Here are your parts
Replacement parts for MAYTAG MDE5500AYW Dryer - Ele | AppliancePartsPros.comHere is a service manual
http://www.servicematters.com/maytag_library/docs/16023110.pdf[COLOR="Blue"]My control board is lite up but when I hit start nothing happens???? I think it needs a new control panel but could it be something else???[/COLOR]
Yes, could be a thermal fuse is blown.
Take a look at the wiring diagram Page 10-2, you will see two thermal fuses in line with the motor.
Unplug the unit and check them with a meter, both should be 0 ohms.
If it is the one on the blower is blown Item 10 in Section 5 be sure to clean/check your vent system as this is the most common cause of it blowing.
If it is the one on the heater assembly is blown Item 11 in Section 4 then you have to find out what caused it to go.
Note: that sometimes they do just blow on their own but changing it without checking other things is a gamble.
Check the heating coil.
Unplug the unit and both wires to the coil.
Check it with a meter, should be around 12 ohms.
Then check from each side of the coil to the case/frame, both should be infinite ohms (open). If not the coil may have sagged or broken and is touching the case. This can cause it to run on high and the thermostats cannot regulate it.
If the above is OK then you will also have to replace the hi-limit Item 8 in Section 4 as it should have regulated the temperature so the fuse did not blow.
You still have to find out why it blew.
Check the seal (drum etc) in the unit. The air is pulled over the heating coils, through the drum and pushed out the exhaust. So any large seal leak will pull in room air and the cycling thermostat on the blower will run the unit hot.
Check that the lint filter is not coated with fabric softener residue which greatly reduces air flow.
Check/clean your vent system.
Check/clean the blower wheel.
If all OK you may want to replace the cycling thermostat as it's contacts may not be opening (welded shut).
Also check that the door switch contacts are closing.
If you do not own a meter, I would suggest you purchase a one. 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.
