My 15 year old Samsung fridge quit making ice while we were gone on our vacation and now I want to try and fix it. Yes I have googled the causes but don't know which "problem" to look at first and am looking for suggestions. I have very little patience for stuff like this so any help is welcomed as I don't want to buy a new one unless all efforts fail.

Did you check YouTube? That’s how I fixed mine a couple years ago. Found the same issue, then ordered new part from Amazon.

Yes but there are a few different things that could be wrong. I’m looking for place to begin searching from easiest to hardest to fix.

Is it cycling like it thinks its making ice or is it not cycling at all? If it isn't cycling it may think the ice bin is full. Check the switch or optical sensor or whatever Samsung uses to tell if the bin is full.

Trial and error. If I have to buy parts and guess, I always just call the man. I diagnosed a problem correctly 2 times, but didn`t have the confidence to spend money on the parts, be wrong and the still have to pay someone to fix it. I fixed my Whirlpool last year when it quit. I had to manually make it go thru a cycle where it dumped the ice and refilled the tray.

No help here, but I would add; you got 15 years out of a samsung icemaker! Congrats!
I have had nothing but issues with samsung in-door IM's, and currently have a $3k 2015 unit being used in the garage because it made ice for about 3 years. Samsung was zero help.

its gotta fill with water first. check that

I bet something is froze up with ice due to lack of use ?.

The feed tube has a small orfice, likely frozen shut. Happens with our Samsung if we don’t use ice or turn the ice maker off.

Mine quit and it was the valve where the water line attached. Super easy quick fix.

Completed first trial step which was to replace the water filter. Dummy me did not see the red light indicator until I started research. According to the instructions the new filter replacement takes some time to go into action. Fingers crossed that it works. So now starting happy hour early with some Buffalo Traces while I wait.

Thanks to all for the input and help.

Did you purge a couple of gallons of cold water after the filter replacement?

No. Nothing was said about it in the three video's I watched about changing it.

Should be on the filter box. But then again, I use aftermarket filters on my Samsung.

Well too late now Jimbo. If no ice in the morning I may have to have to start drinking early and have my drink neat.

Always my approach if the beer isn't cold!

No ice. Now to figure out my next step. Not drinking yet but may not be far off.

My next step would be to unplug it for a few hours.

Buddy had this happen on his fairly new Frigidaire. He just bought a countertop ice maker. At 15 years that Samsung has probably lived a lot longer then most.

I fix all my appliances. Not much different than my job except the diagnostic info I have to get from the weirdos like us on the internet. I just fixed the secondary ice maker in my GE Profile by replacing the entire unit. $100 and 39 minutes ... DONE!

Next fridge you get, make sure it has two ice makers. Game changer.

Just get a new ice maker and put it where the old one was.

My Frigidaire ice maker gave up right after the warranty was out. After watching a YouTube video, I ordered the part and changed it myself. It was an easy plug and play $100 fix.

Waiting for the OP to give an update.

Sorry for no update but wife got home after being gone for over a week and have not tried anything yet. Two bags of ice have carried me through so far. May be able to try some stuff tomorrow ad give a report.

I went through the same issue with my Samsung fridge about a month ago. I pushed the test button and it would go to eject the ice out of the tray, then the fridge would beep at me and not fill with water. I ended up unplugging and thawing the fridge out for 24 hours, and everything worked when I plugged it back in. Been making ice ever since.

While it was unplugged I also took the time to pull it out from the counter and vaccumed the coils in the back of really well.