"Refrigerator/freezer runs continuosly but temp never goes below 42 deg in refrig or 18 deg in freeze"

Refrig. temperatures are about 36 to 42 deg F.. Freezer temps from about -5 to + 8 deg F.

Self defrost mechanism appears to be ok sinc eyou can get down to -3 degrees. The culprit in this refrigerator is the temperature regulator or electronic thermostat in this box. It should not allow the temp to swing that drastically from one extreme to another.

Check the temperature in the freezer if too low (0 deg f -18 deg c is normal) turn warmer.

thermostat has failed i'd say..its not turning off at the requested temp.

He is correct. The temp in the refrig controls how often and for how long the refrig runs. Lets say the temp in your garage is 34 degrees, and you have your refrig set to 36 degrees: The refrig will never run, the fresh foods section will cool to 34, and the freezer will warm to 34. Even if the temp is 45 in the garage and you set the fresh foods to be 33, the refrig will not need to run long enough and often enough to keep the freezer temp cold enough. You will most likely need to have the ambient room temp at least 55 degrees to get satisfactory refrigerator performance. Insulating the refrig will not help. (by the way, outdoor beverage vending machines use an internal heater in cold weather to prevent liquid beverages inside from freezing,..... so using that info, you could put a low wattage heater in your refrig to make your refrig run enough to make the freezer section work. The %&#* with that, just move it into the house!)

Yes, You can use most any refrigerator in an unheated area. Just be aware that if it is in a below freezing area for a long period of time that the cold may penetrate enough to get the refrigerator temperatures below freezing also.

thermostat problem replace that if you know how to do that or call a technician who will help you

Move the refrigerator to a room that is at least 50 degrees F.

Temps on most refrigerators are regulated by the fresh foods temp. If your garage is let's say 35 degrees, the fresh foods temp will most likely never raise enough to turn the refrigerator on. With the refrigerator never running, the freezer compartment will warm to 35 degrees, resulting in everything melting. Even if garage is a bit warmer, say 45, the refrig will not run long enough for the freezer to maintain a low enough temperture. If the garage temp falls to below freezing, say 20 degrees, the food in the fresh foods compartment will freeze. (outdoor beverage dispensers have internal heaters to prevent product from freezing !) Please don't rate this if not a Fix-Ya for you, as anything else lowers my score.

thatts exactly right , the "thermostat that runs the compressor, in the refrig compartment never gets to warm to cycle the unit on/off. come spring itll work like a champ again,, ambien t temp cant be below 60 deg F

check to see if there is frost in the back of the freezer if so you have a defrost prob..