I have a whirlpool electric dryer model number gew9868kq0.

When I have a little load it dries OK in auto mode. When I have a med to full load I have to start it up a few times to dry in auto sensing mode.

Any help would be great...

Mike

1. Excessive lint is the #1 cause of this. Check the vent first: if it's kinked or clogged, fix it and try a load... or better yet, give even the insides a good cleaning too: general instructions here.

2. Try a medium-large load in timed mode: set it for about the normal time it took to dry them before in auto mode (50 min or so?). If it dries OK, then the control for Auto is bad.

If #1 and #2 don't help, you've probably got a broken heating element or sensor.

Replacing the heating element is not too difficult once you get to where you can see them. (It looks like a giant spring). Once you do get to where you can see them, you can either look for one that's broken or test them with a continuity tester.

... that's as far as I can take you. Hope it helps!

Since this dryer is electronically controlled, it will usually tell you when something is mechanically wrong with the dryer. If you're not getting any fault codes in the display, try this first: The simplest test for a clogged vent is to pull the unit out, disconnect the vent from the dryer, and run another load. If it dries OK, then your vent is restricted. Try to divert the exhaust air away to the right (left side if you're behind it) during this test because the dryer pulls room air in on the left side, and you don't want it to pull in hot air it just exhausted. You can't usually tell if the vent is restricted by feeling airflow, because usually the owner doesn't know how much air is supposed to be coming out. If you don't know that, it would be very hard to say. Also, make sure the vent duct is as short and straight as humanly possible. The longer it is, the more frequently it would need to be cleaned out. Good luck.