Maytag Dryer Not Spinning

• Your dryer may show some signs of life, like a humming timer motor, but won't turn on and tumble the clothes when the start button is pressed.
• On older or simpler dryers, if the door switch goes bad, the dryer acts completely dead.

The door switch can be quickly checked from the outside of the dryer, so we do it first.

• A quick check is to plug the dryer in and try to operate the door switch with a pencil or your finger. Listen for a click, and see if the dryer starts.
• If it does start, you know the switch can work, it just doesn't during normal operation.
  • Inspect your dryer door for damage or bend.
  • Some dryers have a small boss, or probe, that operates the door switch. If this is broken, it will not work. Replace it.
  • If the door is ok, the switch may work but is worn out or has a broken operating lever. so that the door won't operate it anymore.
  • Check to see if the switch has come loose or wiggles.
    • If it's snug, replace it, it's worn out.
    • If it wiggles or is loose, tighten it, then check it again with the door. If it still doesn't work, replace it.
• If there's no click, and it doesn't start, unplug the dryer. It's time to test it with a meter.
  • Disconnect one terminal on the switch.
  • Using a multimeter set to the continuity or Rx1 setting to check the switch.
  • When the switch is pushed, it should show continuity. If it doesn't, replace it.
• If it tests good, move on to the start switch.

Unplug the dryer. If you have a mechanical push button or knob to start the dryer, this is the one to check. If the start switch doesn't work, the dryer won't start.

• You may be able to get to this switch in an upper console on the unit, and not have to open the whole dryer up.
• Disconnect it from the machine (you probably don't have to remove it).
• Test continuity when the switch is pushed as it is only a momentary contact.
• If it doesn't show continuity when pressed (a continuity beeper on the meter helps here) it needs to be replaced.
• If it's good, go to the next step.

Some dryers with electronic controls may have a start button that is built into a control panel. These are much more involved to test.

Some dryers may show minor signs of activity with a broken drive belt.

• In some cases, the motor will run, but the drum won't turn. That's a sure sign of a belt problem.
• In others, especially newer dryers, the unit will not do anything.  When a cycle is selected and you try to start it, if it has a broken belt the unit will not do anything. The belt switch disables the machine.
• To check quickly for a broken drive belt:
  • Reach into the dryer and try to spin the drum by hand.
  • If it spins very easily, that's an indication of a broken drive belt. Go to the Loose or Broken Drive Belt section below.
  • If it won't spin at all, or is very hard to turn, it could be a bearing problem or a clogged blower.
• You'll need to check the belt and blower visually to be sure, which means some disassembly of your dryer. Go to the next step.

Once you are inside the dryer cabinet, check the thermal fuse and thermal cutout at the same time you check the belt and blower. This fuse is a possible culprit for dryers that won't spin. The cutout is more often the culprit when they won't heat. You may need to do quite a bit of disassembly to get to these parts. The location of the lint filter will often give you a clue about where these parts are located as it is usually very near the blower.

• Unplug the dryer. Many dryers are designed so that if the thermal fuse blows, the dryer will not start because the motor can't run when it is blown. The fuse will likely be located near the blower, where the heated air will flow out of the dryer drum.
• There may be two of these fuses, on some models one is called the thermal fuse, and the other is called the thermal cutout or cutoff. This is usually located near the heat source, like on the heating element shroud on an electric dryer.
• To test these you will need to check continuity. Make sure the dryer is unplugged. (Don't find out the hard way). Disconnect the wires from the thermal fuse and then check it. Use the continuity beeper of your meter if it has one. Does it indicate continuity? If no, it needs to be replaced. The same thing can be done for the thermal cutout.

If either the cutout or the thermal fuse has blown, it's an extremely good idea at this point to also make sure that all the exhaust ducts are not blocked with lint or other objects. These will slow the airflow and make the dryer overheat, blowing the thermal fuse again. For more tips on thermal fuse issues see this page

• If either the cutout or the thermal fuse has blown, but your drum was hard to turn, you should also check bearings and rollers. Verify everything is spinning freely. A blower running slowly because it’s clogged can be a problem and can make the motor's thermal protection activate from being overloaded.

You're looking at the inside of your dryer and you can see the drive belt that goes around the dryer drum. The drum works like a huge pulley for the belt to run on.

