The short answer
On the Caf CIC family an ice maker that has stopped is usually a water-side fault rather than a failed module: a closed shutoff, a clogged filter, a frozen fill tube or a valve that no longer opens. Four model tags make up this family in the matrix below: close enough that the checks are common to all of them, far enough apart that parts are ordered by tag. A freezer holds food safely at 0 °F (−18 °C) or below, and the harvest cycle needs that same cold — a freezer running warm will leave a perfectly healthy ice maker idle.
What you can observe on these models
- The bin is empty and the mould is dry — No water is arriving. Everything upstream — arm position, shutoff, filter, fill tube, valve — comes before any thought of the module.
- Cubes are small, hollow or crescent-shaped — Water is arriving but not enough of it. That is flow: a restricted filter, a partly closed shutoff or low supply pressure.
- The mould holds water that never releases — The fill worked and the harvest did not. Look at freezer temperature and at the module, in that order.
- NEAR MISS — water leaking from the dispenser front — That is a water-leak fault rather than a production fault, and it belongs on the leak page.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Water supply restricted — shutoff, filter or line pressure — First: it is upstream of everything and it produces both of the common presentations — no cubes at all and small hollow ones.
- Fill tube frozen or misaligned — Second: once a fill overshoots, each new fill freezes onto the last until the tube is a solid plug and no amount of module testing will help.
- Freezer temperature too warm to trigger harvest — Third — and the reason a slow ice maker is sometimes the first visible sign of a cooling problem.
- Water inlet valve solenoid or screen — Fourth: the valve is the one electrical part in the water path, and its inlet screen silts up long before the solenoid fails.
- Ice maker module, thermostat or ejector — Last on this platform, because everything above it is cheaper to test and more likely to be the cause.
Check in this order, and why
- Read the freezer temperature against 0 °F (−18 °C) — Harvest waits on the mould reaching its release point, so a warm freezer stalls a perfectly good ice maker.
- Date the water filter — A cartridge past its life, or an aftermarket one that does not seat in this head, drops flow before it drops taste.
- Trace the supply line from the shutoff to the unit — Look for a crushed line behind the cabinet and a valve that is only part open; both are common after a move.
Before you open anything
Safety
Power off at the plug or the breaker before any panel comes off; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Close the water shutoff before disturbing the supply line or the filter head, and have a towel ready — the line stays under pressure until it is bled. Never run the ice maker with a hand near the ejector.
Models in the CIC family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| CIC36LK*Z*** | caf:refrigerator:cic |
| CIC36LP*V*** | caf:refrigerator:cic |
| CIC36RK*Z*** | caf:refrigerator:cic |
| CIC36RP*V*** | caf:refrigerator:cic |
When to call a technician
On the Caf CIC family the owner side covers everything upstream of the module: the arm, the shutoff, the filter, the line, the fill tube and the bin. Call when water reaches the mould, the freezer is at temperature, and it still will not harvest — that is a module or thermostat fault and it needs a meter to condemn honestly. Call sooner if the supply line is weeping at a fitting, since a slow drip behind a cabinet does damage long before anyone sees it.
Other faults covered for this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
