Kitchen Large Electric Appliances - refrigerator external surfaces hot to touch

Magic Chef side-by-side refrigerator, about 10 years old. Refrigerator seems to be cooling/freezing fine but many of the external surfaces (top, strip between sid-by-side doors, etc) are VERY hot to touch. I have checked the condensor fan, it does not appear to be working. Resistance of fan is 185 ohms, which one site says means that it should be working. any thoughts?

It would be normal for those areas to be hot if the fan motor has failed.
There is a section of hot gas line around the freezer perimeter to keep that area from sweating.

Is the fan motor hot?
If the bearings are gone in the motor it would not turn under power.

Any time the compressor is on, the condenser fan should be running. When the compressor is running, check to see if you have proper voltage at the fan. If the condenser fan stops, that yoder tube you are talking about will get very hot. That is one way you can tell when the conderser coils are too hot.

Himeros

The fan does not appear to be working. I am not sure how to check to see if it is getting voltage. Do I use the volmeter on the connector coming into the fan while the the refrigerator is plugged in? How do I avoid getting electricuted while doing that?

thank you

If you unplug the refrigerator, I don't think you will get much of a voltage reading. Many electronic stores will sell you test wires with clips on each end. Unplug the refrigerator, connect one test clip lead from one fan connector to one voltmeter lead, connect the second lead on the other fan connector and the other voltmeter lead, put voltmeter on 150 or higher setting. Plug back in the refrigerator, and see what reading you get, it should be 110 volts or so.
Himeros