I have a slightly older, non-digital, front loading electric Kenmore dryer... model 110.64632300. It has run reliably for a number of years now, save an occasional replacement of an electric heater element or two. A couple of years ago, the door switch that should cause the drum to stop when the door opens stopped functioning, but that was never an issue for us....if we needed to open the door while it was still running, we were just prepared to catch any items trying to make an escape.

Today, on the third load of laundry to be dried, it started acting up. The load was relatively light (a pair of slacks, a pair of shorts, a light sweater, and a couple pairs of socks). My wife said that about 2-3 minutes into the drying cycle (normal - heat) the machine stopped running. I came to check, didn't see anything, so I pressed the start button and it started right up. After a couple minutes it stopped again. This was repeated a few times. I adjusted the position of the cycle selector to see if it was a problem with the timer/cycle process, but it did the same thing. I tried a couple different settings (perm press, delicate, etc.) and the same thing happened. I then ran it with the door open to see if I could hear any sounds that might have been masked by the door. I could not detect anything, but when I closed the door....the machine stopped! Now, it won't start when the door is closed....but if the door is open, it does. When the door is closed, the dryer stops.

I have since disassembled the entire thing to see if I could identify any mechanical issues that could be at fault, but drum and roller bearings, belt tensioner, etc. all looked fine. I reassembled the machine and checked it's operation. I have the same thing.....now it only starts with the door open... and when it does run, it only runs a couple minutes before it stops. It sounds like a control circuit issue to me, but it is an older style, with minimal high end features.

Any thoughts?

Thanks. Doofus53