• Check the belt. Is it snug to the drum? You should barely be able to slide it side to side. If it's good, go to the next step.
• Is it loose, but not broken? This is likely a problem with the idler or tensioner pulley. The belt may have slipped off the pulley, or the spring has broken. The idler pulley is usually located down low inside the machine, near the motor.
  • Check that it turns freely. You might have to loosen the belt slightly to spin the pulley.
  • Slip the belt back on if it fell off. The spring tension on the idler pulley should work so that the pulley makes the belt tight. So the belt should be looped around the pulley in a way that the spring on the pulley tightens the belt.
• If the belt is broken, you'll need to replace it. Be sure to get one for your exact model.

It's also possible the belt was installed wrong side up, or has become twisted. Is the ribbed side against the drum? It should be. If you see the ribs, you need to flip the belt over.

• Loosen the belt by slipping it off the tension pulley (note carefully how it went on before you do; take a picture for reference).
• Flip the loose belt over on the drum, then reach below and flip it onto the motor pulley.
• Put tension back on the belt with the idler pulley, and spin things by hand to see that the belt is now smooth side out on the drum and the motor pulley.

Your dryer's blower might have an impediment that will not allow the blower wheel to turn freely. This can be a small sock, or other piece of laundry that may have fallen down the lint filter holder. A jammed blower may be accompanied by the hum of the motor trying to turn. The clog may also be wedged in the blower vanes, making the blower harder to turn.

• Remove the blower cover and check inside for lint or small pieces of laundry
• Clean out any lint or laundry items you find.

Some Maytag dryers have a bearing in the center rear part of the drum that supports the drum. This bearing can fail making the drum very difficult to turn.

Take a look; does it look like the drum is supported from the back panel of the dryer? These units will also use glides near the door of the dryer to support the drum. These can wear and make turning the drum harder. If your unit has rollers that support the drum from below, go to the next step.

If the bearing is bad enough, the motor won't turn the drum. Loosen the belt by slipping it off the tension pulley (note carefully how it went on before you do)

• Try to turn the drum by hand, and watch if it moves easily. If not, the drum bearing is bad. You need to replace it.
• If things spin freely, then it's time to check the belt switch.

Many dryers have rollers that support the drum at both the front and at the rear. To check this, try spinning the drum with the belt loose.

• Loosen the belt by slipping it off the tension pulley (note carefully how it went on before you do).
• Try to turn the drum by hand, and watch if it turns easily. If not, one or more of your drum rollers have gone bad. You need to replace them.
• If any are bad, it's a good idea to replace all of them at one time, since others may be wearing out too.
• If everything turns freely, go to the next step.

You checked the drive belt, the tensioner or idler, and the bearings and all is ok. What else? Try checking the belt switch. It doesn't often fail, but it is fairly simple to check.

• If you skipped to the then do this check next.
• This is a switch that is usually located next to the tensioner or idler pulley assembly that keeps the belt tight around the drum of the dryer. If you didn't already check, make sure this pulley spins freely. Your dryer may just have the pulley mounted on a leaf spring and doesn't have a belt switch, if this is the case, skip to the next topic.
• This pulley is frequently mounted on a spring-loaded arm. The arm is set up so that when there is no belt going around the pulley (like when the belt is broken) the spring pulls the arm down so that it operates a switch. This switch shuts down the dryer and keeps it from operating for safety. If the clothes can't tumble, they could overheat, or block airflow. If the switch fails the dryer will not work.
• Make sure the dryer is unplugged. You want to test for continuity with the switch in the un-operated or normal position, between the COM and NC terminals. You may need to do some substantial disassembly to do this.
• If the belt switch tests ok, go to the next step.

• Does the motor itself spin freely? If it doesn't that's a problem that has to be corrected.
• The motor bearings may have just worn out. If so, you'll need to replace the motor.

The timer may have failed, Replace it after you check continuity on the contacts. You will need specific information on your model to do this.

If your motor has failed, you are likely having issues with the dryer stopping mid cycle. This can result from the motor overheating. It stops until it cools down.

It's worth checking to see if the motor centrifugal switch has failed, as on some dryers the switch may be replaceable apart from the motor (lots cheaper). You will need to find the tech sheet for your dryer (in the console or under the top on one of the sidewalls of the cabinet) in order to test this switch. You might want to determine if that part is available separately from the motor by searching with your model number.

The main control board can fail, but like the motor it is something of a last resort to replace.