I've had no problems with my Samsung fridge freezer (RL36SBMS) for at least 5 years - until yesterday. It started making rattling noises, coming from the lower rear area and then it cut out completely with just a flashing light on the LED display (on 5). Read a few posts this morning and had a crack at fixing it - and succeeded without spending a penny. Here's how:
Take freezer baskets out and remove ice tray holder bracket. This reveals a plastic panel cover at the rear of the inside. Remove screws and pull plastic cover free. This reveals a second panel. Again, remove screws and remove panel. This allows you to get at the plastic box in the top left corner - this contains a small motor that rotates very slowly. This motor drives the flat paddle that diverts cold air either up into the fridge or down into the freezer. When it stops it has to stop in a precise place to keep the cold air going to a specific location. There is a sensor (small black plastic box next to the paddle and motor) that spots when a magnet on the paddle gets to a specific place and tells the motor to stop. My problem was that the tiny rectangular magnet had come off the paddle and was jamming the rotation of the paddle. Popped it back into place, re-fitted everything and Bob's your uncle - working appliance.
Nick Rowe
July 2012