Electrolux Dryer runs 5-10 seconds and shuts down

Dryer Repair
1

Brand: Electrolux
Model Number: EFME627UTT2
Main Symptom: Intermittent run time
What happens & when: Runs 5-10 seconds and shuts down

Error Code (if any): E-53
Parts or tests already tried: Ordered and installed Main Control Board and Wiring Harness from AppliancePartsPros last week. Pulled dryer apart 3 times to confirm/check wiring, blew motor windings clean, reinstalled and cleaned wiring plug to motor several times, etc.

Note: circuit board and wires were very burnt (black). I checked continuity on the thermostat, thermal fuse, etc……no other issues.

I’m fairly certain the issue is the motor. Since it starts, I’m assuming the motor start winding is fine, however I haven’t checked the run winding continuity or thermal fuse on the motor itself. Could these be the issue and is that the next logical step?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Photos / video link:

2

Apologize - the original post was not written clearly.

Initial issue - dryer would not start and had no power. Found main control circuit board and wiring burnt. Ordered new circuit board and wiring harness and installed same.

Secondary issue - following repairs, the dryer will run 5-10 seconds and shutdown. Was able to repeat same issue on various drying cycles. Ram dryer in diagnostic mode and “last error” showed to be E-53. Unplugged unit for 20 minutes and replicated same issue and error code.

Checked all new wiring, blew air and cleaned motor windings, vacuumed entire dryer, pulled and cleaned wiring plug to motor several times, etc. The dryer still quits after 5-10 seconds.

Error Code E-53 shows to be “Drum motor centrifugal switch error” - possible motor fault or main board fault (just replaced, brand new).

What would be next diagnostic step to help confirm if the motor is the root cause? Thanks.

3

The error E-53 is going to indicate an issue with the centrifugal switch being sensed. The test for this is going to require the motor to be accessed. Once the motor is accessed, the white wired terminal would need to be tested for resistance with the black wired terminal. It should read open until the centrifugal switch is activated. This can be done by pulling the disk (as seen in the attached image) near the belt pulley towards the windings. Does the resistance reading change when the switch is activated?

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This is excellent William - appreciate the detailed instructions.

I pulled the dryer apart again to gain access to the drive motor. Per your instructions, I noted where black wire and white wire were located on the wiring plug to motor (black wire on very left end, white wire 3rd from left end). Pulled wire plug from drive motor.

Placed multimeter leads on each terminal on lowest ohm setting……it registered “OL”. Kept holding leads in same position and pulled in switch several times……same reading “OL”. The switch never closed the circuit. What does that tell us William? Thanks so much for your help!

5

This tells us that the switch in the motor has failed and is the cause of the failure. However, the manufacturer does not provide the switch separately from the motor. Here is a link to the motor information page. 5304529782 Dryer Motor | Genuine Frigidaire OEM In Stock

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Hmmm…..I’m wondering if the centrifugal switch issue on the motor, may have caused the main control board (and wiring) to burn up? Maybe not - they could be entirely separate issues. We do get a significant number of electrical storms here in Oklahoma (lots of power cycling on and off).

I’m any event, I’ll get a new motor ordered and installed. That, coupled with a new main control board, will hopefully get the better-half happy again.

Can’t thank you enough for the technical support and guidance. Much appreciated.

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It is possible that they could be related in failure. Domino effects do happen more than one would expect.

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William—-

I received the new drive motor from Appliance Parts Pros and just finished installing. The entire dryer looks like new…..vacuumed and wiped down, washed blower in the sink, etc. Not a spec of lint anywhere. I put everything back together making sure blower fan and drum/belt is spinning freely and aligned well.

Took a few minutes and checked door latch and continuity on the thermostat, thermal fuse, and heating element. All good.

Plugged back in and dryer powered up. Put a couple of damp micro fiber towels in and started a cycle. It ran about 5 seconds and quit again. Replicated same issue two more times on different cycles. Placed unit in diagnostic mode and checked last stored error……getting the same issue E-53.

Very frustrated! At this point, I’ve installed a new main control board & wiring harness…..and now a new motor (both from Appliance Parts Pros). Now I don’t know if the new parts are faulty or if there’s something else I’m missing.

E-53 in the Tech Sheet indicates “Motor driven but sensing not congruent”. Possible causes:

  1. Motor Fault
  2. Main board Fault

I just changed both with new parts from Appliance Parts Pros. I made sure the wiring plug was seated properly and tight into the motor. I quickly traced the wiring from the main control board…..I don’t think anything is loose or wrong?

