Hello everyone and thanks in advance for your help. I have read a few posts that have the same symptom but not exactly. i have a maytag performa electric dryer model number mde3500ayw and serial number 40411503ac. The clothes will not dry on the first cycle. i did pull the unit away from the wall and checked for any blockage in the vent pipe but found none. I ran it with the hose off and found plenty of heat out the back. My wife said that she ran it today for a few minutes, felt good heat so she let it go. After the cycle was done the clothes were damp. She felt like the clothes were warm but not hot. Maby the heating element is kicking out mid cycle. It doesnt matter which type of drying cycle she choses, it always seems to take 2 cycles to dry. I dont think i am losing a leg of the 220 volt because why does it always work the second time? Are these units prone to have heating element failures? I am a automotive tech so i have the ability to take thinks apart and test them given some direction. I also tried cleaning those 2 chrome bars inside the dryer but that did not help. Please Help !!! Thanks again.

Hi,

Here's the repair manual for your model:
http://www.servicematters.com/maytag...s/16023086.pdf
I'd take the front panel off(Page 5-1) and watch your heating element to see if it stays red for a long time or not.

Also if you can get a thermometer and take the temperature of your dryer from the back where the air comes out and tell me what it reads, normal heating cycle should be 120F-180F.

Does it do this on auto-dry or timed dry? or both? Normal timed dry should take 60 minutes to dry for a normal load of towels, jeans, etc.

Jake

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i will take the panel off tonight and ask my wife o watch the heating element as she does the wash. the dryer does not dry on any setting, auto or timed on the first run. is a heating element a common failure?

Yes, the heating element can just burn out after 8-10 years of use on any dryer.

Since your dryer is about 10 years old now, you may be getting other parts wearing out as well, hate to see you dump a lot of money into this dryer, when new dryers really haven't gone up in price since 10 years ago.

Jake

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Star Appliance Tech. 2 yrs. 1988-1990
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i know it is almost 10 YEARS OLD BUT IF IT A SIMPLE FIX I WOULD LIKE TO TRY. I HAVE THE FRONT COVER OFF AND CAN SEE THE ELEMent. it looks like there are several coils, some glow red all the way from front too back and some seem like they do not. i ran it and am getting 160 at the moment. i will have her watch the element tomorrow and see if it kicks out. thanks
eddie

Ok eddie, sounds good.

Jake

__________________
Appliance Repair School 1987-1988
Star Appliance Tech. 2 yrs. 1988-1990
Wards Appliance Tech. 11 yrs. 1990-2001
Sears Appliance Tech. 4 yrs. 2001-Oct. 2005
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hey jake, i finally got around to looking at this dryer. I just put a load of clothes in. after about a minute the the heating element started to glow red. i put a thermometer in the back where the exhaust hose comes out and it only read about 80 deg. i let it run alittle longer and it never went over 100 deg. it looks like all the coils are not glowing red there entire length. should all the coils glow red from end to end? if they dont does that mean the element is bad? is there something elese i should be looking for?
thanks
eddie

jake,
just alittle more info. i removed the heating element, found 11.1 ohms. on the heater housing, i think its the thermostat, 2 wires, 1 connected to heater elemnt, had .8 ohms. the other part on the housing, i think it was the fuse, also had .8 ohms. thanks,
eddie

Ok, no, not all the element coils may glow red, but most should.

The readings you took for the element and thermostats are fine.

Did the heating element stay on for a long time when you first started it? how long?

Jake

__________________
Appliance Repair School 1987-1988
Star Appliance Tech. 2 yrs. 1988-1990
Wards Appliance Tech. 11 yrs. 1990-2001
Sears Appliance Tech. 4 yrs. 2001-Oct. 2005
Jake's Appliance Repair Nov. 2005-present

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the element stayed on the whole time.