[cgooding]

My Kenmore washer drum has stopped turning. I have gone so far as to figure out that the motor will run with the belt off, but when I put the belt back on, it will not turn. Drum turns fine by hand. HELP!!!

[fairbank56]

Does it fill, agitate and drain normally? Just not spinning?

Eric

[cgooding]

It will fill and drain in diagnostic mode. Whatever is going on with the motor keeps it from doing those things in a normal cycle. If I put it in a normal cycle, it will lid lock, sense, unlock, lock again and then lid lock blink. I can hear the motor trying to run (it hums, but will turn if I take the drive belt off).

[fairbank56]

Still learning this new washer design. A flashing lid lock indicator means a lid lock fault. The lid lock has two switches in it, the lid switch and the lock switch. Since the motor runs (with belt off), the lock switch must be working because motor current is through that switch. Check the lid switch by unplugging J15 (red,wht,blu,yel) from the control unit and check continuity across blu and wht wires with lid closed. If it's open, the lid switch is bad, if it checks good, it appears that the lid switch mechanism is ok so I'd say there is likely a problem with the control unit. Are you able to freely rotate the larger pulley by hand? There have been numerous problems with control units, shifters and transmissions on these washers.

The shifter is another problematic item that may be causing your problem. The shifter has an optical sensor that fits up into a hole in the gearcase that detects spin rpm. It also has a switch that tells the control unit what mode it's in (spin/agitate). Problems reported with bad wiring on these shifters as well and bad connections on the motor run capacitor. Here's some info from another forum. Lots of complaints of machine not working with flashing lid lock indicator.

1. Vertical Modular Washer (VMW)
Belt Drive Washer ‐ lock light is
on, and the unit will not run,
start, or spin — Go into diagnostics
and retrieve the codes, and
clear them. This is very important
since most complaints start with
the lid lock on and blinking, or the
unit will not start and spin.
If, when in diagnostics the codes
are F7E1, F7E5, or motor speed
codes, then chances are it is a motor,
capacitor, or shifter related
issue. Once the codes are cleared,
put the washer into a manual diagnostic
test and run the HEAVY AGITATION;
if after 15‐20 Seconds the
motor runs then you can rule out
the motor, capacitor, control, and
most likely the wiring harness connections
(although still check the
BK wire from the shifter to the control).
Remember, the timing wheel
only turns in the transmission during
the spin cycle.
Next, while in Manual diagnostics,
try to get the unit to spin; if the
motor hums for a split second and
then shuts down with the lid lock
blinking; go back into diagnostic
codes and look for shifter or speed
sensor errors. This is proof that the
shifter/sensor assembly is the issue
because the optical sensor is not
reading the motor speed.
Servicers can run the tests above
without pulling a screwdriver out
of the tool box or using the VOM
and you can accurately diagnose
this in a short time.

VMW Washer Showing F7E1
(Basket Speed Sensor Fault) –
Check for (13 volts, direct current
[VDC]) out of control terminal J2. If
13 VDC is missing, no speed sensor.
Check harness between control J2
and J16 to shifter. Check for open
or cut harness at “wire coil”
mounted under the tub. Shorted
harness will take out the control.
Repair short before replacing control

Eric

[cgooding]

Thanks, Eric. I'll check the lid switch and hope that's it.
When I attempt to check the codes, I only get all LEDs flashing, nothing else. I get the same thing and beeps when I try to clear codes.

[cgooding]

I checked the connection with a digital multimeter. Forgive me, as I am pretty dense when it comes to electricity. When I measured the continuity about 40.8 appeared and then the meter decreased until the meter read OL. I have no idea what this means. Maybe someone could help me out.