Freezer OK, Fridge Warm?

[Liassic]

Hi All! Help! Help!
My Brandt COA380AU Fridge Freezer is playing up!
The Freezer works OK, however the Fridge is not, and when I open the door and feel the back of it it is quite warm!
The compressor is OK and runs, because on occasion I can hear it. However, it does not run when it is OFF and I turn Thermostat to maximum, or I switch it to 'Super' position.
I did defrost it for a few hours and it started OK when I turned it on, but after a while the Fridge is warm again.
I did try to get to the controller, which is at the top front part of the Fridge. Having taken off the doors, I pulled the plastic cover with the dials on it but for some reason it would not come off. Any ideas?
Any advice? What can I check? I am OK to use the avometer and measure resistance, current or voltage.
There does not appear to be any thermostat in the Fridge compartment, cooling coils or anything elsethere.
Thanks.

[Yuri B.]

Hello.
Is compressor too hot?

[Rotax100uk]

very simple answer the gas charge is too low, my money is its on R134a and it has "developed" a leak. Although R134a in fridge/freezer application runs at nearly 0 psi

[Rotax100uk]

what is happening is that the liquid refrigerant that is being fed to the freezer evaporator first is being used then serving the fridge next. so if the gas "refrigerant" charge is low then the freezer gets the priority and the chiller gets nothing. really depending on level of refrigerant in the system, as to why this has happened is down to all manner of reasons, heres a couple, if the system has a vapouriser coil then this is a very good place to check for leaks over time the water on the copper pipe corrodes and forms a weakness in the copper tube, any refrigeration pipes rubbing together, bad brazing from manufacturer or after repairs etc etc

[Liassic]

Thank you very much for your answers. Crunch question - is it worth calling an expert out? The unit is about 6 years old? (I am impressed, and thanful for such prompt responses!).

[Liassic]

Yuri - missed your Question earlier!
No, the compressor is not running too hot.

[Magoo]

Hi Liassic,
I tend to agree with Yuri that the system is short of gas aka a leak somewhere. But if that was the case the compressor would run continuous and be super hot as in running in a vacuum. May be a thermostat problem.
magoo

[Liassic]

Hi Magoo, thank you for your comment.
Yep, that is my dilemma too!
The compressor runs very infrequently, so I also suspect the thermostat or the controller. Trouble is (i) I don't know on this model where the thermostat is in the fridge (if there is one there) and (ii) and I can't dis-assemble the front plastic panel at the top of the door to get to the controller and check that. Is there a special trick here?
Any ideas?

[Yuri B.]

The compressor runs very infrequently, so I also suspect the thermostat or the controller.

(However, not the info you asked for) There may be smth wrong with them. I know little about domestic refrigerators, but it may be worth to suspect more the lessening qnty of refrigerant in yours (some reasons for it - in the post by Rotax100uk).
The thermostat may be seeing only "seemingly right" set temperature inside the freezer and is duly switching off the compressor - by now.
Should the temp. in the kitchen rise, new products put in the refrigerator, more gas escape the system, and the compressor will work all longer and
longer till is gone.
You may investigate the control part - keeping attention on compressor "overheat" (and current!) - but it will probably end by calling a refrigeration master.

[Liassic]

Hi Yuri, thanks.
Any ideas how I can get to the controller or thermostat on this model so I can check them before I get the expert in?