born again engel

Same thing happened to me Nev after my trip into the NSW station Country in Late 08. The engel just stopped cooling. Compressor ran with no effect. Let it sit at home for a few months while I found a repairer. When he checked it he found it working well with no problems. Go figure. Sounds like an identicle situation with yours so I'll remember the remedy.

Cheers Mick

It's very like normal fridge problems...
IE - after moving (by road) or tipping horizontal etc, let the stand normally (vertical) for a while before switching on. 24 hours was recommended after a horizontal road trip.

This was so that the condensate (refrigerant) could settle back "down" and bleed itself of air/gas pockets.

I am unsure whether that is an old spouse tale, but IMO it has credibility (unlike condensed ice being "poisonous" - except in old & ammonia fridges etc, or through overdosing on distilled water).
It's not very different from bleeding vehicle cooling systems (for those that need it).

The noise definitely makes sense - gas pockets - it can't pump....

Sounds like there was a blockage in your system where it goes from high pressure to low pressure in the capillary.
Mixing up the refrigerant in 3 way fridges would help air pockets and mixing of the ammonia solution, however in a compressor fridge, no air should be present, as there vac'ed down to remove air, and moisture from the system so the capillary tube wont block up, which sounds like what it could have been.
when the system was assembled, there may have been some foreign material from the soldered joints etc that finally moved thru to the capillary and blocked it.
Some gentle correction seemed to have moved it.

Always good to see a problem, and what fixed it.

Trains