Whirlpool Washer GSX9750PW1--Smoking control panel

[MarkH]

I started to do a load of laundry and I left the room while the washer began to fill with water. I was sitting at my computer when there was an odd power surge. The monitor image got wavy for a few seconds, so I headed out to the washer and there were puffs of smoke coming from the control panel at the top. I immediately unplugged the washer. Opened the lid and the washer was full of water. I've offloaded the laundry and removed most of the water by hand. Maybe a half inch of water remains at the bottom of the basket. The washer had a full load of dark clothes, cold water, super wash on the normal cycle and it doesn't look like it advanced beyond this point after filling with water and triggering the power surge.

I can neither turn the basket by hand nor the base of the agitator. Not sure if I should be able to do either, but am also reluctant to plug the washer back in at this point. I should note that about three weeks ago the drain pipe was overflowing so I had to snake it out. I have done three loads since then without a hitch, so this was unexpected. Also, in the immediate prior load, the puller on a jacket zipper broke off. I found a large piece of the puller in the dryer. Maybe a smaller "L" shaped elbow might have ended up in the washer. Could that be the culprit here?

Any advice as to how best to proceed would be greatly appreciated.

[16345Ed]

I would open control panel and inspect timer and all switches for burnt marks. 

[MarkH]

Thank you for getting back to me. I really didn't expect it to take this long, but I finally got a chance to open the control panel today. I am not seeing any burnt marks at the timer or switches or even in the main harness. What I did find was a burnt mark at the lower front edge of the control panel below the control timer here: http://fymbscu.byethost14.com/washer/IMAG0589.png.

There is a connector that has browned and two of the wires have both melted together further up and are burnt/broken at the bottom end. At first I thought the broken wires ran down into the washer proper, but I don't see where or how that happens. This is a better shot of the connector and wires: http://fymbscu.byethost14.com/washer/IMAG0587.png.

The "Insert image from URL" prompt didn't work for me, so I hope you can see the photos. The green/yellow center wire appears to have been cut off (--at manufacture?) and connects to bare metal out of the top connector. The other two wires appear to be the same color out of the bottom connector. A black wire from the wall plug goes into one side and a gray wire merges into the wiring harness is on the other side. It would appear simple enough to address, but I don't have the foggiest idea what it does, if it loops back to itself, or does something else? I imagine that it burnt/failed where it did in order to protect the control panel components, but what does that bode for the mechanical/electrical parts down below?

I am at your mercy for some guidance and really appreciate your time.

[MarkH]

Burnt Mark: http://fymbscu.byethost14.com/washer/IMAG0589.png

Connector: http://fymbscu.byethost14.com/washer/IMAG0587.png

Sorry, didn't get the links right in the previous post and am not allowed to edit my post...

[MarkH]

I took another look at the burnt part. Could this burnt part be a lid switch bypass which had failed, that was left over from some previous repair before I bought the washer secondhand? I can see a connector behind the burn mark in the first photo that doesn't have a mate and I did check to see that the upper half of the connector I an holding in the second photo does fit that connector. What do you think?

 

 

[16345Ed]

It looks like someone bypassed lid switch the tape they used started to come undone and shorted. 
 

You bought it secondhand like this?

Man... some people are cheap and dumb. (The people who owned it before you)

Reset breaker replace lid switch and you’ll probably be good to go. 

[MarkH]

Thank you, Sensei, for confirming my suspicion. I tested the continuity of the lid switch and it appears to be good. I have to teach this morning, but will test the machine when I return and post back.

Yeah, I guess I was lucky enough to have it run for two years before this happened. I know we ran it at the time of the purchase, but the guy should have disclosed about the bypass, or maybe he didn't know?

[MarkH]

Okay, so I cleaned up the burn marks and re-connected to the lid switch. I tested by draining the water in the basket, then added a couple of inches water and ran a full spin cycle. It ran fine. I think I am back in business. Thanks so much for your help.

[16345Ed]

You bought and installed a new switch correct? Please don’t use that bypassed switch. 

[Budget Appliance Repair]

9 hours ago, 16345Ed said:

You bought and installed a new switch correct? Please don’t use that bypassed switch. 

Why not use the old switch - looks to me like someone just cut the connector off of another switch and plugged it into the switch wiring harness to bypass the lid switch because they wanted it to operate with the lid open.

The old switch/wiring/harness and connector from the cabinet down wasn't even being used.

If the switch is OK and it stops spinning when the lid is lifted it should be OK.

[MarkH]

I have to agree with Willie.  The existing switch had continuity when I tested it. It also clicked consistently when the lid was opened and closed. And then I tested that the machine would drain, fill and spin with the switch connected. I have now done a load of laundry without problem. I opened the lid several times during the load and the machine stopped each time.

I have to conclude that the bypass was not done due to a bad lid switch. I thought it could have been, perhaps inadvertently, left over from a previous repair or more deliberately, as Willie said.

When I originally started this topic, I thought something catastrophic must have happened below the lid to incite the smoke I was seeing from the control panel above. I was (pleasantly) surprised  that the control panel wasn't involved in the smoke, although it took me some time to realize the lid switch was being bypassed--and that the bypass had failed--when I didn't see where the burnt wires were supposed to go and the tape was coming undone. It was worth a test that the failed bypass was the entirety of the problem and this appears to be correct.

Got me to thinking about the agitator replacement I did back in January 2020. The fact that the machine ran with the lid open so that I could see that the agitation was anemic before the repair, could have meant something to an expert, or to me, I suppose, but it seems I've had previous washers that would "wash" with the lid open, so it didn't register that way to me. Also, I was able to replace the agitator through the lid, so I never opened the control panel back then or saw the bypass present at that time. 

[Budget Appliance Repair]

I didn't find a wiring diagram 8558794 to check but looking at the style of this washer and the vintage, (around 2005), I'm pretty sure this is one that will not agitate with the lid up.

Some people like to open the lid while it is agitating to push the clothes down to make sure they are moving around, (especially people who overload their washer), so my bet is that someone bypassed the lid switch because they wanted to be able to open the lid and still have it be agitating.

[16345Ed]

I didn’t know you had a functioning lid switch. Assumed they cut old non working one out. 

[MarkH]

 

Hi Willie,

Come to think of it, I do recall opening the lid to push down the landry. I think it also helped me identify that the agitator wasn't working well when I had a particularly large load. I can recall observing that the agitator rotated while the basket didn't seem to do so, although the basket would spin during the catalyst cycle. I chalked it up to the catalyst feature as well as what the Use & Care Guide called the "XTRA ROLL ACTION PLUS agitator." I know I watch the wash cycle for a while after changing the agitator last year to make sure the different agitator was doing a good job, since it wasn't exactly the same in design.

Since I didn't get any documentation with the washer, I quickly looked online to find everything I could. I found the bulk of the documents at Whirlpool.com with the model number. I was also able to find this out with the serial number:

Quote

According to the serial number this product may have been manufactured in Clyde, OH, March of 2006.

I think at the time the seller had said it was a 2009 model.

I did manage to find a pdf of the wiring diagram (and have now confirmed that it matches the printed one folded up inside the control panel), although I'm not savvy enough to read and understand it. I found the link again today, if you're interested: https://www.pwslaundry.com/files/docs/maytag-whirlpool/Service-and-Wiring-8558794.pdf.

Thanks again, Willie, for sharing your insight.

 

[Budget Appliance Repair]

@MarkH Yep, this is one that is completely dead with lid up - won't even fill with water with lid open.