[schex001]

We have a relatively new (3 years or so) Kenmore Elite washer. It has been having the same problem on and off for a few weeks now. The washer will agitate during the wash and rinse cycles, but stops when it gets to the spin cycle. It just sits there full of water from the rinse, and emits a foul electrical smell. This only happened with 2 or 3 loads out of a dozen or so that have been washed. In each case, we would just restart the cycle somewhere in the rinse and it would complete the spin no problem. Last night, it happened again, only this time, resetting the cycle didn't work. And now, it won't even agitate in the wash cycle. It does make a rapid clicking sound when we do try to turn it on. What could be causing this? Is it something my handy husband could fix himself, or do we have to call a repairman?

[RickJ]

Could be the motor or a relay or another electrical part... definately burnt up.

It's not uncommon for these types of parts to go bad in stages like that.

Glance through these links for troubleshooting directions.

Washing machines can be a pain in the rump because of how all the stuff is laid out. A glance at the solution to your problem will help you see whether you want to tackle it on your own.

[fredg]

Hi,
Another issue with the Kenmore Washer, usually after 4 or 5 yrs, is the transmission. But, with the foul electrical smell, it's probably, as another stated, an electrical switch of some sort.
I do wish you the best.

[labman]

A clicking sound quite often is a relay with a coil dying. The coil pulls in the contacts, but can't hold them. It could also be a solenoid that shifts gears in the transmission. In both parts, a energized coil pulls a shaft in. In the solenoid, it is mechanical, where in a relay, the action is to move contacts switching a load.

[applguy]

The majority of Kenmore branded appliances are built by Whirlpool. I'd be willing to bet that's what you have. For the last few years Whirlpool has been plagued with timers that fail intermittently. Since Whirlpool washers all have at least a 2 speed motor, the timer is responsible for switching the polarity of the start winding to determine rotation, and also responsible for not sending voltage to the run winding that you don't want to use. If multiple windings are fed simultaneously, the motor will overheat and quit until it cools off. The rapid clicking of the motor indicates the timer is not sending voltage to the run winding you do want to use. It should apply voltage to the start and run windings together, constantly, and the motor centrifugal switch kills the start winding after the motor has started. Soooo, if you have voltage on the start winding but not the run winding, the motor will start, the motor switch will toggle and kill the start winding, the motor will stop, the motor switch will reset, the motor will start, etc, etc, etc. Sounds like a bad timer. Good luck.

[budnspuds]

I was wondering what you were able to find out because this is the same problem I have been dealing with for the past year. We purchased a Whirlpool Gold for $800 back in 2002 and in 2005 (3 years later) I had the burning smell and the wash was full of water. It proceeded to turn into a huge mess as I had 6 repairmen out 5 from Sears and 1 from another place. I won't bore you with the headaches but the very last (VERY EXPERIENCED) guy was able to tell me it had to do with the wiring and he pushed them back in (I can't find my file so I can't tell you the part) and it seemed to work for quite a while. He did admit that he couldn't see the wires underneath the casing so he wasn't 100% sure it would be fixed but that was the first answer that made sense.

So a few months after that it started getting stuck on 8 minutes which was the spin cycle. It would smell burned and I would shut it off. I would wait for awhile and then go back and turn it on and it would finish the cycle. There are only 2 of us in this house so it only runs 2-3 loads a week. I have been able to keep doing this but only out of not wanting to deal with the headache of everything I went through last year.

So I was hoping you were able to find someone that was able to fix yours and you could give me some hope. I spent $800 on what I thought was a quality washing machine and the infrequency of it's use and so early on has me feeling a bit discouraged about purchasing a new one. One person here mentioned a flood of trouble with this same thing and I don't want to buy a new one that will just do the same.

Thanks so much for your help!
Shawn

[labman]

Where are you getting the burning smell? I have had trouble with my older Kenmore with wires jiggling around at the time until the conductors broke off under the insulation. I was able to splice them, once I found them. With what I read about the newer appliances, the more it looks like fixing the old what ever the cost.

[budnspuds]

Thanks Labman!

I appreciate your help. I was able to wait a bit and then hit spin and it finally went and the next 2 loads were fine. That's how I keep avoiding the repairs. It's not that I am unwilling to pay for repairs. What I found was it was only the last repairman that knew what he was doing so I am not wanting to go through that mess again to find one.

I don't know exactly where the burning smell is coming from. It just stinks in the laundry room. I can't get behind it to pinpoint it. I did find the complaint file I had for Sears and the last repairman wrote this brief explanation:

Component failure: connector at motor reconnected test OK at this time unable to find break in wire.

Labor performed: Wire Harness/Connector

It worked for a few months and then it started doing it again. So I will just call. I was just hoping to have a better explanation to give the dispatch so I can not go through what I did last year.

