How To Remove Kenmore Freezer Drawer

Model Number: 795.71322411

Brand: Sears Kenmore

Age: 1-5 years

The lower freezer compartment won't open completely. It appears the left hand slide rail is malfunctioning - it will not fully extend. I cannot remove the storage bins to access the screws, and I cannot determine what is impeding the rail. It is not ice, nor anything in the storage bins - it appears to be internal to the rail mechanism. I have forcefully pulled on the drawer to see if that would "break" it free, but that is not working. Any ideas on how to proceed?

rickgburton

You'll need to take the freezer door off (2 screws each side) It's most likely one of the screws that hold the rail to the machine has come loose and that's what the sliding rail is catching on.

The left side rail that extends as one pulls the freezer compartment open has malfunctioned. It hits an obstruction about 1/3 of the way out; it seems that the secondary extension rail has stuck, As a result, I cannot pull the racks out, nor can I access any of the screws/bolts to dismantle it. The nylon wheel in the rear is ok, and nothing has fallen in the path of the slide to obstruct it. Where do I go from here - I do not know how to free this slide rail, and can now just barely access the freezer section.

You'll need to take the freezer door off (2 screws each side) It's most likely one of the screws that hold the rail to the machine has come loose and that's what the sliding rail is catching on.

I can't get to the screw on the left that holds the door in place. It is covered by the secondary larger portion of the slide rail, which is stuck in place to the very front (covering the screw). I was thinking of trying to disengage the slide rails and pull the whole compartment out, but I'm not sure that is possible. Everything is very hard to access, as the freezer only comes out about a third of the way and I cannot remove any of the bins.

Can the entire bin assembly and freezer door be pulled out as an entire unit by disengaging the slide railsl in their tracks? I noticed in a video that depressing some pin in the rear of the slide rail allows it to be pulled out of its mounting on the side. I cannot take off the freezer drawer door and cannot pull out any of the bins due to the inability to pull the freezer drawer out. I cannot find this particular problem discussed anywhere on the blogs.

Jake

Appliance Tech - Admin

Rick had to go out of town.

Here's the LEFT SIDE freezer drawer slide rail:
Drawer Slide Rail 5218JA1010F

There is a video in the part link that shows you how.

Jake

rickgburton

Can you open the door enough to remove the two guide rail screws then lift the door off?

Can you open the door enough to remove the two guide rail screws then lift the door off?

View attachment 45192

No - the secondary portion of the slide rail is stuck to the front on the door, covering the screws. The elongated portion of the rail does not come out at all because of this. I cannot access the screw on the left side.

Rick had to go out of town.

Here's the LEFT SIDE freezer drawer slide rail:
Drawer Slide Rail 5218JA1010F

There is a video in the part link that shows you how.

Jake

I cannot access the front screw on the left side that secures the slide rail. The secondary portion of the slide is firmly stuck on the rear of the door (covering the screw) and I cannot dislodge it using force, heat, leverage or any other persuasion. I suspect the slide rail has internally malfunctioned and is firmly frozen. I can barely open up the freezer compartment and cannot remove the bins either. My only option is to try to remove the door and the compartments as one complete unit, if I can disengage the slide rails by depressing the tabs that hold them in place. I'm not sure if this is even possible.

rickgburton

OK, try this. Unplug the machine. Take everything out of the top section (fresh food section). Get a friend. Pull the machine away from the wall about 6-7 feet. Lean the machine back like you were going to lay it down on its back but keep about 12"- 18" between the top and the floor. Then you and your friend start rocking it back and forth left to right. The idea is to get everything in the freezer to fall back then try it. You might need to do that several times.

Interesting idea. I'll give it a try, as I've run out of options. Thank you for the suggestion.

rickgburton

Try to open the freezer door while you're rocking it back and forth.

Unfortunately, it didn't work. I might have to cut the slide rail out somehow.

rickgburton

I don't think I've had one that tough before. That usually works.

Thanks for the suggestions....

rickgburton

You really got to bounce it when you rock it back and forth. It won't work if you baby it.

I'll give it another try. The slim forward portion of the slide rail will not come out of the secondary section, which is jammed tightly to the very front, against the rear of the door. I don't have another spare rail to compare against, so I'm not sure if something internal could have come loose to cause it to jam. I've applied quite a bit of force on the front of the stuck secondary rail, but no give.

Since the point of fulcrum force is the rear of the plastic door. I have to be careful not to damage that. A more desperate approach would be to try and cut a hole over the point where the front attachment screw is, as it is presently covered up by the stuck secondary rail. If successful, I could try to unscrew the front of the rail from its mounting.

Again, thanks for the tips.

Last edited: Sep 24, 2019