Fixing old Maytag dryer (1980 vintage)

[jamiel]

A friend's asked for some help. He's got a 1980 vintage dryer (gas stream-of-heat with the lint filter at 7:00, smooth woodgrain backsplash). Fairly high-end model (automatic dry control on timer, pushbutton extended tumble, etc). Complaint is the timer's stopped moving and clothes are damp when taken out on automatic cycle.

Tested it yesterday, gas igniter comes on and ignites and stays on enough to blow hot (3 minutes or so of testing).

He contends it's a timer (I suspect this timer will be hard to find given the auto dryness and optional extended tumble). Other than also checking vent, any other possibilities? Would a broken thermostat stop the timer from cycling?

 

[Marky_Mark]

Hi Jamie

 

I used to have this kind of Maytag gas dryer, with electronic dry control, but I recently gave it away to another collector.

 

The timer did not move at all on my model -- it was not supposed to move.  Even if you were using timed dry, the timer didn't move.

 

Is this dryer new to your friend?  Could it be that he is removing the clothes too soon and is not aware that the timer doesn't move (if it's the same model as mine was)?

 

Mark

 

[qsd-dan]

We need a model #, there are too many variations to give proper, accurate advice.

 

[jamiel]

I'll have a model number later.

He's had the dryer for 10 years or so, so he's familiar with it.

 

[combo52]

1980 Maytag gas dryer, not shutting off with dry clothes

Yes, indeed we need a model number and a little better description of exactly what happens.

I will speculate though unless it’s an electronically controlled auto dry cycle it’s probably is having some problems with heating in the gas burner area or could possibly have a bad thermostat that’s less likely however.

John

 

[jamiel]

The pilotless igniter definitely glows and ignites the burner and it stays on for at least a minute or two (I only tested it for a couple minutes).

 

[jamiel]

It's model DG882. Ser

 

[qsd-dan]

I'm having a difficult time reading the serial # but I think it's BK, making it built in May, 1990.

 

This looks like a thermostatic auto dry unit, not a electronic control. If the flame is going out, make sure the vent is perfectly clear. Beyond that, it's probably weak gas coils but could be the cycling thermostat as well.

 

[combo52]

1990 Maytag gas dryer

Not trying well not shutting off automatically on thermostatic auto dry cycle.

There are many possibilities of a blocked vent would certainly be one of them. You could try running the dryer without the vent connected, if it’s making a funny noise at all, it might have a loose blower, Maytags were not well engineered so if it’s cycling on the safety thermostat because of a blocked filter, bad blower etc it will never shut off.

In any event, there are many possibilities that need to be checked out, good news is it’s quite repairable

John