UPDATE - NFT: Kenmore 400 washing machine problem
 

I'm having a problem with my washer and was hoping someone here might recognize the issue and advise me as to what part needs replacing.

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Dynamite and a credit card will fix you right up

Have you tried filling the drum with antifreeze?

Check your washer host connections and make sure you are getting water

is there water sitting in the tub currently? maybe it needs to spin and discharge the water thats currently in the tub?

have you tried unplugging it for a bit and plugging it back in or flipping breakers?

or replace the capacitor / startup switch
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I can make the washer fill and drain water no issues. Just can't get it to go into the wash cycle.

I've unplugged/plugged back in several times. Same with the breaker.

Tub fills and drains no issue. Just can't get the wash cycle to kick on. I'll watch the video now. Thanks!

Try selling it via PayPal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULCmaq7_Pn0

??

readers digests' fix it yourself manual saved me hundreds of dollars during my home owner years. just checked... and newer editions of it are readily available. you will most likely need a basic volt/amp meter to tackle appliances.

I heard that Latoshia Imes has an extra $550. You should sell it to her.

possible lid switch has gone bad. see youtube bad lid switch. also see bypass lid switch to check it.

My wife has a habit of letting the lid slam down closing. the switch has a plastic housing that easily separates and doesn't allow it to switch on anymore.

I have no mechanical skills, but if you want some trivia I can tell you that Richard Petty is the only four-time winner of the Kenmore 400.

My wife bought a speed queen or something and I was like WTF is that. Machine is kick ass. Apparently they build commercial washers and dryers.

Those are the ones in laundry mats so they last forever. I have a set of LG's, front loading washer, pretty happy with them.

Richard Petty drove a modified speed queen during his 1958 and 1959 victories in the Kenmore 400.

Probably ball bearings.

washer or warsher?

Pretty sure bad lid switch just means it won't spin, think it should still wash.

Need to pop the front off it to see wtf is going on.

yep I think you are right.

The newer washers won't do much of anything if the lid switch is bad. The old top loaders are pretty simple. Since it will fill and empty, your regulator is probably okay. Can you hear the motor running? The motor connects to the gearbox with a plastic coupler. The pump connects on the other end of the motor. I'm going to bet that the coupler has broken. Marbeck appliance has them locally. Wear gloves as there are some really sharp metal edges in there. The entire cabinet comes off rather easily.

I'm pretty sure Appliance Parts Pros has a video on it. I ordered a few extras because those machines are everywhere: Kenmore, Whirlpool, Matag, etc.

http://www.marbeck.com/maytag-285753...otor-coupling/

I had one of those Kenmore deals one time, Mr. MephistophelesJanx. Here's what you do.

Disconnect power to the unit.
Remove the water supply and the drain hose.
Remove the end caps from the control panel.
Remove the screws that secure the control panel.
Lift the control panel to gain access to the timer and selector switch.
Move the unit into your back lawn.
Purchase several bags of dry ice.
Fill the washer bin to the top with dry ice and approximately 5 kilograms of explosive material (dynamite will work).
Throw a road flare at the damn thing.
Know in your heart that you have done mankind a great service.

FAX

For years I was under the false impression that these types of electromechanical devices operated on electricity. Even during the four years of school at Rolla to get my engineering degree this belief persisted.

However, as I became wiser in the ways of the world, I now know this is wrong.
These things actually run on little black smoke (similar to a micro smoke monster from Lost).

Case in point, I bet that when this washer was working well, your electrical supply to it was fine. I further assert that now that it is not working well, the electrical supply is still fine. Thus, these don’t run on electrical power.

Moreover, I contend that what has changed is a small bit of black smoke has left the appliance and now it won’t operate the same. These two things prove my point that “little black smoke” is what makes these things run.

So, you just need to order replacement black smoke and put it back into the appliance for it to resume normal operation.

This lesson was free. No need to thank me. I am just happy to share my hard gained wisdom from years of practical observation and experimentation.

You are trying a little to hard there Pete.

LOL I work in HVAC we call that "letting the smoke out".

Thank you for the reply!

I went ahead and moved the clothes to the dryer and emptied out the basin.

Well, things have changed. Now it won't drain but it will go into the wash cycle. I got it to do this by manually moving the agitator around and continually spinning the dial on the timer and turning it back on until it did something. As for the sound it makes... it just makes a buzzing sound in between cycles.

Now it agitates and fills... but won't drain.

