Matag DE 608 Parts availability

[spamela]

Had the matching W/D combo for 35 yrs. Fixed some things over the years, but still great shape. Current issue is the dryer is not shutting off. It will ding the bell consistently in damp dry but not shut off. We have always use the PP setting. Now it will ding maybe once or twice, but keep running and never shut off. The little neon bulb on the "electronic dryness" board is burnt out. Also, I can see the little plastic slapper on the solenoid for the bell is broken, but still intact enough to ding. Not sure if the sliding switch that the bell solenoid pulls is working. Seems to be flopping around a bit.
Question is; Is it even possible to get any of these parts. (dryness control board, cycle selector switch, etc.) I'm having no luck.
If the parts are available, anyone want to venture a guess at the fundamental issue?
I'd like to keep this set going.

 

[qsd-dan]

The most common reason for not shutting off on these is the fiber board inside the control switch breaks off where the paperclip linkage connects externally and doesn't put the dryer into cool down mode by directing the motor voltage through the cool down thermostat contacts. If that tab is flopping around without a very distinct *click* moving it back and forth, it's toast. These are getting really hard to find but there's currently 3 on Ebay at the moment, get at least one of them.

Ebay Item # 405722628695

As for the neon light, I'd see if that could be replaced on the board itself. There is a used board on Ebay at the moment but since these are very hard to find now, I'd look at soldering in a new neon light rather than replacing the entire board. But, if you want to go about it the lazy way....

Ebay item # 405395124772

The plastic chime arm (I think it's part# 303371) is impossible to find now, they dried up quickly when Whirlpool discontinued them years ago. One member had luck printing one after a few attempts but he doesn't visit on the regular these day, sort of a hard guy to get in contact with.

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?93856

 

[spamela]

Thanks for the help

Excellent!
Thanks for the Leads. Strangely, I looked on ebay for those exact part numbers, but neither of the listings you referenced came up for me. Perhaps I had my search too restrictive.
Yesterday, I did buy a a damaged dryness board with the idea of desoldering the neon light and swapping over as you suggest.
I just went ahead and purchased the control switch you referenced. Thanks again. Once I get that replaced, I want to open up the old one and see if something can be done to prevent the control switch from breaking off again. Maybe shim over the chime solenoid so it does not pull the switch so far? But my paperclip linkage looks perfect. Maybe I will open that up a little for less throw.
Thanks again.

 

[qsd-dan]

Be sure to install the paperclip linkage exactly the way the factory did. It can be installed upside down and it'll destroy the fiberboard in short order.

I opened up a bad control switch years ago and discovered the fiberboard broken in half. There really isn't anything you can do to increase its lifespan. If you ever watched it in action when the bell chimes, the process is fairly brutal. 35 years is a good run for the switch.