Kenmore 11081860110 Washing Machine That Fills, Spins and Drains but Will Not Agitate

Here is a transcript of a recent online posting of a Kenmore washing machine repair issue from the Appliance Zone Repair Forum. Hopefully it will give you some guidance if you have the same issue. For any other repair questions make sure to check out the Appliance Zone Repair Forum!

Question:

We have a Kenmore 11081860110 that fills, spins and drains but will not agitate.
In Agitate area of dial (any agitate area) Motor does not run but timer ticks.
I'm also having trouble reading the wiring diagram.

Tech:

Thank you this could be two things ,either a timer contact internally in the timer .
Or the drive motor itself .
for agitation it turns one way for drain and spin it turns the opposite way .
you would have to measure voltage to the motor to see which it is.

Question:

I think the motor is fine.
Here are the motor resistance readings with harness disconnected:

Motor Harness
Open GRN
W W
NoPin Open
NoPin Open
Open RED

Meter Resistance
PROBE PROBE 0.3
Motor
W BLU 1.5
W W/BLK 0.3
YEL RED 7.6

BLK YEL 7.6

BLK W >20M
BLK W/BLK >20M

I remember *somewhere* reading that for a direct drive if you swap 2 wires and put it in
"SPIN" then it should agitate, (assuming it spins in the normal configuration). I haven't found
that *somewhere* again. Would this work as a test?

Also on the distorted, difficult to read wiring diagram I have (3351735) I assume the #s
next to the switches are the timer positions and that the lack of odd "SW. Function's was
for "readability", is that correct?

I suspect the timer (3951734) since I hear no 60Hz from the motor in the agitate mode.

I have the tub filled enough to run on low level.

In the "Cotton/Sturdy" mode I suspect I should see low resistance across the power plug in the agitate mode as I do in the spin state.

Resistance across plug
Cotton/sturdy spin 1.8
Permanent Press spin 2.28K
Delicate spin 2.28K

After spraying timer with contact cleaner
Resistance across plug
Cotton/sturdy spin 1.8
Permanent Press spin 2.25K
Delicate spin 2.25K

Cotton/sturdy agitate 2.25K
Permanent Press spin 2.25K
Delicate spin 2.25K

Tech:

Just go down to the motor at Yellow and Red with the unit in an agitation mode check for 120 volts A/C if you have voltage it the motor if no voltage it is the timer 1

Question:

There is a momentary jump on the DVM set at 200VAC then returns to 0.00.
Based on this I'll get a new timer and post the resolution here.

Tech:

Yes that sounds like the issue .good luck

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Microwave oven maintenance

Originaly Appeared on www.repairfaq.org

Most people do not do anything to maintain a microwave oven. Many will go for 20 years or more without any noticeable decline in performance. While not much preventive maintenance is needed, regular cleaning at least will avoid potentially expensive repairs in the future. Most of this involves things that don't require going inside and anyone can do. A shop that wants to add on preventive maintenance while doing some other repair is just trying to pad their wallet - anything that was required to ensure the health of the oven should have been included.

 

 

• Clean the interior of the oven chamber after use with a damp cloth and some detergent if necessary. Built up food deposits can eventually carbonize resulting in sparks, arcs, heating, and damage to the mica waveguide cover and interior paint - as well as potentially more serious damage to the magnetron. If there is any chance of food deposits having made their way above the waveguide cover in the roof of the chamber, remove the waveguide cover and thoroughly clean inside the waveguide as well.
  
• Clean the exterior of the cabinet and touchpad in a similar manner. DO NOT use a spray where any can find its way inside through the door latch or ventilation holes, or a dripping wet cloth. Be especially careful around the area of the touchpad since liquid can seep underneath resulting in unresponsive or stuck buttons or erratic operation. Do not use strong solvents (though a bit of isopropyl alcohol is fine if needed to remove sticky residue from unwanted labels, for example).
  
• Inspect the cord and plug for physical damage and to make sure the plug is secure and tight in the outlet - particularly if the unit is installed inside a cabinet. (Yes, I know it is difficult to get at but I warned you about that!.) Heat, especially from a combination microwave/convection oven or from other heat producing appliances can damage the plug and/or cord. If there is evidence of overheating at the outlet itself, the outlet (and possibly the plug as well) should be replaced.
  
  
• Periodically check for built up dust and dirt around the ventilation holes or grills. Clean them up and use a vacuum cleaner to suck up loose dust. Keeping the ventilation free will minimize the chance of overheating.
  
• Listen for any unusual sounds coming from inside the oven. While these appliances are not exactly quiet, grinding, squealing, scraping, or other noises - especially if they were not there when the oven was new - may indicate the need for some more extensive maintenance like belt replacement or motor lubrication. Attending to these minor problems now may prevent major repairs in the future.
  
• Keep your kitchen clean. Yes, I know, this isn't exactly microwave specific but cockroaches and other uninvited guests might just like to take up residence inside the electronics bay of the oven on the nice warm controller circuit board or its neighborhood and they aren't generally the tidiest folks in the world.

CAUTION: Do not spray anything into the holes where the door latch is inserted or anywhere around the touchpad as this can result in internal short circuits and costly damage - or anywhere else inside, for that matter. If you do this by accident, immediately unplug the oven and let it dry out for a day or two.

 

 

 

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