Samsung DA81-01346A Refrigerator French Door Spring Sleeve OEM Part

I thought fixing this door would be too difficult/expensive, so I just spent a week manually closing the flap myself each time I closed the frig. Then I googled the model number of the frig just for fun. The first result was AppliancePartsPros.com, I clicked ONE SINGLE TIME and I arrived at this site, with the exact part I needed listed at the top, and a repair tutorial video that played beautifully with one more click. In the span of two total clicks, I saw how to fix the frig, and I saw that the price was absolutely minuscule! The video was something else - a confident, knowledgeable man introduced the site and the replacement part with his feet firmly planted shoulder-length apart - like a super hero. He wore gloves like Batman, and in the span of 60 seconds he had brought a disobedient door flap to justice. Like a 'phoenix from the ashes' rose a like-new Samsung refrigerator door that closed just as good as the day it was built. I called my wife into the room. We both work in marketing, and I suggested we quit our jobs and see if AppliancePartsPros.com is hiring - I've never had a more amazing customer service experience, and I hadn't even placed an order yet! She pointed out that they obviously don't need our help. I placed the order - I added the suggested parts to my cart and checked out, $16 total, including next day shipping??? The parts arrived the very next day. The repair (thanks to that hero's video) took 2 minutes. My frig is as good as the day it left the land of Samsung 7 years ago. My children held hands and danced in a circle around me, "Fixit Daddy Fixed it!" they sang. I don't know who to thank. Your SEO people? Your web design people? The curly-haired video hero who made the repair seem so easy? I don't know. But you have a customer for life. Now to fix the microwave.

I looked up the parts I needed and ordered 2 new parts, a spring and a teflon sleeve in the door from AppliancePartsPros.com, The parts came in 3 days with normal shipping (Very nice!). It took all of about 30 seconds to snap everything in place. Door works like new, and this quick repair was much less expensive than I expected!

First the web site made it very easy to select the correct parts; the parts arrived ahead of schedule and were appropriately packaged. After checking the web for various methods to install, I decided to use a needle nose plier to insert the spring, there was enough flexibility in the spring that, after a few tries, I was able to slip it into the pin and retainer. Removing the 2 screws in the door and lifting the flap probably would have been easier in the long run. One note: the right angle side of the spring goes down and the offset side of the spring goes up.

In order it SHOULD be done: Pried off two white caps covering the screws that attach the flap to the left door, then removed screws. Lifted flap up to remove from door and disconnected cable. Used a thin blade to pry out the inner cover of the flap, then carefully pried out the insulation piece inside. Loosened the screw holding the center cap from the inside and removed cap. Worked the cable out of the hinge piece so it could be removed and cable pulled through case. Pried upper and lower caps off to remove hinge pieces. Swapped everything over to the new flap case in reverse order, re-installed flap on door, and installed spring with its pin sheath. Done!

Was able to match broken parts from parts manual. After they arrived installation was simple once I was able to see how they fit on the door from a photo I was able to find on the internet. It would have been very helpful if this had been included with the shipment.