I would hate to call an appliance repair tech. The unit has power and everything seems to run fine (smooth on rollers, spins fine and quiet, etc), but it keeps shutting down after 5 seconds or so. It has to be something simple.

Any thoughts? Now I’m juggling variables……not knowing if the new parts are possibly the issue or if I’ve installed something incorrectly or loose?

The only error it is throwing is the E-53…..so I keep thinking it has to be the centrifugal switch on the motor or the board isn’t receiving a signal that the motor is running (both parts brand new).

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Back to pulling it all apart again for the 8th time.

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Tore apart dryer again…..pulled out thermistor from blower line. Cleaned it and installed back in.

Put everything back together and dryer continues to shut off after about 5 seconds run time. It does NOT throw a code when it shuts down……you have to put it in diagnostic mode and check last stored code.

Thermostat, thermal fuse, and heating element have continuity. Door switch works. Pulled and cleaned thermistor. New drive motor and new main control board (wiring harness).

Could it be a bad thermal cut off (along blower line)? I did check and it has continuity also.

Maybe I’ll use your instructions above and check the centrifugal switch on the new motor - just to make absolutely sure it’s working. I wouldn’t think it would be bad from the factory, but who knows. I’ll tear it apart again and check the resistance with the switch disengaged and then engaged. As you mentioned above, should read OL disengaged and then a change when pulled into the motor (engaged).

10

William—-

I took off the black plastic cover to the centrifugal switch on motor, to expose the terminals for the wire plug. It’s actually both end wires (black wires) that make connection when you pull in the switch plate. I put my multimeter leads on both end terminals (showed OL) and then manually pulled in the switch and it beeped (showed 0.1 ohms). So I know the centrifugal switch on new motor is good.

One of the only things I haven’t tested is the thermal cut off switch tied into the blower line. I might “temporarily” pull the wires off the switch and tape them together (bypass the switch). If the dryer continues to run and doesn’t shutdown after 5 seconds……we’ll know this switch is an issue.

I’ll try and provide you with an update.

11

I taped the wires together and bypassed thermal cut off switch along blower line - dryer still shut off after 5 seconds (E-53 error).

Recap:

  1. Installed new main control board & wiring harness from Appliance Parts Pros
  2. Installed new drive motor from Appliance Parts Pros
  3. Used Multimeter and applied resistance across wire plug on motor - 2 end terminals (black) and manually shifted centrifugal switch - OL to 0.1 Ohms (Beep) confirmed continuity
  4. Continuity check on Thermistor = 5150 Ohms (Beep)
  5. Continuity check on Thermostat = 0.0 Ohms (Beep)
  6. Continuity check on Thermal Fuse = 0.1 Ohms (Beep)
  7. Continuity check on Heating Element = 10.5 Ohms (Beep)
  8. Door switch check = light goes off and on
  9. Pulled and cleaned thermistor
  10. Tightened ground wires
  11. Blower fins and motor shaft spin easy (free)
  12. Dryer is pristine clean
  13. Cycled breaker several times

Beyond frustrating. Dryer continues to shut down after about 5 seconds run time. Does NOT show a code. When you enter diagnostic mode, on channel 6, the last code error saved is E-53.

Since we changed out “main control board”, do we possibly have to do any software calibration, etc. from main control board to front control board (dial and buttons)?

I’m all ears William……any thoughts? Anything else we can try?

Thanks again.

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If you test at the terminal block where the power cord connects to the dryer, is there 240 Volts AC when testing from the red wired terminal to the black wired terminal, then 120 Volts AC when testing from each of those wires to the white wired terminal? If that checks good, then the control, harness, and motor would need to be double checked. From what I see on the error E53, the error is Drum motor centrifugal switch error. It is correct that the wire harness or the main control (control and harness part number 5304533199) could be a cause of failure, but those were already changed previously. The motor centrifugal switch activation is sensed by the main control when the motor rotates and the switch moves from the start position to the run position, where the two outer wires for the heating circuit will have continuity, and the centrifugal switch deactivates the start winding by moving to the sense contact connecting the white wire to the terminal 6 black wire as seen in the attached image where the dotted lines indicate what should be happening when the motor is operating. If there is not a loose connection, the motor should have a resistance reading from the white wire to the black wire at any end of the wire harness when the centrifugal switch is engaged. With the power cord unplugged, the only parts that will need to be removed are the top panel and the front panel. That should leave just enough room to reach to the motor to activate the centrifugal switch while a meter is testing the white and the black wires at the control connection J3 for resistance while they are disconnected from the control. This will test the motor and the wire harness at the same time to see where the issue may be occurring with these new parts. Does a resistance reading show up or does it read open when the centrifugal switch is activated?

