The start button has to be held in for the dryer to run. When you let go, it shuts off. It is most likely not one of the following. Timer replaced, same problem persists. Door switch works properly. Motor is less than one year old. Motor is clean of dust. The problem is intermittent. Sometimes the old dryer runs like a youngster. Any help would be appreciated.
One of possibilities is a bad start switch or motor start switch. Perform the troubleshooting as described in the Service manual.
Here are the breakdown diagrams and Replacement parts for AMANA LEA50AW Dryer - Ele | AppliancePartsPros.com
Gene.
When you hold the start switch do you get heat?
If not then it is a good indication that the centrifugal mechanism on the motor is not activating the 2 switches. One for heat and the other to give a circuit path to the run winding when the start button is released.
One other possibility is a bad timer contacts.
See page 11-21 in the manual, contacts L1 to M must be closed.
[QUOTE=denman;233074]When you hold the start switch do you get heat?
If not then it is a good indication that the centrifugal mechanism on the motor is not activating the 2 switches. One for heat and the other to give a circuit path to the run winding when the start button is released.
One other possibility is a bad timer contacts.
See page 11-21 in the manual, contacts L1 to M must be closed.[/QUOTE]
Hi, thanks much for your post. The heating element does come on when the button is held in and the dryer is running. Sometimes the problem goes away for several weeks. Does this sound like the motor switch perhaps? Thanks again.
[QUOTE=Gene;232911]One of possibilities is a bad start switch or motor start switch. Perform the troubleshooting as described in the Service manual.
Here are the breakdown diagrams and Replacement parts for AMANA LEA50AW Dryer - Ele | AppliancePartsPros.com
Gene.[/QUOTE]
Thanks much Gene. I’ll look into these. The links were most helpful.
Does this sound like the motor switch perhaps?
Could be but is is difficult to troubleshoot, intermittent problems can drive a person crazy.
Another possibility would be a bad connection somewhere in the wiring going to the switch (corrosion or a loose connector or a poor crimp of a connector to the wire).
It looks like you can get just the switches.
If I could not find anything else wrong in the unit then that switch would be at the top of my list.
PS: I missed the part where you have already replaced the timer so that would be a much lower priority. It is not uncommon to get a bad part out of the box but it would be alsmost impossible for the same contacts to be bad on the replacement timer.
Problem solved. I performed the tests accoring to the repair manual and the motor switch was goog. THe problem was in the moto wiring harness resulting from loose connections. Thanks much for the help. The dryer is running like new.
You are welcome
And thanks for getting back to us. Now when others search for a similar problem they will see what actually worked instead of just suggestions about what could be the cause.
We had a similar problem with our Amana dryer. As long as you held down the start switch, everything was fine (motor running, heater working, etc.). After reading this thread we opened up the main body of the dryer and simply disconnected and reconnected every electrical connection we could find. This involved removal of the dryer drum to expose the heater, motor, and other electrical parts located below and behind it. We did not open up the control panel at the top, though we might have gone there next, if the problem wasn’t solved on the first pass. After reassembling the dryer everything worked correctly, and it has now been a couple of weeks with no problems. We actually do not feel certain that we fixed the problem, since intermittents, by nature, come and go, but perhaps we did. One reason we were willing to try this is that we had a furnace once that would cut out due to a loose connection. No component had gone bad, it was just a bad connection. So as a general rule, this seems like a step that is worth trying. Maybe we’ll try a bit of emery board if the problem recurs.