40 yr old Kenmore washer won't spin
ginjj
9 years ago
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moviegeek
9 years agoWhitelacey
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Kenmore 90 Series won't drain
Comments (1)Series 90 can cover a range of production years and mechanical designs. Please cite the full model number, which should be in the format xxx.someothernumbers .... such as 110.20907990 Assuming it's a typical Whirlpool-built, direct-drive/transmission machine 20 years old or less ... draining the wash (or rinse) water is actually a separate process that should be completed *before* spin begins. Of course draining continues during spin to get rid of the water extracted from the load. What is happening immediately after the wash or rinse agitation period?...See MoreKenmore washer timer problem
Comments (4)The lid switch doesn't ordinarily come into play during agitation except for the last two mins of the wash period. Depends on how your machine is designed. Some newer models won't run the motor at all with the lid open, for either agitation or spin. Older models will agitate (except for the last 2 mins as noted) but not spin. An 11-year-old machine should fall into the 2-min scenario. You should hear a faint click when the lid switch is depressed/released, although it can be mechanically OK but not make contact electrically so the only way to know for sure is test it with a volt/ohm meter or temporarily bypass it to see if the problem is eliminated. There are other parts more expensive than timers. Search your model at www.searspartsdirect.com to see parts diagrams. Your problem could be the timer. Could also be the motor bearings going bad, causing it to run under an excessive load and overheat, shut off until it cools ... but if it restarts immediately after you jiggle the timer then that's not likely the case. Timer part # 3951166 is listed $117.73 at Sears. Do a search for the part number, you may find a better price....See Morewasher spinning rough on every load
Comments (38)So it turns out you guys were right about what the problem was! After failing thus far to fix our old washer, and with the fat rebates, we decided to buy a new HE machine. So we carried the old machine down the stairs and hoisted it up into my Jeep. Well, what do you know, in the bright sunlight and ideal viewing angle of the bottom of the machine, we could see those skate pad thingies in some places crumbling to dust. :( I was like, "You said you looked at these and they were fine!!" In the very dim lighting of our laundry room, and the viewing angle when the machine is upright, he didn't notice the deterioration. There is also a lot of black greasy dust, so some of the metal parts might also need replacing before it would spin nicely again. However, by this time we were already the owners of a new Whirlpool Duet 9400SZ. I thought the deal at Costco was too good to pass up for a HE machine with these features. We had to bring it home and install it ourselves, so we definitely earned the savings. (Other stores have "free" install and haul-away.) We have a 180-degree turn in one doorway, 90-degree in anothers, and stairs. However, I was unsure whether I'd like this new washer, so I appreciate the insurance of Costco's 100% satisfaction guarantee, plus 2-year warranty. (I wouldn't be surprised if they let us return the old washer, but that doesn't seem right to me.) So far, I am not thrilled with the Duet. I want to like it, and I REALLY don't want to carry it back down the stairs to return to Costco. But towels, especially the Turkish ones, emerged with a horrible new texture, like the loops are hardened, flattened, and clumped. There were lines or even whole areas with loops pulled completely out of some towels so that only the woven base remains. With clothes, using the normal or delicate cycle and cooler wash temps, I'm not seeing damage, but they're not getting as clean as I'm used to, either. And yes, I read the manual, and yes, I'm using HE detergents. I was already using Kirkland Free & Clear Ultra HE and OxiClean even with my old machine, and I relied heavily on long soaking (done manually) to get everything clean as gently as possible. I don't know if I can get as good of results with this machine even though on paper it has great features....See MoreWasher won't advance to drain and spin
Comments (10)I forgot to mention that there are no warning beeps or unfamiliar noises but I'm pretty sure I can smell something which resembles an extra hot old iron that hasn't been used for ages. Pydies05, I am confused about your post because that seems to be your only post on this thread. Are you the OP under a different user-name? I recently had the won't-spin-or-drain problem on my 8-year-old Kenmore washer. There was a hot-metal smell which made me certain the motor had died. However, I looked online and found that cleaning the lid latch could solve the problem. So I dabbed at the lid latch with a Kleenex -- and also the hole the latch went into -- and then re-set the knob, and everything was fine!...See Morelee676
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