The freezer is working, but the refrigerator won't get cold. I cleared the ice from the vents, but it keeps freezing over and there is a funny smell.

All the big cooling happens inside freezer compartment. Freezer gives little cool air to fridge compartment. Now when the vent blocks that little cold air cannot go into fridge compartment. Thus your freezer works good but not fridge compartment. Milk goes bad but frozen meet keeps good.....

Vent freeze up either due to defrost problemt, defrost drain line problem, Evaporator fan problem or even can be your damper motor not opening due to unit failure or frozen damper door.

Its defrost assembly parts issue or the compressor is getting waek indication.

Replacement parts can be purchased at any of the following web sites:

searspartsdirect.com
pcappliancerepair.com
appliancepartspros.com
repairclinic.com

partsselect.com

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Before going to buy any parts directly.
Go through this troubleshooting help links.

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This is list of refrigerator problems, which is normally faced in refrigerator.
You can go through the details, by clicking the link below:---

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Refrigerator is not cooling properly?
http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2011/06/refrigerator-is-not-cooling-properly.html
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Both refrigerator and freezer not cooling properly in refrigerator?
http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2011/06/both-refrigerator-and-freezer-not.html
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The ice maker not working: ---
http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2011/06/ice-maker-stopped-working.html

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Compressor not running on refrigerator?
http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2011/10/compressor-not-running-on-refrigerator.html
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Water dispenser not working on refrigerator?
http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2011/10/water-dispenser-not-working-on_19.html

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Ice maker stopped making ice?

http://alltypesofpartsreplacing.blogspot.com/2011/10/ice-maker-stopped-making-ice.html

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Water Overflows in Ice maker and freezes inside?

http://alltypesofpartsreplacing.blogspot.com/2011/10/water-overflows-in-ice-maker-and.html

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How to replace Ice maker assembly?

http://alltypesofpartsreplacing.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-replace-ice-maker-assembly.html

These will help.

Thanks,.

What is the model number?
The ice maker will only run if the freezer is at the correct temperature.
Do you see any ice buildup on the back wall of the freezer or behind it?

time to get a new one then go to sears

Can you feel air moving or hear the fan running in the freezer section? You said the freezer section is freezing well, but is it freezing really hard?
Regards,Richard

Hi,

Check out these tips...they can help you figure out what is going wrong withyour refrigerator and why it is not cooling

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heatman101

Either the freezer continues to freeze up (most likely due to low refrigerant, due to a leak), or there is an obstruction between the freezer and the refrigerator (refrigerators get their cooling from the freezer).

Given that it works after you defrost it, I'm going with low gas. Call a professional to see if the leak can be fixed. If the unit is more than 10 years old, just get a new one.

Often if you experience a freeze up it will take less time to refreeze because the tubing never got clear during the defrost originally. Try the defrost again and this time run at least a gallon of water through the water dispenser.

And although you say keep the vent open I have to offer the opposite solution close the vent. Too much cold air from the freezer is getting into the bottom of the fridge. closing the vent should allow the temp to rise. Assuming yours is a manual vent. If it is thermostatically controlled the controls may be at fault or the vent door may be warped or blocked open by ice.

If this helps you reach the next level of solving your problem please rate me as high as you can and thank you for using fixya.

You should be able hear, and feel the air from, a running fan inside the cabinet, in either side. The common arrangement is having the coils located (behind the wall) in the freezer section and then the fan moves a controlled amount of the frigid air to the refrigerator section via openings located in the rear of the compartment. The vents are normally adjustable so the temperature can be balanced between the two compartments.  If there is no noticeable air coming from this vent, then the fan has died.

Sometimes the smell comes from something in the freezer or even the refrigeratior and makes the ice taste funny. My suggestion is to clean out the freezer compartment of anything frozen that has been there a while and may have freezer burn. That may be the funny smell you are experiencing.
Hope this will help you.