I don't think this is something I'm gonna be able to fix myself without purchasing a bunch of parts (timer, regulator, the coupler, the capacitor) and swapping them out until it works again.

I purchased the home about 6 months ago and have a home warranty. I believe I'm gonna just call them and have them come out and fix whatever is wrong with this stupid machine.

Could be the capacitor, a lot of times when the capacitor goes out a motor will just hum. (could be the sound you're describing as buzzing) However if you give the motor a kick start (by manually moving the agitator) it will start & run. Not sure why it wouldn't drain, unless maybe the draining is tied to the spin cycle & because you didn't manually start the spin cycle it faulted out. Not sure I have very little experience with washers, if your furnace breaks I'll be much more helpful. ROFL

But if you can find the capacitor they're usually cheap & easy to fix might be worth a try before you let the home warranty vultures in.

Ok... I decided to take the thing apart myself anyways.

The water pump doesn't have a sock or anything in it and it spins freely.

I took the motor off to look at the coupler and it seems to be just fine. It makes sense it would be as it agitates with no problems.

See post #22

Every washer motor I've ever seen is shaded pole induction...no capacitor.

Delorean's can't time travel without a capacitor

Well I had some wash to do and I have a Kenmore. So when I lift the lid it disengages the switch and stops agitating. His problem could still be the lid switch. I did see that by him messing with time it began agitating so not sure maybe the lid was closed. Those lid switches are pieces of crap 3 times I've had this with my current Kenmore. I would definently not discount running a check.

typed with my trusty nose picker using Tapatalk

Find a secluded empty field somewhere and put a few shotgun rounds in it. Come back in a month and there will be 10 washer and driers just like it as well as a couch or two, and if you are lucky an abandoned shot up car. This won't fix your washer, but its an interesting human experiment that never fails.

Just disconnect the lid switch cut a piece of electrical wire 3 inches or so long strip each end a half inch. Bend in a U and recomplete the circuit. If it works it was your lid switch. The switch is probably good the plastic cover is probably separated where it joins and gorilla glue will fix it till it wears again.

typed with my trusty nose picker using Tapatalk

It's very possible and an easy fix. I think Kenmore is part of Whirlpool now, and they used plastic mechanical switches for many years which we replaced often. It's been a while but i thought those just wouldn't spin but maybe the newer ones are different. More recently I worked with GEs that had magnetic switches that were far less problematic, just everything else sucked about them.

Unfortunately none of them are built to last anymore.

That's my memory just from using my old top loader. A couple times I forgot to close the lid & it would run through the entire cycle until the spin & then it would just do nothing until you closed the lid. However that was also an older machine newer ones may only fill as it agitating with the lid open could be dangerous.

If I have the machine going and it is agitating... if I lift the lid it stops. When I close the lid it goes BBBBBRRRRRRTTTTTT.

Would it still do this if it was the lid switch?

I don't have an ohm meter but my dad does and we are heading out tomorrow to go visit them. I'm gonna have him hit the capacitor with a meter and see how well it is holding up. No bulges or visible leaks though so I'm not holding my breath there.

Sincerely.... I greatly appreciate the input of you fine folks.

I wouldn't think so. I'd assume if it was the switch it would behave the same whether the door was open or closed. If the operation changes when you open/close it's probably something else.

Does anyone have any problems with Kenmore washer and dryers?

Did we fix this piece of shit yet?

Canadian bacon nipples.

Not yet. Testing the capacitor tomorrow. If good, I'm gonna order a new timer and see if that gets it.

I heard he sold it to Latoshia Imes for $50 so she can wash the dirty $500 she has left.

It does have one? I'll be damned.

My Amana won't do shit until you close the lid, and it locks as soon as it's full.

The most common problem that washing machines have is the mix and fill valve, where the two hoses connect to the back of the washing machine. Try using a cycle that fills it with hot water and see if it works, then try filling it on a cold cycle and see if it fills. If one of those two doesn’t add water your mix and fill valve is bad.

A capacitor? Yup.

UPDATE:

I purchased a used timer off eBay for $30. Installed it today and the washer is back up and running as it should! I didn't have to take the cover, the capacitor, the water pump, or the motor off... but hey, at least I am not gonna be afraid of replacing another part down the line as it is all super easy to get into. LOL

Thanks to everyone who posted on this thread giving me ideas on what to do!

PS... the capacitor was just fine. No bulges or leaks and charged up on the multi-meter just fine.