Freezer ices up- refrig and freezer starts to fail

check that the compressor is working by feeling for motor vibrations at the compressor, hot compressor unit or hot fins or back wall of the fridge
if there is not heat then the compressor is not working
call a technician as it could be a start/run capacitor failed or compressor seized
get a quote as some compressor replacements cost as much as a new fridge
check that the utility power is getting to the fridge/freezer

this fan needs to run when the compressor runs,check fan blade for being jammed by ice if you have this much ice on back wall as ice will stall motor,if no fan there will be no cool air to refrige compartment also the defrost drain tray will fill with water then freeze over which in turn floods the freezer floor and refrige compartments cause it cannot drain to the pan in the bottom

tempt in freezer is or should be 15 deg or lower to 5deg/ the ref gets its cold from the freezer . so if freezer is failing the soon so will the fresh food side . look for ice (frost build up on the back of freezer . / and if so the cold coil is blocked and there is no air flow through it .. if you find this you have a defrost system failure . ck the heater in freezer and the defrost terminator and the aditive defrost control . these are the things that cause this problem. A D C is most common .. hope this helps mm

Good day,
You said it was iced up. That is an indication the defrost system is not working. The thermostat (round Disk??) if it popped out is probably due to swelling. Replace it.
Since the machine is empty, unplug and leave the doors open for 24 hours.
1. Air sensing thermometers will rise rapidly when the door is open. Not a trusted method.
2. The compressor will not run because you open the door. there is a time delay for refrigerator thermostats to react.
3. Leaving it unplugged with the doors open will guarantee that hidden ice in supply and return chutes has completely melted. IMPORTANT.
Below is a good tutorial on defrost systems.
Hope this helps , but if you need to post back please include make,style and complete model number.

http://www.appliance411.com/faq/howdefrostworks.shtml
Thank you for using FixYa and
please rate me.
Jack.

Defroster circuit/timer has failed.

The water line to the icemaker has probably frozen,so no ice. The cooling coils are in the freezer, and the cold air moves to the fridge via vents and circulation fan.

When it all ices up, no air gets to fridge, fridge gets warm.

Many models have a mechanical defroster timer located under the lower front kick panel. Manually rotate the timer until you hear the compressor stop.

Defroster heater then should come on and you hear scorch/hiss/gurgle of defrost sounds. If the timer is working, the fridge should come back on after about a half hour or so.

Sometimes timer fails, sometimes heater element fails. There is also a defrost thermostat that's part of the heater assembly.

http://www.appliance411.com/faq/howdefrostworks.shtml

This can be caused by the drain hole below freezer coil being blocked by ice. You MUST remove all ice in drain under freezer coil. Use turkey baster to squirt hot water into hole and use hairdryer to defrost. Possible defrost thermostat is defective. Unit never goes into defrost, ice forms on coil and in floor of freezer. After defrosting may work OK for a week or two but gradually gets warmer because ice is blocking ports where cool air gets to refrig. May also have water in refrig box. Can also be caused by defective defrost timer.

do you see alot of frost on the rear panel of the frzer if so it has failed to defrost and repair is req or do a manual defrost until a tech can get to you if no frost sorry sounds like you have a weak tired compressor or leak of freon and being 30 yrs old it is not cost effective to repair this item....

The water can only come from 2 places, the drain is blocked or the ice maker is over filling.The temps are too good to have any other things going wrong. Let me know, Thanks, Sea Breeze

"compressor not functioning". You Probably need a New Compressor. I have a Family Member whos Refrig/Freezer Compressor had to be replaced under Warranty when it was only 2 years Old.

the thermostat is in the fridge and fridge runs at about +4-6degC. if temp in the garage is about that value, appliance will not want to turn on