Circuit board work?

[wishwash]

Hello all,
I'd like to start by saying my daily driver is the Kenmore equivalent of a Whirlpool VMW. I have one of the older models that does fill all the way and have a true corkscrew agitator. My main issue is that there is no rinse selector knob like the Whirlpool wtw4800 series has. This means I'm limited to a spray rinse with a high speed spin on the normal cycle or a deep water rinse with a low speed spin on the casual cycle. This isn't very intuitive when you want your everyday clothing rinsed and spun out well.

What I'm wondering is if there's any way to place a jumper on the control board/wiring harness with a toggle switch so that I can control rinsing like the Whirlpool models have. This way I could use a spray rinse when I'm washing small loads, but have a deep water rinse when I want my cottons to be free of residue. I'm unable to track down a circuit board schematic for either the Whirlpool or Kenmore models.

Any ideas where I could start?

 

[vacerator]

Best to

leave it alone. Jury rigging electronic components never has a good outcome. They don't take well to certain added chips, resistors, etc.
Select the extra rinse, and it does a deep rinse, or, cancel the cycle before the spin, and do a rinse and spin cycle, also a deep rinse.
However, and electronics engineer may have knowledge of exactly what to do to modify the board, but I doubt they'd even bother.

 

[wishwash]

Don't plan on doing anything to it until I know how the circuit works.

I was able to track down a technical manual for the Whirlpool version, and indeed there are two different wiring diagrams. One for the machines with 2 "encoder switches" and one with 3 or 4.

The Sears parts outlet does indeed list different part numbers for the control boards on the models with the rinse switch and the one without. I'm not sure if this means a difference in the cycle selections or a physical difference in the boards, with one allowing connection for the rinse switch.

 

[henene4]

These machines are microcontroler controled AFAIK. So, you can't do just a switch and jumper wire. And even if its just a relay on the PCB being closed for the deep rinse to engage, you'd probably have to reconfigure the machines control system. Which you most likely won't be abled to without special software tools.

You could most likely just replace the complete control panel including the PCB behind it. Or, if locations for knobs and mounting of the electronics match, you'd probably get away with just replacing the PCB with the Whirlpool one.

But, if your machine is a few years old already, I think the easiest way to get there would be selling your machine on craigslist or such for something like 150-200 bucks and buy the Whirlpool instead. I think its still on the market, isn't it.

 

[wishwash]

It would be cool

To mess with the microcontroller programming. Any idea how this is done by the engineers at WP?

 

[henene4]

Specialiced connection interface, probably a logic level converter, some highly copyrighted and impossible to get software tool as well as highly protected data files in some embeded-system-type language.

Basicly, impossible.

 

[murando531]

I actually still have my WTW4800 in the garage that I'm debating selling now that the BravOasis has proven to be reliable so far. I'd like to keep it for when we have a larger laundry room and can have two washer hookups but sometimes I get in a "minimize everything" mood and can't decide what to do. Mine was the last VMW with the true agitator and tub that was used in the last generation direct drives much like your Kenmore, but it has the four water level settings that fill up past the upper row of holes and has the Fabric Softener option, so the washer behaves just like a good old traditional machine so long as that option is on.

I wonder, not knowing right off hand the cost of parts, if you could buy the control panel and logic board for that same Whirlpool and just hot swap it on your Kenmore, since mechanically and electrically they're identical aside from variations in available options. That may cost more than would be sensible however, but at the same time I don't think you can buy this design anymore with a water level selector. The only model I see that is listed for either Kenmore or Whirlpool is one that still has the dual action agitator but no level selector, and not many options either. All the rest are agipeller machines. Maytag doesn't even have the agitator anymore.

That was just a thought though. Not anything too noteworthy. I do see my same WTW4800 on Craigslist now and then for around ~200 or so, so that may be a possibility if you're thinking of selling your Kenmore. The 4800 is an excellent machine in my opinion; mine was used for three years without a single complaint or hiccup, and still is in brand new condition. The splutch doesn't even look a bit worn. The WP VMW platform was definitely a better fit with the traditional agitator design than it is as an HE impeller/agipeller machine.

 

[vacerator]

I want

a machine to wash, rinse, then spin. Not shred, perforate, or wrinkle.
I expect one year of trouble free service for each $50 I spend on it.
Yes, I know, I belong in the Imperial section under Wig Wag solenoids.