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The control panel is the most critical part of any refrigerator, including Maytag models. The panel’s display shows you the current condition of the fridge, and the controls allow you to set it in whatever way you see fit. So, what do you do when this critical component stops working?
A Maytag fridge control panel might stop working if it suffers from a glitch or a power supply disruption. It’ll also happen if the appliance is in showroom or demo mode, which keeps the lights on but disables all other features. In addition, you might have to repair or replace parts if the dispenser control board or main control board fails.
Dealing with a control panel that doesn’t work can be challenging, but this guide is here to help. You’ll learn which items to troubleshoot and fix to get your Maytag fridge working again.
Why Is My Maytag Fridge Control Panel Not Working?
The control panel on your Maytag refrigerator can stop working for a handful of different reasons. But before you get worried, you must understand that not all of those reasons are bad or signify a problem.
This section will help you understand the problematic and non-problematic reasons why you can’t get the control panel to work.
Control Panel Has A Glitch
What likely happened: Maytag fridges use some pretty high-tech electronic parts, including those inside their control panels. Unfortunately, like any other electronic device, the control panel can experience a short-term error commonly referred to as a glitch or bug.
A glitch does not mean that the control panel is spoiled. Instead, the panel is stuck or not responding and needs to be restarted.
How to resolve it: In most cases, you can clear a control panel glitch by resetting your Maytag refrigerator. That will give the appliance a chance to clear its memory and reboot from the start. That will clear the glitch and get things running correctly again.
Unplug your Maytag fridge from the wall socket for 5-10 minutes to restart it. Keep the fridge door closed to retain as much cold air as possible.
Once that time passes, you can plug the fridge back in. Give it time to reboot, and then continue using the control panel as you normally would.
Read: Why Maytag Fridge Too Cold?
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Power Supply Disruptions
What likely happened: A disruption in your household power supply can also cause the control panel to stop working temporarily. You’ll know that this is the case when you repeatedly see the phrase “PO” (meaning ‘Power Outage’) flashing on the screen. The Power Outage icon may also appear at the same time.
Unfortunately, that Power Outage warning will prevent the control panel from working. The water dispenser’s functions will remain disabled as well.
How to resolve it: A power supply disruption is another example of something that’ll stop your control panel from working, even though it’s not a problem. The control panel will only stay that way until you confirm that you’ve read the warning and clear the notification.
Once you do that, the control panel and the dispenser controls will normally work again.
Read: How To Put Maytag Fridge In Defrost Mode?
Showroom Or Demo Mode
What this feature does: Some Maytag fridge models also come with a built-in showroom or demo mode. Normally, these modes are activated on display units at the store.
However, the mode is also helpful if you want to turn the fridge’s functions off but keep the inside lighting on. That can be pretty useful if you’re performing tests or repairs on the refrigerator.
While your fridge is in showroom or demo mode, the control panel will not respond to any input.
What likely happened: In this case, the showroom or demo mode was most likely activated without your knowledge. As a result, the control panel won’t respond when you try to use it.
You’ll know this is the case when you see the word ‘Showroom’ appearing on the display on some models.
How to resolve it: You can get the control panel to work normally again by disabling the showroom or demo mode. However, the precise steps will differ between Maytag fridge models.
So, you must refer to the user manual to find out which steps apply to your particular fridge model.
Read: Why Maytag Fridge Is Freezing Food? Troubleshooting Guide
Failed Dispenser Control Board
What this part does: The dispenser control board is where you see the fridge’s display and the many buttons you use to control the appliance.
For example, you can use the dispenser control board to adjust your Maytag fridge temperature and activate the water dispenser.
Once you troubleshoot and rule out the other reasons listed above, you can consider that the dispenser control board might have failed.
What likely happened: The dispenser control board on your Maytag fridge can experience an electrical fault, like a short circuit, that causes it to stop working. When that happens, the entire board could become unresponsive, or you’ll find that only a few buttons don’t work anymore.
Besides that, excessive wear can also cause the board not to work correctly. That’s especially true if you’ve been using your Maytag fridge for many years, particularly in heavy-use environments like large households.
How to resolve it: The dispenser control board is a singular piece. So, whether the whole board stops working or only one button doesn’t work, you’ll have to replace the entire unit.
You can do this by prying out the existing board and disconnecting its electrical connector before replacing it with the new board.
Read: 5 Common Maytag Fridge Problems
Faulty Main Control Board
What this part does: You can think of the main control board as the brain of a Maytag refrigerator. It’s a printed circuit board (PCB) with lots of tiny components attached to it, controlling the fridge’s many functions.
The main control board is located at the back of the fridge behind an access panel that must be removed if you want to access it. You’ll also find plenty of electrical connectors attached to the board.
What likely happened: A faulty main control board should always be the last thing you troubleshoot. Firstly, it’s the least likely reason your Maytag fridge control panel stops working. But, more importantly, it’s also the most expensive part to replace.
That’s why you should troubleshoot all other likely reasons first. But if you rule them all out, you can check the main control board.
This board can suffer from electrical faults that damage some or all of its components. When that happens, some parts of the fridge will malfunction, such as the control panel.
You’ll know this is the case when you find burn marks or smells on the main control board.
How to resolve it: The main control board is not a serviceable part. That means a total replacement is the only option since you can’t repair it.
Simply remove the existing board from behind your Maytag fridge and install a new one in its place. Be sure to connect the electrical connectors the same way around.
Read: Why Maytag Fridge Is Leaking Water? Troubleshooting Guide
Bonus Tips
Need a few more answers to help you fix your Maytag refrigerator? Check out some common questions and answers below.
How Do I Reset My Maytag Refrigerator Control Panel?
The quickest way to reset your Maytag refrigerator control panel is by shutting off your fridge for 5 minutes. Disconnecting the appliance from the wall socket for that time will clear its memory and reset the machine.
How Do You Put A Maytag Refrigerator In Diagnostic Mode?
To enable the diagnostic mode on a Maytag fridge, start by setting the temperature to ‘cold’. Then, press the light switch and temp setting button for 5 seconds. Doing so will trigger the diagnostic mode on your appliance.
Read: Why Maytag Fridge Light Not Working?
How Do You Test A Refrigerator Control Board?
You can use a multimeter to test the components on a refrigerator control board. The multimeter is helpful to check if those components have electrical continuity and function correctly. However, be sure to unplug your fridge before testing the control board to prevent electrocution or injury.
Do Maytag Refrigerators Have A Reset Button?
No, Maytag refrigerators do not have a dedicated reset button. Instead, you can try power cycling the appliance by disconnecting its power for 5 minutes before turning it back on. Secondly, some models can be reset by pressing a specific button sequence on the control panel. Please refer to the user manual to see which sequence applies to your model.
Read: Why Maytag Fridge Control Panel Not Working?
How Do You Fix A Refrigerator Control Board?
In most cases, it’s not practical to fix a refrigerator control board. Instead, you’ll want to remove the faulty board and replace it with a new one that functions correctly.