I do agree that repairing it is best as I was doing research on various brands and they all seem to have problems which is not very comforting.

Thanks again!!

[kayswhitten]

I had the very same problem with my brand new (3 weeks old) Kenmore Elite washer. If I let it rest for a while I sometimes could get the thing to spin out.

I also was worried about the "hot" smell (another reason to let it rest).

The Sears repairman was even stumped until he called his lifeline. He had replaced the motor, tested the circuits, asked about our house wiring, etc. The last resort was to call the top troubleshooter (what I called his lifeline). They determined it was a bad timer. He did not have a timer with him and since it was Christmas and I didn't want to wait I had Sears replace the machine.

Hope you find your problem without a lot of expense!

[budnspuds]

Thanks kayswitten!! :D

I appreciate you sharing your experience with me. I will be calling Sears again in the near future. They replaced my motor too and it didn't need replacing. So I will mention the timer as well as the other things mentioned here so I appreciate yours and everyone's advice here!! :D

Shawn

[applguy]

If none of the techs have replaced the timer, I would seriously suggest that they do it. These new timers usually fail intermittently, and they are sealed units, meaning you can't see anything inside. It would be next to impossible to definitely say whether a timer is good or bad, so if warranty is still valid, I would insist they replace it unless they can assure without a doubt that it doesn't need replacing (i.e. they definitely found the problem elsewhere). No one will tell them they can't. If the tech decides it should be replaced, he or she can do so without factory interference. Most companies (mine included) would be more than happy to send any technician the owner requests, so if you or they keep records of who it was, you should be able to request, and get, the one you want. Good luck.

[budnspuds]

Thanks Appleguy!!

I appreciate your input too!! :) I am laughing about requesting a specific repairman because the last guy (#6 repairman) was great and of course I asked him if I could request him if I had any future problems. His response was he was retiring last December!! :eek:

I just found it funny that even the repairmen were contradicting each other. So I will only be able to request an experienced technician.

I will definitely suggest the timer as a possible repair so I really appreciate your input.

Thanks!
Shawn

[YoungMrAffordable]

I had a Ken Elite come in yesterday with the same issues. I changer the transmission out with a older one . No more smell and it goes trough the cycles again. I believe it to be a gear in the trans. This seems to be a big problem with the kenmore design. I would suggest when buying sears products always buy the extended warranty. That's what I hear most complaints of. That and sears being too expensive lol Happy Laundering

[kjlewis54]

My Whirlpool washer which is 20plus years old will agitate, but not spin. It does drain, but the clothes are dripping wet when the wash cycle is complete.

[stampmanbob]

We have a relatively new (3 years or so) Kenmore Elite washer. It has been having the same problem on and off for a few weeks now. The washer will agitate during the wash and rinse cycles, but stops when it gets to the spin cycle. It just sits there full of water from the rinse, and emits a foul electrical smell. This only happened with 2 or 3 loads out of a dozen or so that have been washed. In each case, we would just restart the cycle somewhere in the rinse and it would complete the spin no problem. Last night, it happened again, only this time, resetting the cycle didn't work. And now, it won't even agitate in the wash cycle. It does make a rapid clicking sound when we do try to turn it on. What could be causing this? Is it something my handy husband could fix himself, or do we have to call a repairman?

I had a similar problem... changed the transmission about 2 tears ago... now it will spin but the slows down and acts like something is binding it up... the the motor breaker shuts it off... comes back on... but keeps doing it again... today I ran three loads before it quit... tranny again?

[razor ray]

My kenmore washer won't spin no clicking sound

[Angrycustomer]

The majority of Kenmore branded appliances are built by Whirlpool. I'd be willing to bet that's what you have. For the last few years Whirlpool has been plagued with timers that fail intermittently. Since Whirlpool washers all have at least a 2 speed motor, the timer is responsible for switching the polarity of the start winding to determine rotation, and also responsible for not sending voltage to the run winding that you don't want to use. If multiple windings are fed simultaneously, the motor will overheat and quit until it cools off. The rapid clicking of the motor indicates the timer is not sending voltage to the run winding you do want to use. It should apply voltage to the start and run windings together, constantly, and the motor centrifugal switch kills the start winding after the motor has started. Soooo, if you have voltage on the start winding but not the run winding, the motor will start, the motor switch will toggle and kill the start winding, the motor will stop, the motor switch will reset, the motor will start, etc, etc, etc. Sounds like a bad timer. Good luck.

=
your all right, my name is David.

[jacoby]

Hi, I have the Kenmore Elite Oasis. The machine is about 3 years old. It is not spinning and there is a "F" where the time of the load should be.