer here is worth more than a quick look at the three below it.
- Loose or corroded connector at the board — Third. vibration over years walks a connector loose, and moisture in a kitchen corrodes the pins, which produces intermittent nonsense rather than a clean failure. If this is the answer, the rest of the list stops mattering entirely.
What to check, in order
- First — the touch panel itself — Press firmly at the edge of a dead button rather than the centre. A response at the edge means the track is worn at the centre.
- Second — a power cycle — Unplug the unit for several minutes — long enough for the display to fully die — then plug it back in and watch the start-up sequence.
Checks an owner can do safely
- Step 1. Move the unit to its own outlet — Run the appliance from a wall outlet with nothing else on the circuit for a few days. Resets that stop are a supply problem, not a board problem.
Tools: noneAbout 15 min
- Step 2. Reseat the visible connectors — With the unit unplugged, unclip and refit each connector at the control once, looking for corrosion on the pins.
Tools: screwdriver, flashlightAbout 25 min
- Step 3. Power-cycle the unit properly — Unplug it, wait several minutes until the panel is fully dead, then plug it back in. A quick pull and push does not clear a stored state.
Tools: noneAbout 10 min
Before you open anything
Safety
Isolate first, inspect second. Pull the plug or open the breaker, then wait before touching anything behind a panel — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Put the plug somewhere visible so nobody restores power while your hands are inside.
When this becomes a service call
The line is not about confidence, it is about what the next step needs. Stop at the point where the next step is measuring resistance across a sensor or voltage at a board. That work needs the machine energized and is not an owner task.
Sources
General guidance- The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) — OSHA 1910.147 and manufacturer service manuals, fetched
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
Treat what follows as the class-level answer for a Black+Decker refrigerator. It will not tell you which board your unit has, which part number fits it, or what a particular code means on a particular family, because those differ within the range. The family and model pages beneath this one carry that, and they are linked under Related pages.
Related pages
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
