Catalyst Troubles

[drummerboy928]

Hello everyone. It’s a sad day here as the membrane board on the Kenmore Elite Catalyst has started to fail. The machine (when plugged in) acts as though someone is repeatedly pressing down the Whitest Whites option. Occasionally it will let you select other cycles, but after a few seconds, will revert back to that cycle. Is it easy to replace the membrane board, or to at least take it apart and clean it to see if that helps? no matter what, I don’t want to get rid of this machine ever, but I can’t use it in the way it’s currently behaving. Secondly, these boards are very very very rare, so how could I go about finding one other than just scouring the depths of the internet? every so often it wont give me any troubles at all for a few hours and sometimes even a day or two, but then goes back to having issues. On the off chance it lets me select a cycle, it beeps as though you’re trying to select the cycle the entire time it’s running so it’s also very annoying to try and use the machine. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated!

~Henry~

 

[DADoES]

 
The control console/membrane is a unitary assembly (not including the endcaps, pressure switches, and machine control board).  It can't be disassembled (peeled apart) without causing damage.

 

[drummerboy928]

Intermittent issue

I’ve noticed that sometimes it’s intermittent. Some days it will work completely fine, other days it’ll give me issues. Today it was doing it constantly, as if someone was holding the button down, but after letting it sit unplugged for an hour or two, I plugged it back in, messed with the buttons for about two minutes, and it stopped giving me issues. Would this still be a membrane board issue, or would this point towards something else completely different? I flipped open the console and made sure all the connections were tight and they were, as well as blew out the back of the main logic board to make sure there was no dust. It’s just generally a strange issue being that it seems to come and go.

 

[yogitunes]

had similar issues before....

some ideas may work, others not, can't hurt to try, even if a temporary fix until a replacement can be found....

some of these systems build up a static charge, and you have to leave unplugged for a few days, like 3 to 5, then plug back in.....in addition you may want to unplug all the connections inside the control board as well this first time...

eventually the boards had to be replaced.....the tech advised to leave machine unplugged when not in use, and connected a ground wire from the machine to the cold water pipe.....may be a bit far fetched, but haven't encountered another problem since...

if anything, this may get you through until you can locate a replacement part, or parts machine.....

keep searching FB/marketplace, CL, and OfferUp.....someday one may turn up in your area....

 

[drummerboy928]

Leaving machine unplugged

Whenever the machine is not in use, I always unplug it, and I have noticed that when left unplugged the issue seems to go away for a while. typically if I leave it unplugged during the week, it’s fine for about 6 - 8 loads or so, and then the issue returns. It also seems to change what button is having issues. for example, yesterday it was the “Whitest Whites” button, and today while I was using it after it was unplugged all night, the “cycle signal” button is having issues. I’m definitely going to keep looking for parts but for now I can usually get around the problem by having it unplugged for a while.

 

[drummerboy928]

Testing for faults

As another quick question, is there a way to test the pins on the board to make sure that the issue is with the membrane board? Or just generally does a full schematic and pin out diagram of this machine exist?

 

[DADoES]

 
There may be a pin-out diagram and testing instructions on the tech sheet.  Is it stashed inside the console?  However, I couldn't get any readings when I tried testing both my bad Calypso panel and the spare that works.  Maybe I wasn't doing it correctly or the meter probes didn't make contact on the pins.  Check your email for a bit more info.

 

[combo52]

If you post the model # I can see if I have possibly good used panel for your washer.

 

Unfortunately these washers had a lot of problems with the touch panels, I have not seen a working one in at least 8 years.

 

There was one KM Catalyst washer that had a mechanical timer, this would be the washer you should look out for as it would be much more reliable.

 

John L.

 

[drummerboy928]

Model Number

This machine is the model 110.20052994. I didn’t know they made a proper mechanical version of this machine. I thought they just reused the tub cover for the other models even without the catalyst function. How are they able to be identified as having mechanical control and the catalyst treatment?

 

[drummerboy928]

Possible solution!

Well after doing a highly extensive two-day search on the internet, I found replacement touchpads on ebay for around 100 bucks. I just ordered one and hopefully this will solve the issue for a long time. I will also add in that ground wire just for safety measures. How exactly did you run it? Did you just tie it in to the ground on the back of the machine or did you set it up differently? Being that I don’t have proper water lines hooked up to the machines, do you think that it would work the work the same attaching the wire to the metal tubing that the electrical wiring is run in, or should i set up a special dedicated ground for it somehow?

 

[combo52]

Glad you found a panel, I looked up the Pt#s for the panel and micro-computer and could not even find a used panel.

 

Don't waste your time running a ground wire, the machine is very well grounded if plugged into a properly grounded outlet.

 

It is also generally better to keep appliances like this plugged in as the slight heat from the MC keeps moisture out.

 

John L.

 

[maytag85]

As much as I have a nostalgia for machines from the early to mid 2000’s since that’s when I grew up, but unfortunately it is becoming more and more difficult to find parts for those Kenmore and Whirlpool catalyst washers since they were made in limited numbers and were discontinued because of the problems John mentioned. Oftentimes it is more difficult to find parts for these newer machines since they were problematic and there was a high demand for those parts and as soon as they were discontinued, the parts stock dried up fairly quickly since there was still a high demand but when people found out the part was no longer available, they usually got rid of the machine since they didn’t want something that was impossible to find parts for and this has been going on since the early 2000’s to the present.