I have an old Kenmore heavy duty washer that has been so faithful till now. The washer will fill up and start aggitating. It keeps aggitating until the spin cycle, then stops... I'll move the timer a tad, and then it will continue aggitating... it will not spin or drain. Could this be the timer? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
Thanks,
Larry:)

I may be able to illustrate some possibilities, but only with a model number. There will be a model/serial tag, usually under the lid, at the bottom right or left corner of the cabinet, or on the back of the machine if it's really old.

Thanks for your reply.
The # is C1104430081 for a Kenmore heavy duty washer
Thanks

I'm sorry, but could you recheck the model number? It's not coming up on the Sears site. Ignore the "C". Usually, there will be 8 digits after the "110." Otherwise, we may have to do it the hard way.

Hi,
This is the 7 digit # that is on the machine. The serial is MF13972. This is a Canadian model. Is there a difference?
Thanks

Yep, that would make a big difference. Is there a large metal removable panel on the back centered at the bottom, about 18" square, held by 2 screws at the bottom? From the rear perspective, which side does the fill hoses connect to the washer?

Yes, a removable panel held by 2 screws. From a rear perspective, the fill hoses connect to the right. From a front view, with the machine against the wall, to the left, hooked up to the sink.

I'm a little unclear about "just stops". Does the motor stop running? If the motor continues to run, read on. If it doesn't, you may indeed have a bad timer. This is the old belt drive system. The agitate and spin functions in this washer are controlled by what is called a control magnet, or "wig wag". Looking through the rear access panel, you can see them bobbing back and forth (hence the goofy name). When the timer sends voltage to one solenoid, the plunger raises up, and shifts the transmission into agitate and, on some models, shifts the pump into recirculation mode. When the voltage is removed, the plunger drops, and the transmission is shifted into neutral. When the other solenoid is energized, it shifts the transmission into spin. The main question here is: do we have voltage on the spin solenoid when it's time to spin? Very hard to test for since the part is bobbing back and forth. The first thing to check is the lid switch. It should click when pushed and released. Can be checked by simply removing the two wires and putting them together. Make sure to isolate the connection from surrounding metal, so as not to create a short. If it starts to drain then, you have a bad lid switch. You might also check for a broken wire where they go through the top bracket of the wig wag, and make sure the plungers aren't broken. One easy way to test the wig wag is to reverse the red and yellow wires, therefore reversing the job of the solenoids. With a full tub of water, if you reverse the leads, set the machine for agitate (beginning of cycle), the machine should start to drain, provided the lid is closed (or lid switch is actuated with a small screwdriver). If it does start to drain, then you will be fairly sure that you either have a broken wire or a bad timer because the spin solenoid is working. If it doesn't, then you likely have a bad wig wag, which should be readily available at a local repair shop. Not likely to be an easy part to replace, since the machine is so old. There is only one wig wag, so you won't need any other information. Good luck, and let me know if I have totally confused you.

Thanks very much for this info Appleguy. Yes, the motor stops. When I move the timer, it continues to aggitate.
Larry:)