Washing Machine - won't drain/spin w/o help

Washer Repair
1

I have an older, but very reliable (at least until now) Admiral Designer Series heavy duty washing machine. It has recently had difficulty getting through the spin and rinse cycles. The knob goes through the entire cycle, but it doesn’t drain and/or spin, unless I turn the knob back to the spin/rinse cycles, and pull the knob out and hold it there for a minute or two - as I pull it out, it starts right up, but if I immediately let it go, it quits again. If I hold it there for a bit, and then let it go, it keeps going as though nothing was wrong.

In addition, it appears to be leaking some water…but I don’t know if that has something to do with the spin/rinse cycle issue or not.

I’ve read alot about timers, lid switches, etc. I haven’t the foggiest idea what the issue may be.

UPDATE - I just went out and watched it go through the first part of the cycle - it fills up fine, agitates fine, then just stops. The timer continues to run through the cycles, and sometimes (but not always) it spins on the very last one, but it doesn’t appear to do it at all on the first spin/rinse cycle.

I noticed when the “spin” cycles was forced to start (ie - I put it on the last spin cycle, held the knob out for a minute or so until it started), the water, while draining, overflowed the drain pipe in the back (the hose that goes into my drain pipe in the wall - the drain pipe overflows). I don’t know if when it spins it is supposed to drain, or if it is supposed to drain BEFORE spinning (which is what I think happens…), and therefor not put as much water into the pipe? If I need to have the pipe snaked, that’s one thing…if it is draining the water improperly, that’s another. Not sure how that part works.

I played around with the little plastic part that the lid pops into when you close the lid. It seems very loose…and dirty. The plastic part it clicks into just flops around…is that the lid switch?

Can anybody let me know their thoughts? I’d like to get the part ordered and try to fix this.

Thanks in advance!!

Bobbi Jo

2

I would start by getting your drain pipe cleared, and then see how things are.

If you need additional help please post a full model number and tell us what happened after the drain pipe was cleared.

3

I cleared the drain out - it is now draining fine.

When I run the full cycle, it fills and agitates just fine, but does not spin and/or rinse the first spin cycle. I can, however, hear the timer going (clicking), and the knob turns around as though it was working normally. About 1/2 the time, the second spin cycle will work. If neither cycle works, the timer/knob then times out at the end, and the washer is left full of water with clothes and suds. So I then turn the dial back to the second spin cycle, and I have to hold it out to get it going. I have to hold it out for about 30 seconds or more before it will continue on without me holding it. Of course, then I have to run the whole wash cycle again just to rinse the clothes of suds.

It is an Admiral Designer Series LNC6757A71 Heavy Duty washer.

I don’t know if it is the timer, the knob or the lid switch.

Thanks for your help!

4

It sounds very much like the timer, and I would start by replacing it. If you order from this site and the part does not fix the problem you can return it. See the returns policy.

Good luck