Introduction
Use this guide to test the motor on your Whirlpool Dryer and replace it if necessary.
The motor turns the drum to tumble the laundry and drives the blower wheel to circulate air through your dryer.
If the motor fails, the dryer will not operate. Sometimes, the motor may hum but be unable to start. Since the motor is an expensive part, testing is recommended first.
This guide is rated as difficult not so much for the skill required as for the length of the guide and a few challenging steps, such as the lower front bulkhead.
This guide will work for most Whirlpool dryers. This guide is written with a model WED87HED dryer. If you have a different model, you may encounter some minor disassembly differences, but the overall repair process will be the same.
What you need
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Use a nut driver to remove the screws securing the top panel to the rear panel bracket.
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Grasp the top and slide it 1/2 to 1 inch toward the rear of the machine.
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Lift the control panel up and tilt it away from the chassis to remove it.
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Use a small flat blade screwdriver or a spudger to unlatch both sides of the door switch connector.
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Unplug the connector.
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Remove the upper front panel sheet metal screws.
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Tilt the machine backwards and prop it securely, or have a friend hold it.
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Remove the sheet metal screws on the bottom edge of the panel.
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Pull the bottom of the panel away from the chassis about two to three inches.
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Lift the front panel off the small tabs on the chassis near the top of the panel and remove it.
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Remove the green ground screw.
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Remove the cord terminal block screws.
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Remove the rear panel screws.
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Lift the panel about 1/2 inch and tilt it to the rear to release it from the vent pipe.
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Slide the panel off the vent pipe and remove it.
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Make sure that the vent pipe is fitted into the collar on the panel.
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Make sure the tabs at the bottom are aligned to the bottom rim of the chassis.
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Position the panel so its screw holes match with the chassis.
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Pull the lint filter up out of the lint filter slot to remove it.
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Remove the mounting screws securing the lint filter housing.
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Pull the filter housing outward from the chassis and down to remove it.
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Squeeze the locking tabs on the moisture sensor connector.
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Disconnect the connector.
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Lift the blower cover slightly and slide it to free the tabs which hold it in place.
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Remove the blower cover.
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Move to the rear of the machine to access the drive shaft.
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Hold the drive shaft with an adjustable wrench on the hex portion of the drum drive pulley.
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Use a socket wrench with an extension bar and no socket to fit into the square hole on the blower wheel.
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Turn the wheel clockwise (to the right) to free it enough to remove it by hand.
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Disconnect all of the connectors on the main board front half.
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Remove the sheet metal screw that retains the main board to the main board bracket.
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Lift the rear corner of the main board nearest to the side walls of the chassis.
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Slide the main board toward the front of the dryer to release the tabs securing it to the main board bracket.
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Remove the sheet metal screw holding the main board bracket.
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Lift off the main board bracket from the chassis and turn it so the bottom is exposed.
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Using long nose or slip joint pliers, pinch the locking wings of the harness retainer clamp.
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Separate the harness from the main board bracket and remove the main board bracket.
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Remove the screws securing the upper front bulkhead to the front of the chassis.
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Remove the sheet metal screws securing the top plastic portion to the upper front bulkhead.
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Push the idler arm (the metal upside-down "L") up to relieve the tension on the drive belt.
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Remove the belt from the motor pulley.
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Gently lower the idler arm until it rests parallel to the dryer floor.
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While supporting the drum, lift the lower front bulkhead off of the hooks on the chassis.
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Use the belt to lift the drum a few inches.
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Swing the drum out of the front of the dryer.
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Disconnect the two spade connectors attached to the thermal fuse.
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Disconnect the two spade connectors attached to the outlet thermistor.
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Remove the sheet metal screw securing the vent pipe to the blower housing.
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Remove the vent pipe by sliding it toward the rear of the dryer to free it from the blower housing.
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Move the blower housing toward the front of the dryer about 1–2 inches to clear the motor shaft.
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Lift the blower housing up and away to remove it.
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Use a flat blade screwdriver or a spudger to lift the connector locking clips. Make sure to release both the top and bottom clips.
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Disconnect the connector by pulling it straight off.
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For the next three steps, refer to the first image for the terminal numbering.
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Disconnect the common terminal.
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Disconnect the wire that is connected to the start winding that you located on the schematic. On this machine, it is aligned with terminal 3.
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Measure the resistance from the start winding wire to the common terminal shared between the start and run windings. Use the lowest resistance setting (usually Rx1) on your multimeter if you need to set it manually.
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Disconnect the run winding wire.
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Measure the resistance from the run winding terminal to the common terminal shared with the start winding.
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With one hand, press down on the motor retainer clip at the bump on the clip. This should make it easy to unhook the clip from the motor cradle mount.
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While maintaining the downward pressure, use your other hand to unhook the clip from the motor cradle mount.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Ask our Answers community for help.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Ask our Answers community for help.
