Thread: [FIXED] Maytag - No gentle cycle

It's a switch bolted to the motor. It can be replaced. The switch is opened and closed by a centrifugal mechanism built into the motor. When the motor is not running the contacts for the slow winding are open hence your inability to get a continuity reading from the orange wire at the speed switch to the white wire at timer. Once the motor reaches a certain rpm the centrifugal switch flips and those contacts would close and you would then get continuity. I would suggest manually flipping the centrifugal switch and then checking continuity but since you do not have access to the motor that point is mute. You say the speed switch looks good but did you check continuity from the yellow wire to the orange with the switch in the gentle/slow position? That would be the first thing I would do.

Thanks for the info on the switches. Maybe I can get the wife to spin the drum while I take some readings...

The gentle / fast switch was the first thing I checked, and I just checked it again to make sure. I have continuity yellow to orange on gentle and yellow to black on fast.

I'm not seeing much of a difference in the circuit between regular and gentle and am wondering now if the windings on the slow side of the motor are open.

Just curious...when you put the timer in the gentle spin cycle with the lid closed do your hear a hum at all coming from the motor?
Spinning the tub will not activate the centrifugal switch.
It's either the motor or the timer.With lid switch closed,place the timer into the final spin segment on the gentle cycle with the speed switch on slow. Check for 120 Volts at pin 21 and 22 at the timer (brown and red wires) and check for 120 Volts at pin 31 (orange wire) on speed switch and the yellow wire ( coming from the "m" terminal on the motor) at the check switch (located under control panel). If 120 Volts is present at both then the motor or motor switch is at fault otherwise the timer is at fault.This is the easiest way I can suggest to you to try to figure this out since you don't have access to the motor. My guess is that the timer is the problem. If the slow winding in the motor was open then the start winding would still start the motor but then kick out when centrifugal switch opens contacts to start winding. Then when motor slows down and centrifugal switch closes contacts to start winding the motor would start again. This cycle would go on till timer goes to off. It would be like someone was turning the electric on and off to the machine while in the spin cycle.

Thank you for the procedure! (spinning the tub was a weak attempt at humor)

Lid closed, final spin cycle, slow / gentle switch depressed - I can't hear a hum, it could be there, I can't hear it, even tried the screwdriver to the ear trick, but it still could be me. I briefly pressed the fast button to verify I was in the spin segment and it started to spin.

Check for 120 Volts at pin 21 and 22 at the timer (brown and red wires)
Yes to both

and check for 120 Volts at pin 31 (orange wire) on speed switch
NO - zero volts

and the yellow wire ( coming from the "m" terminal on the motor) at the check switch (located under control panel).
Yes - checked at 'Lid Closed' switch

Are the brown and red wires providing power to the motor?

I replaced the timer earlier this year, maybe it died.

ok...I found a wiring diagram that included a timer contact diagram. It appears that the timer has nothing to do with controlling the speed of the motor. The speed (slow or fast) is determined by the speed switch. Since the washer operates in fast speed but not in slow speed that means 3 things
1-The speed switch is bad (you checked that so that's not the problem)
2-The slow winding in the motor is open
3-the orange wire from the speed switch to the motor broken

So it looks like if you want a positive id of the problem you need to get to the motor.

Thanks jackofalltrades for helping out here, and the other posts, Its been crazy busy here since Thanksgiving.

Nelson, Here's the motor for your model:
Manufacturer part number 12002353 is RepairClinic item number 1066793
12002353

Jake

Thank you for your help!

I finally got to a point where I could pull out the dryer out the room, move the washer and check the motor and switch.

The orange wire had fallen off of the switch!

Proper application of some needle nose pliers and some abrasive cloth will hopefully prevent this problem from happening again.

Thanks again for your help to diagnose the problem!

nelson

Excellent nelson, good job fixing yours.

Jake