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Thanks for the reply William…..I pulled it apart another 4 times this weekend, for a total of 11 now. Starting to wear out the screws and parts just cycling them on and off. :slight_smile:

I took the cover off the old motor and I’m positive that the two end wires/terminals (black wires) connect when you activate the centrifugal switch. This is also what is shown in the tech sheet for an “electric” dryer (ours is electric). The black and white terminals close the circuit for a “gas” dryer.

I checked resistance on the centrifugal switch several times and it is “good”. With multimeter ends connected to both end terminals on motor (both black wires)……reads “OL” and with switch pulled in I get an audible (beep) confirmation and continuity reading of 0.1 ohms. I’m fairly confident new motor is good.

I checked everything again this weekend:

  1. Wall outlet = 245.8 AC Volts across
  2. Terminal Block = 245.8 AC Volts (R-B)
  3. Inlet Thermistor = 55.40 K Ohms
  4. Blower Thermistor = 5150 Ohms
  5. Thermostat = 0.0 Ohms
  6. Thermal Fuse (Heater) = 0.1 Ohms
  7. Heating Element (Heater) = 10.6 Ohms
  8. Thermal Fuse (Blower Line) = 0.1 Ohms

I retraced the entire wiring harness from the terminal block to all of the components, and tightened the ground wires. I didn’t see any obvious cut wires, etc. Triple checked that connections to all components are tight. I tried swapping the red wires from the thermostat and thermal fuse (thought maybe I had those flipped). No difference.

Even though they tested good, I thought maybe the thermal fuses might be bad under load (since the main control board burned, I thought the fuses might have blown). So I went ahead and installed a new thermostat, new thermal fuse (heater), and new thermal fuse (blower line).

At this point, there are only 3 items remaining that I haven’t changed (2 thermistors and the heating element).

With that said - the #*+^# thing still runs about 5 seconds and shuts off. Still showing E-53 in diagnostic mode.

After replacing the fuses and thermostat yesterday, we’re crowding about $500. Still cheaper than buying a new unit, but it’s not running yet. I’m all about learning, but this is becoming an expensive lesson.

Given the updates above, any last minute advice before the better-half calls an appliance tech?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks William.

15

See if the dryer will run in the air dry setting!!! If there is an open in the heater circuit for any reason, the control throws this E53 error.

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Thanks so much for the excellent suggestion BB1 - much appreciated. I did install new 2 new thermal fuses and a new thermostat. I confirmed continuity across the heating element and also checked each terminal to ground…..everything checked out fine. I pulled the heater loose and visually checked the coils, but didn’t physically contact them for any breaks or loose wires. Visually looked okay.

I’ll throw everything back together tonight and run it on no heat…..to help rule out the heater. Thanks so much for the help.

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Tried running on “Air Dry” cycle (no heat) and yet again……ran for 5 seconds and shut down. E-53 code.

At this point, it’s basically a “frame off” restoration and I still can’t figure out the %+=#*+ E-53 code:

  1. Wall outlet = 245.8 AC Volts across

  2. Terminal Block = 245.8 AC Volts (R-B)

  3. Inlet Thermistor = 55.40 K Ohms

  4. Blower Thermistor = 5150 Ohms

  5. New Thermostat (Heater)

  6. New Thermal Fuse (Heater)

  7. New Thermal Fuse (Blower Line)

  8. New Main Control Board & Wiring Harness

  9. New Drum Drive Motor

The Heating Element shows 10.6 Ohms across terminals (audible continuity) and each terminal to ground indicates “OL” (no short). In addition (per BigBuck1), ran dryer in “air dry” and still throws E-53 code.

I don’t know if the new main control board (from Appliance Parts Pros) is bad or has a short…….or maybe the main control board needs to be calibrated/connected to the front “dial” circuit board??

The engineer in me says keep at it and figure this S out……but it’s a little challenging working these “electrical” issues with a “petroleum” degree :slight_smile:

Rapidly approaching the point where we call in an appliance tech or chalk this up as another learning curve and head to Lowe’s or HD for a replacement unit.

