View Full Version : How can I unlock the control lock on my Kenmore washer?
barbaduncan
Mar 19, 2007, 08:48 PM
How can I unlock the control lock on my Ken,ore washer?
mjalbert
May 11, 2007, 04:40 AM
How do I unlock a kenmore dishwasher
kingyo
Jun 9, 2007, 02:39 PM
How do I unlock a kenmore dishwasher
Depress and hold the heated dry button until the light goes out. This may take more than the suggested 4 seconds (Sears suggestion).
abcinco
Jun 12, 2007, 05:45 AM
How can I unlock the control lock on my Ken,ore washer?
Yeah, my sister in law is having the same problem... but more specific, they just moved into their new home & unpacked everything... then she needed to do laundry, and tried to open the washer door, and it remains locked...
On the washer the instructions, it says to hold down the drain/spin button for a few seconds, and then it will unlock. So far nothing happens. Anyone else have a solution? Thanks in advance!
Abc
kingyo
Jun 12, 2007, 09:34 AM
This is an update to the dishwasher problem. Kenmore (actually Whirlpool) has a safety switch at the control panel. If water temperature is not regulated properly it locks the controls. In this situation, it really is a matter of unregulated water temperature control. For the dishwasher this is supposed to be internally set at 140 degrees F. It is likely that the thermostat (or the heating element may also be faulty) is faulty. It may be helpful to purchase a manual for the unit to see if they show you where the thermostat is located. To test the thermostat, unhook it from the (dishwasher) unit, place it metal down on a grill and turn on grill close to temp settings, and make continual checks of the Ohm continuity. Once the thermostat has reached default settings it should open (that is from nearly 0 Ohms to an infinity setting). If no changes occur in the Ohm-meter reading when close to temperature factory settings the thermostat is bad. Depending upon how new the unit is this is probably something that can be found without having to move the unit. If you think you can discover the thermostat without the manual, it is likely close to where the heating element is connected and will be supported by a small bracket (single screw).
As for the washer problem, it sounds like any one of a couple of things could have gone bad. It could be the logic board (assuming this is machine with touch digital controls) or at least a resistor on the logic board has gone bad. Nevertheless the whole logic board is bad. Thankfully logic boards on wash machine control panels are not equivalent to computer logic boards. That is they are relatively cheap and easy to replace. You could also have a problem with the timer, but on digital models this is not as easy because you can’t just advance the dial to see if there is a ‘dead’ spot. However with all that said, the first thing I would check is to make sure that the door switch is not damaged. There should be some resistance to the door switch, but when depressed it should feel as though it has some ‘click’ to it.
cabingirl4
Feb 26, 2010, 10:23 AM
This also works on the KitchenAid dishwashers. Just press the ProDry button for about 10 seconds.
jacknoob75
Apr 29, 2010, 06:47 PM
Depress and hold the heated dry button until the light goes out. This may take more than the suggested 4 seconds (Sears suggestion).
Thanks, This method worked :)
Holding the Air Dry button for 4 seconds worked and it got unlocked :)
I was freaked out tried doing other methods many times but didn't work.
cmagana
Aug 20, 2010, 07:34 PM
Depress and hold the heated dry button until the light goes out. This may take more than the suggested 4 seconds (Sears suggestion).
Thank you so much for the answer. I have been all week without a dishwasher. Thanks again.
conn13
May 11, 2011, 08:52 PM
Flip the circuit breaker to the dishwasher off for a minute, then back on. This should reset the brain and clear the lock that was accidentally locked.
hcarson
Jul 25, 2011, 06:15 PM
I just hold every button down for 5 or 6 seconds. Because I don't have a heat button on mine. It work and unlocked the control panel.
Sorrell
Dec 29, 2011, 05:07 PM
Very helpful! I had to push and hold the "Control Lock" button for about 5 seconds. It worked!
handyman518
May 11, 2012, 04:30 PM
I had to hit the cancel button first then that locked light blinked then I hit the heated dry button for 4 seconds or so
RhondaSingsHU
Sep 18, 2012, 12:56 PM
Thank you soooo much! What you suggested worked for our Kenmore dishwasher too!!
RhondaSingsHU
Sep 18, 2012, 12:57 PM
Very helpful! I had to push and hold the "Control Lock" button for about 5 seconds. It worked! This suggestion worked for me too!! Thank you soooo much!! :-)
Ibbi
Oct 6, 2012, 06:55 PM
TWO Thumbs up! That did the trick. Thanks.
Casset
Dec 20, 2012, 01:23 PM
I just experience this for the first time. I held the "Heated Dry" button for about the recommended 4 seconds and it worked.The "heated Dry" button on my model works as the toggle to turn on and off the "Locked" function.
trixy222
May 5, 2013, 07:14 AM
The heated dry button worked for me. I held it in for about 7 seconds. Thank you Jesus.
trixy222
May 5, 2013, 07:15 AM
I held down the heated dry button for about 7 seconds. It worked. Thank you Jesus!
gratefully
Aug 26, 2013, 01:46 PM
Thank you for the No Heat Dry/Air Dry hint. It worked! We've got company and my daugher's wedding the end of the week. :-)