After a few cycles recently, my dryer just stopped working. I didn't hear or smell anything unusual. After reading the posts, I cleaned out the vent (which wasn't bad at all), then ordered and replaced the thermal fuse. When I replaced it, the dryer ran for about 20 minutes and then shut down again. I purchased a multimeter and checked out my connections. The high limit thermostat, cutoff thermal fuse and cycling thermostat all have continuity but the pre-heater assembly on the cycling thermostat does not. I ordered that part yesterday (along with another thermal fuse) but wanted to check with you to see if you think that I've narrowed it down correctly. In other words, would a bad pre-heater assembly blow the thermal fuse? Could there be something else that I've not considered? Thanks so much, this site is remarkable!

Pre-heater? You just should have a normal heating element, and when you ohm that for continuity it should ohm out at between 11-30 ohms.

Here's the heating element for your model:
Manufacturer's Part#4391960


Now the high-limit thermostat should read 0 ohms.

Here's the high-limit thermostat for your model:
Manufacturer's Number: 3390291



Jake

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Thanks Jake, but I think I was unclear in what I was trying to say. The "pre-heater assembly" that I'm talking about is shown in the attachment. It is part #2992 from RepairClinic.com. The continuity for this part is between 10 and 20 ohms (the meter bounces around when I hold it to the pins). The high limit thermostat reads 0 ohms as it should and so does the cycling thermostat. Do you think that the #2992 part is my problem? Shouldn't it also get a reading of 0 ohms? Thanks again![IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Kathleen/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG] Cycling thermostat

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No, its rare that would cause it not to heat properly. Did you test your main heater element I posted above itself first? Unplug your dryer first before ohm testing.

Jake

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I just checked the heater element and it reads 0 ohms. Any other ideas? Thanks again.

Thats odd, not sure whats going on then, you may have a short somewhere in the wiring harness that you'd need a Sears tech. come out to your house to diagnose and try to locate it, it can get very tedious to try to find on your own.

Jake

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Oh well, thanks for the help. I appreciate it.

Glad to help, One other thing that I've seen happen before that may be happening on yours is possibly one of the terminal block wires have burned/arc and come loose, and that would cause a loss of power for either the motor or heater.

I'd check that as well, Just unplug your dryer and open the little cover sheild in the back of your dryer where your power cord connects to it and check to make sure the wires on that terminal block are all tight and secure.

Here's a photo of it:


In this photo of the terminal block, see the middle terminal where you have the white and green wire there? The white wire should be there only, the green wire is your ground wire and it should attach to the other green wire on the cabinet with that existing green wire.

Jake

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
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Thanks again, Jake. I checked the terminal block and all of the wires are secure. I have checked all of the thermostats and the heating element for continuity (also checked heating element for short to ground and it's fine).

I ran a cycle this afternoon bypassing the thermal fuse and without the vent hose attached (and stayed close by in case of fire) and found that the dryer is running very hot. Even when I lowered it to the lowest setting, it was running upwards of 190 degrees. Does that still indicate to you that it's likely a short in the wiring harness? Thanks!

That tells me your cycling thermostat is bad.

You will need to order this part then(comes with instructions):
Click photo:


It mounts on your blower wheel housing in the back of your dryer to replace your original cycling thermostat Part#694674.

Order this thermostat as well too, it goes with it:
Manufacturer's Number: 61894



Oh wait, thats what you were calling the pre-heater, you already got a new one right? If yes, then just get the cycling thermostat just above this one.

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

If you need more repair advice help on your appliance, click Here

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