I have an old Kenmore washing machine - 19 or 20 years old! It has never given me any problems until now! It fills and agitates but won't drain or spin. It will drain and spin, though, if I stick a screwdriver into the little hole inside the washer's top opening. It's the hole that the little stick inside the lid goes into when you close the lid. Sorry for the bad terminololgy but I don't know what to call it. Can anyone tell me what I need to do to fix the washer? It will finish the load as long as the screwdriver is in the hole. But what do I need to do for a permanent fix? THANK YOU!!

Inside that little whole is a switch(like a safety switch) so it will only spin out when lid is shut so nothing can fly out and damage anything because during the spin cycle it gets going pretty fast. There should be a little knob or post that is on your lid and when you shut the lid that little post goes into the little whole in your washer, is the little post broken or gone? If so you can buy a new one at a appliance repair or parts store and that should fix your problem. If the Knob is on the lid than maybe you need a new switch in that little whole because its not working.