How cold should refrigerator verses freezer temperature

There are plenty of reasons this could happen like the following: PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSE Loud operating sound level • See "Sound Information" section for explanation of normal operating sounds Freezer too warm. Compressor not operating • Freezer temperature set too warm • Defective compressor • Defective overload or relay Refrigerator too cold • Refrigerator temperature set too cold • Chefs Pantry control set too cold or misaligned allowing freezer air to escape into refrigerator section • Freezer temperature set too cold • Restricted condenser air • Refrigerant shortage or restriction • Refrigerant overcharge Freezer too warm. Compressor cuts off on overload • Heavy usage • High ambient • Restricted condenser air • Defective condenser fan motor • Loose or missing condenser fan blade • Improper voltage • Defective relay or overload • Compressor motor winding • Non-condensibles in system • Refrigerant overcharge Freezer too warm. Compressor operating • Freezer temperature set too warm • Restricted condenser air • Defective condenser fan motor • Opened door • Heavy usage • Defective freezer fan motor • Opened defrost thermostat • Opened defrost heater • Loose or missing freezer or condenser fan blade • Heavily frosted evaporator • Refrigerant shortage or restriction • Inefficient compressor Refrigerator too warm • Refrigerator temperature set too warm • Freezer temperature set too warm • Return air or air supply duct blocked • Chefs Pantry control set too warm or air supply tube blocked • Heavy usage • High ambient Problem Possible Cause Freezer too cold • Freezer temperature set too cold Long off cyde • Low ambient • Freezer temperature set too warm Short off cycle • Heavy usage • High ambient • Freezer temperature set too cold • Light constantly on • Poor door gasket seal Long or continuous run cyde • Heavy usage • High ambient • Inadequate condenser air flow • Freezer temperature set too cold • Loss or restricted refrigerant Short run cycle • Light usage • Low ambient • Freezer temperature set too warm Exterior cabinet condensation • High humidity. Design accepts beads of water on cabinet exterior after 4 hours with 0° to 2°F (-18° to -17°C) freezer food temperature and 38° to 40°F (3° to 4°C) refrigerator food temperature in 84% R.H. conditions. See "Typical Sweat Pattern" section under above conditions. • Freezer temperature set too cold • Poor door gasket seal • Insulation void

There is only one source of cold in many refrigerators. If yours is a top freezer, then most likely it is in the freezer.
But the thermostat that you set temperature with is in the refrigerator, not the freezer.
In the cold garages, what can happen is that the refrigerator stays cold enough that it does not call for cold. So the freezer does not get enough cold.
The freezer control works by diverting cold air into the freezer WHEN THE RERIGERATOR HAS TURNED ON THE COOLING. If it is not turned on, oh well.
The best you can do for this is to put both on max cold. Then the refrigerator will call for more cold at a lower temperature, and the freezer will get it more often and will divert more when it is cooling.
This can result in the refrigerator freezing things too. You can try raising the refrigerator setting JUST A LITTLE and see if both work, but keep freezer on max cool.
This works for my situation, but ambient temperature fluctuations in the garage make this dicey. We don't put things like lettuce in the refrigerator in the garage in the winter because freezing damages them.
Good Luck

Start with the easiest possible problem to solve. Clean it. Not the inside, not the front door; clean the outside, the underside, the back side, the compressor area.
A fridge does not produce cold. It moves heat from the inside to the outside. Step one is to make sure that heat can be released into your kitchen verses sitting in a layer of insulation.
:o).

Hi,

Many times a freezer and/or refrigeratordo not work right because of a dirty condenser coil...there are also many otherthings that can go wrong. If you are hearing a clicking or buzzing thencheck out the last two tips.

If your refrigerator is running but warm, then...

Check out these tips that I wrote about that... it is a great place to starttrouble shooting your unit...and something that you can do rather then callinga repair person to do a simple thing for you...

Refrigerator Condenser Coil Cleaning Refrigerator Repair

Refrigerator Troubleshooting Refrigerator Compressor

Refrigerator Compressor Start Capacitor and Start Relay
Refrigerator or Freezer not Cooling or Getting Cold

heatman101

":;'

Basically the thermostat controlls the freezer temperature which turns the compressor on and off.
The refrigerator section receives cold air from the freezer to cool it down.
So when the freezer is off there may not be enough cold air left for the refrigerator.
Fridges can never give you a perfect temperature every time there will always be a drift one way or another.
Once you reset the temperature the numbers or an led should blink at you to confirm the changes you made

You need to warm up the garage for it to work right. The cold control reads the refrigerator temperature and if it's already cold, will not turn on the compressor. Hence the freezer warms up to the ambient temperature.

There's a capacitor by or on the compressor that probalbly needs replacing. This is the cheapest route .

the refrigerator part isn't getting cold. it was working but now its just room temperature inside. the freezer part works fine.

In most refrigerator freezers, the refrigerator gets its cold from the freezer. The evaporator fan circulates air over the coils in the freezer and cold air circulates into the refrigerator through vents. If the vents are blocked or closed, then the fridge will not get cold enough but the freezer will. If neither is cold enough, then the number of possibilities increases.
Lowering the freezer temperature will increase the cooling cycle activity. Setting the refrigerator temperature may have little affect on the cooling cycles because it simply changes the vent opening size. Decreasing the fridge temperature opens the vents more and increases air circulation from the freezer.
The temperature can be adjusted using the controls found inside the refrigerator or freezer. The ideal freezer temperature is about 0 to 5 degrees (F) and about 38 degrees (F) for the fridge.
Measure the temperature by placing a cup of water with a cooking thermometer into the refrigerator for about 2 hours or more. To test the freezer, substitute alcohol or cooking oil.

good day,
hope this link below will solve your problem.

ref