Kenmore Dryer Won't Turn On or Power On

Matt Zieminski

Last updated on

First Steps

Before undertaking any of the more time consuming solutions below, these are a few fundamentals to get you started.

Make sure there is power at the wall outlet.
Check if a household fuse is blown or if a circuit breaker tripped
Check that the dryer vent is properly installed and clear of lint or obstructions.
Check all connections before replacing components. Look for broken or loose wires, failed terminals, or wires not pressed into connectors far enough.
A potential cause of a control not functioning is corrosion on connections. Observe connections and check for continuity with an ohmmeter.
Connectors: Look at the top of the connector. Check for broken or loose wires. Check for wires not pressed into the connector far enough to engage metal barbs.
Resistance checks must be made with dryer unplugged or power disconnected.

Causes

Unplug the dryer or disconnect the power.

Slide the dryer away from the wall enough to disconnect the vent pipe
If it's a gas dryer, turn off the gas valve and disconnect the gas pipe
If it's an electric dryer, turn off the breaker supplying power to the dryer
Unplug the dryer from the wall.

You can also remove the supply hose after turning off the gas valve.

Remove the cover plate from the back of the dryer.

It will be near a hole about 3/4-inch in diameter in the dryer's back panel

Using a screwdriver or nut driver, remove the screws on the cover plate.
Remove the plate from the dryer to expose the wiring terminal block for the cord connections.

Make sure the power cord is securely fastened to the terminal block

Ensure that the wire approximately fills the screw terminal. If it doesn't, you need a smaller terminal. There should not be any bare wire (stripped insulation) beyond the terminal itself

Check for continuity at the terminal block

With an ohmmeter, check for continuity between the neutral (N) terminal of the plug and the center contact on the terminal block

If there is no continuity, replace the power cord and test the dryer.
If neither of the plug terminals have continuity with the left-most contact of the terminal block, replace the power cord and test the dryer.

Check for continuity at the control board

Access the machine control electronics without disconnecting any wiring to the control board.

With an ohmmeter, check for continuity between the L1 terminal of the plug and P9-2 (black wire) on the machine control board
1. If there is continuity, continue to the next step.
2. If there is no continuity, check that wires to the terminal block are mechanically secure. If so, replace the main wire harness and test the dryer
Check for continuity between the neutral (N) terminal of the plug and P8-3 (white wire) on the machine control board
1. If there is continuity continue to the next step.
2. If there is no continuity and the mechanical connections of the wire are secure, replace the main wire harness.

Visual Inspections

Visually check that the P5 connector is inserted all the way into the machine control electronics.
Visually check that the user interface assembly is properly inserted into the front console.
If both visual checks pass, replace the user interface assembly

Plug Back In and Test

Plug in dryer or reconnect power
If the dryer still won't power on, then the control board has failed and will need to be replaced.

Haven't found the solution to your problem?Browse our forum