Help needed diagnosing a Frigidaire FL set

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Greetings fellow washer people!   A friend of mine called me about his 2001 Frigidaire front load set, asking for help.   I went over this afternoon to check them out and this is what I discovered.

 

1. The washer.   It has a timer issue, as in the timer sticks or freezes during the cycle.   Obviously this causes it to stay in (whatever) operation for extended periods of time.   It does not appear to be the "same spot" every time as he says it will eventually complete the 35 minute cycle, but can take 2 hours or more to do so.

 

My question is, can the motor on a timer like this (see the next photo) be removed / cleaned / repaired, or must the entire timer be replaced?

 

2. The gas dryer.  The dryer has two issues: A) When turning the timer knob to any cycle in prep to start it, I can hear one of the gas valve solenoids "click".   This is WITHOUT the dryer running yet.   If I have the temp selector set to "air fluff" it of course does not "click".   B) As dryer is running, if the door is opened, the interior light comes on but it does NOT stop, it continues running!   I press and release the door switch to make sure it's still working properly and the light goes on and off, but the dryer continues to run.

 

Obviously something is getting power somewhere to make the valve click and keep it running when the door is opened, my question is where do I start looking? 

 

 

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Here's the timer.   I assume that is the timer part number (131802100E)?

 

[revvinkevin]

The model & serial numbers

 

 

I'd appreciate any suggestions you may have for checking and or repairing this washer & dryer.

 

Thank you much!

Kevin

 

[combo52]

FRIGIDARE WASHER AND DRYER PROBLEMS

Hi Kevin How fast is the cold water flowing into the washer? it sounds like it is not filling well. The dryer has a bad door switch.

 

[revvinkevin]

Hi John,

The water, hot, warm and cold are flowing as it should, no reduction in flow at all. The washer fills to normal levels in an average, but normal amount of time (I have the same type of washer, tho front controls). I could hear the timer motor at times running, but other times, nothing at all and that was not during a fill.

It filled and was washing and washing and washing. I had to move the timer manually. Then it was draining and flushing and that kept going too until I advanced the timer manually.

Kevin

 

[arbilab]

Have not needed to replace or disassemble the Frigiwhite timer so I don't know "exactly". But several things go on in there. There are intervals from 5sec to 13min. If it times the short intervals correctly but stalls on the long ones, that suggests it's not the motor.

 

[combo52]

FL FRIGIDARE WASHER PROBLEM

It could also be a main board as this controls the timer advance, this in my experience is more likely than the timer itself, but it could be either.

 

[arbilab]

The only "board" I see in my Frigiwhite FL is the motor drive module and the clockwork timer does everything else. It's nearly identical except controls on front instead of top so it's stackable.

 

[combo52]

FL FRIGIDARE WASHER

The board in the bottom controls the timer advance on these machines.

 

[arbilab]

There's no connection back from the motor board to the timer on the schematic. Further, if a spin fails to balance the timer never finds out and proceeds anyway. At least on mine.

 

[garyl]

Sticky timer?

I wonder if the timer motor or the timer itself is sticky and needs to be cleaned and relubed? It could be that the motor gets hot and the windings open, then close when it cools off. Just Guessing, but I've seen similar. The dryer has a bad door switch. There are 3 blades inside. The center blade is where the power is connected. When the switch button is pressed, the middle blade is pushed back to the blade connected to the run circuit. When the switch is released, the middle blade moves forward, disconnecting from the back blade and touches the front blade, connected to the light. The middle blade has welded itself to the back blade, but is still flexable enough to touch the front blade when released. In any case, replace it.

 

[revvinkevin]

UPDATE....

 

 

The washer:  I replaced the timer last night and started a load of wash as I was buttoning it up and started working on the dryer.   It ran thru the wash portion of the cycle as it's supposed to, then drained to spin but that was it.   No tumble, no spin.   I tried resetting the timer to the final spin and other then the pump running, nothing.   After watching and fiddling with it for about 10 minutes, the owner (my friend) then said he can reset it to spin on another cycle and it will.   So I reset the timer to the "perm-press" cycle final spin.   After about 5 minutes of "1 rotation, 30 sec pause, 1 rotation, 30 sec pause, it FINALLY worked its way into a spin.   However, when it was supposed to the "high rpm spin" for the last 4 minutes, the drum just coasted to a stop and sat there with the drain pump running the whole time.

 

What do you think, bad motor controller??

 

On to the dryer:  I replaced the door switch, but when I tested it by opening the door while running, it still kept running.  DAMN!   Not the door switch.

 

Any more thoughts on these issues?

 

Thanks much!

Kevin  

 

[arbilab]

I haven't bailed on you Kevin, but according to what you're seeing and the schematic that came with mine, the models are different electrically despite their similar appearance and cycles. So I can't go by what mine does to help you.

 

[launderess]

For What It's Worth

My Miele began doing something similar about a year ago now, thus only spins at 900rpms.

Basically machine will spin fine when set to 900rpms, but if switched to 1100rpms the drum coasts to a stop and all one hears is the sound of the motor running.

Have had several Miele repairmen troop though my laundry area all with various ideas as what *might* be wrong but no certain repair.

One man was able to get the machine to start high speed spinning by reaching into the washer where the motor is located and shimmy some wires about. However as the washer is very heavy and much of that is the cast iron motor he nor anyone since is willing to do what is required. Get at the motor and start tracing wires back to the control board to see if there is short, broken wire, or something wrong along those lines.

Based upon what one has read online about similar Miele issues it could be the control/mother board, or the motor. A new motor is $1500/USD plus labor and may *not* solve the problem. A new motherboard is about $400/USD and again may not solve the problem either.

I'd hunt down a schematic and work tracing the wires. Baring that see if you can scrounge up a used but known to be working control board for a swap.

Just me for you, do with the information what you wish.

 

[revvinkevin]

UPDATE #2......

 
Yesterday I picked up a new motor controller for the washer and headed over this morning to replaced it.   Had to turn the washer around and remove the back panel to do so, which wasn't being in a small laundry room and with the washer sitting in one of those plastic drip pans.     

 

After it was all back together and turned around again, we ran a load of laundry thru it and it worked perfectly!  YAY!  

 

However not sure how long it's going to last tho....   It looks as if the main seal has been leaking a little and the tub bearings are making some noise.   It's not too bad yet, but eventually... it's only going to get worse.  

 

Now I have to figure out where the short is in the dryer that keeps it to keep running after the door is opened!  

 

Kevin