Sick Maytag A206

[jamoore84]

Guys,

I recently moved into a house apartment and I have an old Maytag A206 in the basement. It's the original family's washer (who I now rent from) and my landlord remembers using it when she was a kid.

It's been great until a week ago when the timer went (I guess that's what it is). You can start a cycle, but it will continue indefinitely without stopping/progressing to the next one.

Is this an easy fix? Does anyone have the parts to fix it or the knowledge to address it? I'm also curious to know how old this thing really is...is anyone out there able to identify the year an A206 was made based on the serial? I eagerly await any and all information!

Thanks,

Jimmy

 

[frontaloadotmy]

Jimmy

the serial # should have a two letter suffix ; those
letters determine the month and year of manufacture.
The timer could be rebuilt ; others will give you the 411
on the best rebuilding outfits. You might find one on eBay
or in an old neighborhood appliance repair/sales store.
It's probably worth it to have it fixed.
Darrel

 

[70series]

A206

I think those were in production from 1966 until 1972 or 3. My mother got hers in 1972, and lasted until 1999. The timer was replaced in 1995. My father did it himself, and he is handy to a limit. I could not tell you how to mechanically replace it however. It is questionable if there are parts around since Maytag has been taken over by Whirlpool, but since this was a recent acquisition, there may be replacement timers in stock at local appliance parts shops. Hopefully someone in the club has one.

Good Luck,
James

 

[jamoore84]

Replacement parts

James,

A local repairman came by earlier today and wasn't much help as far as replacement parts go. If someone on the list knows of a source (personal or otherwise) of A206 parts, it would be greatly appreciated!

Jimmy

 

[qsd-dan]

The timer is probably fine. I bet your problem is the escapement which is the device that advances the timer. Here's a new escapement if nobody has a spare that they are willing to part with.

http://www.partstore.com/Part/Maytag/Maytag/A206/Maytag/Maytag/204973/New.aspx

 

[qsd-dan]

Hold on....

That's the time motor, never mind.

 

[qsd-dan]

Here's a brand new timer on Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/t-WASHER-TIMER-...ryZ20714QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
A used one

http://cgi.ebay.com/MAYTAG-WASHER-T...ryZ20714QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[pdub]

$10 for a used timer

on Craigslist. Maybe they would ship it to you.

You can't beat the price and the model number is right on.

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/hsh/482773174.html

 

[jons1077]

Pdub

Are you working today???

 

[goatfarmer]

That's a good deal on the Craigslist timer.

kennyGF

 

[jamoore84]

Escapement

Could someone tell me more about this escapement mechanism? How does it interact with the timer motor? All that i can say for sure is that one cycle does not transition to the next. If it's agitating, it will continue to do so until you tell it to stop (You should have seen the color of the water after washing my jeans for 4 hours)

If you put it in spin cycle, there it will stay. Etc, etc.

I emailed the craigslist guy--Thanks for the heads up!

Jimmy

 

[pdub]

Jon

Why yes, I am working. I'm very good at multitasking!

 

[bpetersxx]

Check the timer motor

My 606s Maytag did the same thing it would not advance

Turned out to be the timer motor

The timer motor can be checked with a test cord to see if the timer motor runs

 

[jamoore84]

Craigslist

Guys,

The guy from craigslist got back to me-- His timer is for an HA206 as opposed to an A206. What is the difference between these two? He sent me two pictures, which I've attached. I think he's willing to ship it (which is awesome), so I may owe my future cleanliness to this group.

 

[rp2813]

If it's just the motor you need then I don't think it would matter about the model of the machine the timer was made for.

 

[pdub]

HA206

The H stood for the color (I think) which would be Harvest.
Otherwise it's just an A206.

Maytag experts, please clarify if I'm wrong.

Do the cycle markings on the dial match yours? If they do then it will run the same cycles and it should work fine.

 

[danemodsandy]

Yep, Harvest

The "H" in the "HA" prefix on the model number just refers to the Harvest Gold colour.

 

[goatfarmer]

It'll fit.

kennyGF

 

[rp2813]

Jimmy, be sure and report back if the new timer did the trick. And if you can post a pic we'd all like to see the machine you got operating properly again. Gotta love the simplicity of a classic Maytag. Enjoy it!

Ralph

 

[jamoore84]

Good News/ Bad News

Guys,

Unbeknownst to me, my landlord braved the crowds on black friday to pick up a new washer. That said, this one is up for grabs.

The washer is clean (for having sat in a basement for almost 40 years) and works perfectly, aside from the timer issue. The text on the center dial has, regrettably, been mostly worn away. If any of you are local to the Pittsburgh area or its environs you're more than welcome to swing by and take a look. As requested, here are some pictures:

 

[jamoore84]

Washer pics

center dial - use the force.

 

[jamoore84]

washer pics

Clean inside

 

[jamoore84]

good news/ bad news

If any of you are interested, feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Thanks again for all your help!

 

[70series]

My God that brings back memories of the washer I grew up with. The only difference is ours didn't have the pilot light fixture above the dial. But that black Powerfin, and the worn dial due to years of handling are memories revived here. The name label on this washer appears to be legible, whereas ours had completely worn off.

As I've said before, I have no room for a collection at this point. I hope somebody snags this.

Have a good one,
James