[rolledthatho]

ok so ive done a LOT of searching because it first i thought it was my timer. now i dont think it is.

symptoms

i NEVER have to use the push-to-start button i either open or close the door to turn it on or off.

the dryer has ONE stopping point and thats the end of the "air fluff" cycle. if i put it on auto dry, it will run through the stop zone into the timed dry, it will then run through the timed dry stop zone into the air fluff and to the end of that where it finally stops (needless to say my electric bill has been INSANE because of this. ive lifted the head unit off and inspected the timer through the little clear window and i can see it spinning not to mention when the knob gets to done with one of the cycles and its in the "finish zone" i can clearly hear the timer still ticking it just keeps ticking until the needle is out of the "stop zone" and into another cycle.

i just put a heating element in this thing a year ago and now the auto dry isnt heating so we dry everything in timed dry (this is a side note, i dont really care as much about this i just want it to stop when it gets to the end of timed dry!

again the only way this dryer stops is if i open the door (leaving the light on all night) or it runs all the way through the air fluff

any help appreciated

[rolledthatho]

so after much research im almost positive its my Push to start switch. can anyone tell me exactly how to test it. i dont know ANYTHING about wiring/electrical leads, wires circuits. so putting it in dummy terms wont make me feel bad

[rolledthatho]

yep this is my problem

"1. The switch contacts arcing shut resulting in a short circuit to the motor. The symptom will be the motor starts running as soon as the timer is turned to start a cycle, and the door is closed."

as stated in this article

http://appliancejunk.com/forums/index.php?topic=1414.0

how can i test to make sure!

[denman]

I would suggest you purchase a meter. You can get a decent digital multimeter for under $20.00. You do not need fancy though it is nice if the leads are a couple feet long.
If it saves ordering one unnecessary part it has paid for itself and you end up owning a useful tool.
Most places will not let you return electrical parts so if you order it, you own it.
A couple things to watch when measuring ohms and continuity
1. Always remove power from the machine otherwise you could blow your meter.
2. Always disconnect at least one side of any device you are checking. This eliminates the possibility of measuring an alternate/parallel circuit path.
3. When checking for closed contacts and continuity use the lowest scale (Usually 200 ohms). Then try higher scales. This scale is 0 to 200 ohms so if the device you are measuring is 300 ohms this scale would show an open circuit which it is not, you are just measuring outside the scale's dynamic range.

There is a good STICKY at the start of this forum about it's use.

[rolledthatho]

thank you so much for your post den, im actually kinda familiar with the tool as i own one already. but i never know "how" to test what im testing. when i flip the dead unit over i see the switch right there attached to it are two wires, one black (ground i suppose) and one white/redish wire. i take it i pull those "wires" off and touch the pos meter to pos tab on the switch and same with the neg to black?

also what am i looking for on the meter ive heard the number i want to see if it is working correctly is 0? its digital by the way. i think i know what to do now, just dont know what to look for haha!

[denman]

i take it i pull those "wires" off and touch the pos meter to pos tab on the switch and same with the neg to black?
Yes

also what am i looking for on the meter ive heard the number i want to see if it is working correctly is 0?
Now for some meter usage.
Set the unit to the 200 ohm scale.
Meter will display nothing or flash a decimal point or something like that re: an open
Now short the leads together, meter should go to zero re: a short
Now you know what an open and a short should be.
Measure the switch
It should be an open till you press it and then it should short.