kenmore ice maker stopped working

[activ]

Went off for a week vacation and when we got back, the ice maker wasn't working. I found the whirlpool service guide and tested it, but not sure what to make of the test results.

The first test was optics to see if the light came on like it should and indicated whether something was blocked. The optics test worked fine.

Then it said to jumper the thermostat and power cycle the thing. At this point the ice maker is supposed to start moving, dump the ice, and refill with water. Mine does that, but not everytime. Can't seem to find a pattern.

Then it says to shut the door, power cycle it, and wait 5-50 seconds. Open the door and watch the LED blink. Mine blinks twice and then three times. On the chart in the document 2 blinks is optics bad, and 3 blinks says the optics and relay OK but the ice maker not sensed.

Thinking maybe the thermostat was bad, I pulled it and tested it - it works as described, the "switch" comes on and off based on temp. Looking at the ice maker, there cannot be much more to this. The heater worked like it should have the two times it did dump ice. There is another resistor-like device stuck in the tray, but I don't know what that's for. Perhaps a current limiter for the motor?

So I am perplexed. The simple optics test says everything is fine. The "practical" test with the jumper reveals that the mechanics work - sometimes anyway. But the start up diag says everything is bad! Go figure. Is the relay on the optics board(s)?

Any suggestions? Anyone else have a similar problem? I hate to start throwing money at it since a new module is $150 give or take.

Thx