Can anyone on here help me fix my dryer?
I've got a kenmore elite that seems to have a short somewhere in it. I'll be posting some pictures and a short video as well.
I am no electrician, but I imagine if someone were to assist me in the process I might be able to figure this out.
Lol, I failed pretty hard with that first pic. let me try again.
and a front shot
Here is the video
vid dot me/ipGo
hopefully my voice isn't too annoying.
Any ideas on what the issue might be and how to fix it?
Or any additional information I might be able to provide to help figure it out?
what makes you think it is a short? what symptoms does it have?
look at those resistors and IC chips. Do they look burned/charred/broken? Is that ckt board on the right touching metal?
Post more pics
>>901793
whhats wrong with it?
do you have a multimeter
>>901807
I actually do.
I just have to go find it.
It has done this once before, and then it just started working again. Which is one of the reasons I think it is a short. However I could definitely be wrong.
>>901806
I don't see any charring or broken pieces. The circuit board is not touching any metal.
When I press the start button you can see the dial spinning behind the knob to select the drying time/method, but nothing else seems to be happening.
Thanks for the responses!
>>901818
check the door switch. its probably bad
sometimes the simplest things can cause major problems
>>901819
It doesn't seem to be the door switch. The mechanism behind the timer dial does not activate if the door is open, but does if it is closed.
I will keep looking for my multimeters, but I think my old roommate may have stolen them when he moved out.
>>901807
found one of my meters.
I didn't poke around the circuit board, but I was able to get a reading off of every other wire I could find back there.
I haven't tested any of the wires in different areas of the dryer yet, just in the control panel.
>>901832
After playing with a bit more I see that some combinations give me a reading of 122 and some give me around half of that, while others read 0. Although with the right combination all will give a reading.
I apologize for being so ignorant, and all of my assumptions here might be wrong, but I'm assuming readings of 122 indicate both are working properly, readings of 0 indicate that both are negative or both are positive currents, and the readings in the middle indicate that one of them is not working?
Even if those assumptions are correct I would still need a bit of help figuring out how to get the parts that aren't working to work.
>>901793
No breakers are tripping? If not its probably not a short. Check all the switches and dials to make sure they are working properly.
>>902003
any guess as to what it might be?
I've ruled out the door switch.
I can see the mechanism behind the dial for selecting time is spinning, but nothing is actually happening.
This happened once before, and later in the day it started working again. I did absolutely nothing to fix it, and it worked for a month or two after that until yesterday when it stopped again.
My ex roommate stole just about everything from me when he moved out, and he disappeared even his family doesn't know where he is. Long story short I'm beyond broke right now. I really can't afford a new dryer, or paying someone to fix it.
I don't know much about electronics, but I am pretty smart, and fairly good with my hands, so if someone were willing to kinda walk me through it I would be capable of following whatever instructions were given.
thanks for the help so far.
>>902022
Make sure that the push button is working, make sure all the connections are tight on everything that you can find (with no power of course). Not sure if yours has a fuse in it or not, but check that too of course. I've had a wire wear through insulation and short before from vibration and time.
If it stopped before and came out of it, maybe it was overheated or something is loose. Make sure to check the drum motor and "stuff" down there too if you don't find anything on top.
>>902030
Sorry, I just saw that you already looked at the start button... Anyway, yeah make sure to check the stuff below too
Check all switches with your multimeter. There are probably mechanical switches (door, on/off) but maybe some thermal ones? Locate all sensors and see if they work, there are probably some thermal at least. Maybe one of these is giving a false reading.
As you measure 122 it is safe to assume you are an americunt?
Check the circuit board for loose components. On my washing machine I have soldered a relay that gets loose.
I don't have a dryer but I would suspect that it is not a especially complex machine.
Mains powers the circuit board and the board supplies current to the motor, some kind of blower and the heater. There are some switches and sensors that the board uses to decide how much and when it should power the dryer.
Logically it's like an octopus where the body is the circuit board and the arms are sensors, switches, motors, heaters and the like. One or more of these arms has malfunction and you need to measure/figure out which and what. So trace the logic behind the machine, you are self proclaimed smart so I think you can do it. You can try things like override the door switch or sensors with a jumper wire (once you have figured out which is what, check for part numbers online to figure out what is what). If you are new to repairing stuff like this just remember that mains HURTS or might even kill you. Don't touch exposed wires when the machine is energized... First do your fix and then plug it in and measure the if it made any difference.
This is how I (and probably others) have learned to fix appliances.
>>902030
I guess I was incorrectly using the word short. My apologies. I meant I figured something had wiggled loose and therefor power was not getting to where it needed to go. Sorry for the incorrect vernacular.
I'm attempting to look at the components down below. but to get a reading from the multimeter I have to be holding the start button. the start button is up top, the internal stuff is at the very bottom. My arms aren't long enough to hold the multimeter on the wires and press the button. lol I guess I might try using a rubber band and see if I can get the multimeter to "grab" the wires without me holding onto it.
>>902034
Great advice. I am indeed an americunt. I will definitely try not to electrocute myself. So far so good.
Thanks again for the assistance, means a lot.
>>902041
because of the reach issue it's rather difficult to check everything down there, but I've checked some and only have gotten a reading off of one so far. I'll be uploading a few pictures.
I added some color to where I connected the multimeter. The yellow is the only one that worked. The red and the green did not work. I tried to provide a few different angles.
>>902057
>>902058
>>902062
last pic.
I realize it's insanely dirty in there. I'm going to go work on cleaning that up a bit now.
I can't see anything noticeably loose, but maybe i'll be able to see a little better once the dirt is gone.
I THINK I FOUND THE ISSUE!!! :D
I just have no idea how to fix it. lol
I found a belt that fell off, I'll post a video in a bit once I've taken one and it uploads.
I have no idea how to reattach the belt though because it is in a very difficult place to reach.
>>902108
Take the whole dryer apart if you have to.
>>902108
belt is broken. just need to replace the belt hopefully.
Now to find the right belt, and then reassemble everything.
Hopefully i'll have a working dryer again soon.
>>902112
Post a pic of the front and side of the dryer. Chances are the top piece curls around the top edge and there is a seam going all the way around. Dryers usually snap together at the top and when that is off, you can find screws to release the sides. For a belt you will need full access to the big drum the clothes go in to. The belt is one piece, and has to go on in one piece.
Also see if you can find a repair schematic to see how your belt routes through the tensioner.
I have a working dryer again.
Thanks DIY
>>902171
Woot! :D
Also, sucks that you roommate stole your stuff but now you know how much of a friend he is.
