A Whirlpool that stopped making ice: the ice maker wouldn't enter test mode
A recent job in the Los Angeles area, September 2026. The new ice maker dropped its first batch within about an hour or two, and the refrigerator's condenser coils got cleaned too.
In this guide
The complaint: no more ice
A Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator simply stopped making ice.
The test mode that wouldn’t start
I tried the ice maker’s test mode. On this unit, you press the ice-level arm, the shutoff arm, four times, and that should start a harvest cycle. This ice maker wouldn’t go into test mode at all.
The procedure differs from model to model, so check your manual before you try it on your own refrigerator.
A new OEM ice maker
We ordered a new original Whirlpool ice maker and replaced the old one. It worked right away. While I was outside cleaning the customer’s AC condenser on that visit, the new ice maker dropped its first batch of ice, within about an hour or two.
What the photo shows
In the photo at the top of this page, the freezer side is open, with food still on the shelves. In my hand is the ice maker, held in front of its mount at the top of the freezer: a white module with a row of ejector arms and ON-OFF printed on its housing.
How an ice maker like this works
An ice maker like this is a self-contained module. Water fills a tray, the freezer freezes it, a heater loosens the cubes, and the arms sweep them into the bin. The motor and the control live in the housing. When the module fails, the practical repair is a new module, and that’s what this refrigerator got.
Before you book a visit for an ice maker, three checks cost nothing. Make sure it’s switched on: on some models a shutoff arm that’s been left up stops it from making ice, and others have a switch. Make sure the water supply valve behind the refrigerator is open. And if the water filter hasn’t been changed in a long while, a clogged one can slow the water enough to starve the ice maker.
If your dispenser shows a code, look it up first. We have a page on the Whirlpool ice maker E1 code.
Why we also cleaned the condenser coils
The condenser is where the refrigerator gets rid of the heat it pulls out of the cabinets. On this Whirlpool the coils are at the bottom, and we cleaned them from the front and from the back.
Dust on the coils works like a blanket. Heat can’t leave as easily, so the compressor runs longer and hotter to do the same work. Clean coils help the refrigerator cool and protect the compressor from overheating. The cleaning was separate maintenance, apart from the ice maker repair.
On many refrigerators you can reach the coils from the front yourself: unplug the refrigerator, take off the grille at the bottom and clean the coils with a coil brush and a vacuum. Our guide to cleaning refrigerator condenser coils walks through it.
Whirlpool refrigerator and ice maker repair in Los Angeles
We repair Whirlpool refrigerators and ice makers across the Westside, Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. The $85 service call is credited toward the repair if you go ahead, and repairs carry a 30-day labor and 90-day parts warranty. CA BEAR registered (#A 50636). Book an ice maker repair or call (213) 205-2055.
FAQ
Why did my Whirlpool ice maker stop making ice?
Check the simple things first: that the ice maker is switched on, that the water supply valve behind the refrigerator is open, and that an old water filter isn't slowing the flow. Beyond those, the cause can be the inlet valve, a frozen fill tube or the ice maker itself. On this refrigerator the ice maker wouldn't go into its test mode, and a new OEM Whirlpool ice maker worked right away.
How do you put a Whirlpool ice maker into test mode?
On this unit, pressing the ice-level (shutoff) arm four times should start a harvest cycle. This one wouldn't go into test mode at all. The procedure varies by model, so check your manual before you try it on yours.
How soon did the new ice maker make ice?
Within about an hour or two. It dropped its first batch while we were outside cleaning the customer's AC condenser on that visit.
Why clean the condenser coils as well?
It's a separate job. The condenser is where the refrigerator gets rid of the heat it pulls out of the cabinets. Dust on the coils makes the compressor run longer and hotter, so cleaning them helps the refrigerator cool and protects the compressor from overheating.
How often should refrigerator condenser coils be cleaned?
Follow your owner's manual. Pets and dust load the coils faster. If you pull the bottom grille and see a gray mat of dust, they're due.
Do you repair Whirlpool refrigerators and ice makers in Los Angeles?
Yes, across the Westside, Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. The $85 service call is credited toward the repair if you go ahead, and repairs carry a 30-day labor and 90-day parts warranty.
Got an appliance that needs fixing? We cover LA and the Valley.
Call (213) 205-2055 or text a photo of your appliance.