[pratsa]

A week ago my bottom-freezer Kenmore (model number 596.75232402) was warm (58°) in the refrigerator compartment but the freezer was okay. After reading other posts on this site, I emptied out the freezer, took off the back panel, and found a solid wall of frost/ice.

I emptied the fridge out, unplugged it, and thawed it out completely, and it started back up again with both compartments nice and cold. However, this week when I look in the freezer I can see that the frost is building up again, and I'd guess I have another couple of days before the fridge is warm again.

My question is, what steps do I follow to track down the faulty component? I (and my wife) would really appreciate your advice.

Note: this fridge has a digital panel to control the fridge and freezer. I found the electrical chart under the front grill, and it included the directions on how to enter service mode and manually force a defrost cycle. The forced defrost cycle did not melt any of the frost/ice on the coils, even after four hours.

Thanks!