Finally got the hang of diagnosing those intermittent washer lid switches

I was at a service call for a Maytag in a basement apartment last week, and the owner kept saying it would just stop mid-cycle. Instead of my usual swap-and-hope, I actually sat there with my meter and watched the switch for a full 15 minutes while she ran a load. Saw the voltage drop for just a second when the machine vibrated. Has anyone else found a good way to replicate that vibration for testing without running a whole wash?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor.paige1mo agoTop Commenter

A quick tap on the lid with a rubber mallet can sometimes trigger it.

tarajenkins18d ago

Did your friend actually try that? I had a buddy who bought a used pressure canner at a garage sale and the lid was totally stuck. He tried the rubber mallet trick and it actually worked, but then he realized the gasket was completely shot anyway. He ended up having a hell of a time finding a replacement part. Ended up costing him more than if he'd just bought a new one, honestly.

diana_king1mo ago

Sounds like a good way to break the whole thing.