HOW TO CHECK MAYTAG ADAPTIVE TIMER

try to check yuor mechanical defrost timer together with the thermo disc.possible defective replace it or rotate the defrost timer to adjust.

Inside the refrig section at the top about 2" in from each side in the back , there are "D" slots to put a finger in , and pull downward and foreward , to remove the control panel cover . Once removed , there is a 1/4" screw on each side holding the adjustment indicator panel on , 1 phillips screw behind both light bulbs , and 1 screw holding the complete panel to the rear wall . After removing these 5 screws , at the top right corner , with about 6-8 wires going to it , is the adaptive defrost board . Sometimes you can see the electronic board and on newer refrig's , a white box will be seen. Inside this box , is the adaptive defrost control

I am sending the manual and on page 45 at top of page ans section 2-17 tells you the way to change or test the defrost controls. All refrigerators that have auto defrost begin with cotrol/timer/adaptive defrost or Adaptive Defrost made into motherboard, Then you have the defrost heater and defrost thermostat. When looking over your manual you may see things that are not on you model. That is normal or we would have a manual for every difference.

check defrost heater with ohm meter. if it is good then adaptive board is probably bad.

Is there frost on the back wall of the freezer about 1 foot from the bottom ? If so , then a defrost problem . Either a bad adaptive timer (electronic board in control section ) , a bad bimetal (locatod on top of the freezer coils. A small cylinder with 2 wires on it ) or a bad defrost heater . Usually , the adaptive timer is the problem .

You probably have an adaptive timer . The timer is located in the far top right corner in the fresh food section ( refrig ) . A "finger hole" on both sides of the control cover are slightly pulled down then foreward to remove the cover . two 1/4" screws hold the temp indicator on ( 1 on each side ) , then 2 phillip head screws about 3" behind them are to be removed . Lastly , one 1/4" screw straight back ( usually painted white ) has to be removed , and the whole panel drops . There are 2 screws holding the adaptive timer on which you will be able to distinguish , to be removed . Installation is in reverse .

its not a timer , but an adaptive defrost control board, in the upper rigth hand side of refrig compartment, atop the control housing heres the part number 61005988

you cannot do this
just check the defrost heater and the bi metal, if they check good then the adaptive defrost control is bad

you can not manually start a defrost cycle
go to the freezer and check the heater and bimetal they are in the evaperator coil if these parts check good then replace the adaptive defrost control

This is a diagram of that model #... says has adaptive defrost  should help ya out
http://www3.sears.com/imaging/ImagePageJava.shtml?productTypeID=0165000&brandID=3048&modelDesc=MAYTAG%20REFRIGERATION&modelNumber=MSD2758GEW&documentID=M0312518&documentTypeID=PLDM&documentClassCode=PV&titleType=WIRING%20INFORMATION&titleID=00012&