Help with Dryer motor- not engaging.

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Help with Dryer motor- not engaging.

Posted: 12/27/2020 2:43:32 PM EDT

Whirlpool Electric dryer suddenly stopped Christmas day. Unit has power, and I have checked continuity on door switch, start switch, and the thermal fuse. Dryer motor will not kick on. So I guess it is down to the motor and the timer switch, both of which are over a hundred dollars to replace. how can I determine which part is a fault?
I lean towards the timer switch. When I was playing with it initially I held the start switch down and turned the timer knob around through its settings. Just once it kicked on the motor, but I could not get it to do that a second time.

So how can I test the motor and timer switch, or am I overlooking something easier? I have the schematic but it's mostly greek to me.

thanks

Posted: 12/27/2020 4:33:54 PM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
Whirlpool Electric dryer suddenly stopped Christmas day. Unit has power, and I have checked continuity on door switch, start switch, and the thermal fuse. Dryer motor will not kick on. So I guess it is down to the motor and the timer switch, both of which are over a hundred dollars to replace. how can I determine which part is a fault?
I lean towards the timer switch. When I was playing with it initially I held the start switch down and turned the timer knob around through its settings. Just once it kicked on the motor, but I could not get it to do that a second time.

So how can I test the motor and timer switch, or am I overlooking something easier? I have the schematic but it's mostly greek to me.

thanks

View Quote

How about the belt?

Posted: 12/27/2020 6:05:28 PM EDT

[#2]

Remove and shake the timer, if it has something loose inside its done.

Posted: 12/27/2020 6:38:03 PM EDT

[#3]

Belt is fine. I "field stripped " it last night looking for a second thermal fuse that does not exist.

Posted: 12/27/2020 9:54:38 PM EDT

[#4]

Quote History

Quoted:
Remove and shake the timer, if it has something loose inside its done.

View Quote

I did this and had a rattling. So I pulled the front plate off and found blackened connectors, I guess due to heat. Two of the switch ends were stuck together and I had to pull them apart. So I'm going to go with replacing this part first. thanks for the tip

Posted: 12/28/2020 3:01:11 AM EDT

[#5]

I've had some luck cleaning up those contacts and putting it all back together. Might last 2 more days or 2 more years.

Posted: 12/31/2020 3:45:30 PM EDT

[#6]

Does the motor use a start capacitor?
Most single phase induction motors need the capacitor
to drag the phase of the start winding to create starting torque.

What commonly happens with a bad capacitor is the motor just
hums louder as it tries to begin rotating.

Posted: 12/31/2020 6:09:02 PM EDT

[#7]

IDK, but I found fused switch ends in the timer and it looks all burnt inside. I'm waiting on the part in the mail.

the motor gave no indication of any trouble. so I bet it's a fried timer.

Posted: 1/1/2021 1:42:01 PM EDT

[#8]

MRW did you solve the problem?

Posted: 1/1/2021 2:24:28 PM EDT

[#9]

I'm waiting on a mail order timer. I could not find any for sale locally in the Orlando area.

Posted: 1/4/2021 5:32:50 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
I'm waiting on a mail order timer. I could not find any for sale locally in the Orlando area.

View Quote

A few supply houses have stepped up into the 21st century.
They have added online ordering and negotiated reasonable shipping charges.

Remember when Amazon was going to kill all the smaller book stores?

Those smaller stores now use Amazon to do their marketing.

Amazon has decent warehouse capacity, but the out of print stuff is
sitting in those small bookstores with access through Amazon to order them.

Posted: 1/4/2021 5:37:59 PM EDT

[#11]

I ordered from Sears

Posted: 1/6/2021 12:07:20 AM EDT

[#12]

New timer did the job!

Posted: 1/6/2021 8:42:29 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
The timer part came in and it worked! thanks! Saved me from having to spend my Trump Bucks on a new dryer.

I'm so happy I made a video about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk5ut0pgvsw

Yes, I teach high school mathematics

View Quote

Your welcome.

Posted: 1/6/2021 8:58:07 AM EDT

[#14]

Glad it worked out for you OP.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Help with Dryer motor- not engaging.

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