Starting w top of fridge, not cooling. Now both sides barely cold - no freezing.

SOURCE: ge side by side not cold enough in fridge or freezer

the fan behind the freezer panel inside

SOURCE: GE Side by Side Not cooling/freezing

sounds like defrost problem. remove back lower panel in freezer. defrost all ice on coils, this will fix problem temporaily. I`m looking for the tech sheet to test system.

SOURCE: Freezer is cool but not freezing or making ice - fridge not cold

If there is frost on the back wall of the freezer, then the compressor is running. Another (maybe) good thing is the fan is running.

The problem could be -

1) Bad defrost heater
2) Failed defrost sensor
3) Failed defrost timer or refrigerator controller board.

There are diagnostic tests to determine the problem, but require skill at using a multimeter and possibly reading a schematic/wiring diagram.

You can temporarily make the refrigerator run again for awhile by unplugging, opening the doors, and defrosting for 6-8 hours (store food in coolers.). Then plug it back in. Note, water may come out of the freezer as a result of defrosted ice.

SOURCE: Frost in frostless freezer, fan not blowing into warm fridge

Hi,
There are 2 things that cause these to not defrost. Kinda like the "Achilles heel" of GE fridges. The first one is the Defrost heater itself. And the second is the evaporator thermister (GE calls it a "sensor"). They are both very easy to replace. The part numbers are; WR51X10101 (heater) and WR55X10025 (sensor). If you don't have a local appliance parts retailer, just plug those numbers into a search engine. I highly recommend getting both parts because if the sensor hasn't failed yet, it will. The same goes for the heater...

Now for the fun stuff... Turn the temp knobs all the way counter clockwise to kill power to the fridge. Unload all the food from the freezer and remove all the shelves and the basket. Remove the screws that are holding the evap panel (the flat panel on the back wall, it's about 2 1/2 ft tall). Remove the panel to expose the evaporator. You'll see the heater at the very bottom of the evap connected by 2 screws, remove these and pull the heater out. Your new heater comes with instructions on how to install it.

After you have done that, look at the top of the evap. On the left, you'll see a little white sensor clipped to one of the evap tubes (shiny little clip), that has 2 wires feeding it. Remember which tube it's clipped to then unclip the sensor and pull it toward you. Snip the wires right at the base of the old sensor and completely remove it (leave the wires in there). Now separate those 2 wires and strip about 3/8" of insulation off. At this point, you are ready to follow the instructions that came with your new "sensor". Oh! and if it's all frosted up on the evap? Take this time (before you re-install the panel) to use a blow dryer and melt it away. All that'll be left to do is rebuild it.

There ya go! Job completion time= ~45 minutes. Easy breezy, right?

If this has been helpful, please don't forget to rate my solution. Thanks!

SG

SOURCE: not cooling or freezing

westinghouse virtuoso fridge section working freezer cool but not freezing food even when adjusting freezer to as cold as it can be !!