I feel like we’re close and it has to be something simple……just extremely challenging to nail it down.

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This is interesting problem for sure. I would go back to basic and I personally use a multimeter with a loz setting to make sure there is proper voltage at the terminal block.Maybe L2 is not there? loading meter (also called a LoZ meter.You could do the same thing with a jumper made device like a hair dryer and a pigtail hook between L2 and neutral to see if it can run that hair dryer.this would prove that we have a good L2 that can do work and is not just ghost voltage.Hope you can make since out of this.Electrolux EFME627UTT2 Dryer Service Data Sheet A11199903.pdf (6.9 MB)
5995724217.pdf (4.7 MB)
LNTT231A Troubleshooting Steps For E53 Lux Care Electric Dryer.pdf (1.3 MB)

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As this happened even on a no heat setting, the centrifugal switch sensing and the heater sensing circuits can be tested. In this diagram, the black wire at motor terminal 6 (colored in blue) is used to send a return voltage from the start winding to the control when the centrifugal switch opens the start winding circuit. Testing for voltage could be done to identify if voltage is passing through the start winding before it shuts down. At the black wire on connection J3 pin 3, there should be a voltage reading present. Along with that, if you run an air dry setting and test at the heater relay from the red wire to the yellow wire, does it show 240 Volts AC before the shut down or does it show something different? If it shows something different, what will it show if you test from the yellow wire to ground when the dryer is started in a no heat cycle? Diagram is pulled from the tech sheet for the 527 and 627 electric dryer wiring diagram.

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William & BigBuck1…..

I really appreciate the support and guidance. I had to take a few days off to focus on work, but was able to perform some diagnostic work again.

With the power off (breaker tripped), I pulled the wiring plug off of the drive motor. From left to right, these are the wires:

  1. Left end - Large Black Wire (L2)
  2. 2nd from left end - Large Green Wire (Grnd)
  3. 3rd from left end - Small White Wire
  4. 4th from left end - Small Red Wire
  5. 5th from left end - Small Black Wire
  6. Right end - Large Black Wire (L2)

Using Multimeter - I tested resistivity/continuity across both black wires (both end wires). When I activated the centrifugal switch, reading went from “OL” to “0.1” and beeped (audible confirmation).

Then (as instructed), I crossed white wire with the left end black wire and activated the centrifugal switch. The multimeter did NOT change……stayed on “OL” before and after activating switch. To confirm, I replicated same test using white wire and right end black wire. Again - no change, stayed on “OL”.

Does this mean that the main control board is NOT RECEIVING a sensing message that the centrifugal switch has activated and motor has transitioned from “start” winding to “run” winding? Or - is there an issue with the motor windings?

After running for 5 seconds, if the main control board still senses that the motor is in start winding and believes the switch hasn’t activated…..then it shuts down?? Is this possibly why we keep getting the E-53 error?

We’ve confirmed that the centrifugal switch itself is working (by checking resistance across both end wires/black wires, when activating switch). Why wouldn’t the main control board be receiving the message that switch has activated and motor is now in “run” winding?

Is there an issue with the new motor or new wiring harness?

Per BigBuck1’s suggestion, I also purchased a cheap hairdryer from Walmart. If it would help, I can cut plug off and create “pig tails” with the wires to check if we have “working voltage” at the terminal block……120V AC across L1 & ground and the other side too 120V AC across L2 & ground. I held off for now, since we might have a motor or wiring issue (sensing issue) with white & black test. I don’t mind at all doing this, if it would help.

In summary……all the following parts are “new”:

  1. Main Control Board (wiring harness)
  2. Drive Motor
  3. Thermostat (off heater)
  4. Thermal Fuse (off heater)
  5. Thermal Fuse (off blower line)

Previously checked continuity on the following:

  1. Thermostat = 0.1 ohms (beep)
  2. Thermal Fuse = 0.0 ohms (beep)
  3. Heating Element = 10.6 ohms (beep)
  4. Heating Element = “OL” to ground on both
  5. Thermistor Blower Line = 5150 ohms
  6. Thermistor Inlet (back dryer) = 55,400 ohms
  7. Wall Outlet = 245.8 Volts AC
  8. Terminal Block = 245.8 Volts AC

Any thoughts from here? Thanks again for all your help!