Category Archives: Dryer

Some Maytag Neptune dryers use a thermistor temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the air in the dryer.  When this sensor fails you can get a “tS”/”t5” error code which indicates a thermistor short.  Testing this sensor is very easy, all you need is a digital mulit-meter that can read ohms.

This is how to test thermistor part number WP35001191:

• With the thermistor removed from the dryer set your meter to measure ohms (or to the 20K/40k ohms setting)
• Place one probe on each terminal of the thermistor
• The thermistor at room temperature should read approximately 10k ohms.  If it is far off from that, the sensor will need to be replaced. (sensor in the above picture is a bad sensor)
• Once the bad sensor has been replaced, you will need to reset the code or else the TS code will continue to display.

Here is how to get into service mode to clear the TS code:

• First, Enter Service Mode.  Dryer must be on before Service Mode can be entered. Press Chime and Temperature Keys for 3 seconds, or until 3 beeps are heard. The machine will now be in Service Mode.
• Next, access diagnostic codes by entering the Service Mode and pressing Wrinkle Prevent. A “d” will be displayed. Rotate the Cycle Selector Knob in either direction to step through the list of codes one code at a time.
• Then, to clear the diagnostic code list press the Sensor Dry Level and Time keypads together for 3 seconds while viewing the list. The cycle count for each diagnostic code will be reset to 0, but not the machine cycle count.
• Finally exit service mode by pressing the OFF key or repeat the Chime and Temperature sequence.

If you need to purchase a thermistor sensor for your dryer click the link below:

Thermistor – WP35001191

Some GE dryer models that use a control board instead of a timer have a temperature sensor thermistor that controls the temperature of the dryer.  The thermistor measures the temperature of the air in the dryer so the dryer knows how hot to get.  When a thermistor fails, it can cause the dryer to not heat at all or heat up to the wrong temperature.

Here is how to test GE dryer thermistor part number WE4M275.  Remove the thermistor from the dryer, and with the thermistor at room temperature measure the resistance of the sensor.  At room temperature the thermistor should read approximately 100k ohms, if it is far off from this the thermistor should be replaced.

Resistance Values:

118-122k Ohms – 69°F (21°C)

98-102k Ohms – 77°F (25°C)

78-82k Ohms – 86°F (30°C)

Testing a good sensor:

Testing a bad sensor:

If your sensor is bad and you need to order a new one click the link below.

GE Temperature Sensor Thermistor – WE4M275

In order to find the age of a Whirlpool built appliance you will need the serial number from the appliance.  Since Whirlpool manufactures appliances under many different names, this may work with some of these brand names also:

Whirlpool, Kenmore (Sears), Maytag (Newer models), Kitchen Aid, Estate, Inglis, Roper, Amana, Jenn Air, Crosley and more.

Please do not contact our company for assistance trying to determine the age of your appliance as we will be unable to help.  If the information on this page does not answer your question please contact the manufacture directly for futher assistance.

Serial Number Example:

CR3949348

1st Digit: Where the appliance was manufactured. C = Clyde, OH.

2nd Digit: Year Manufactured.  R = 2004

3rd & 4th Digit: Week the appliance was manufactured.  39 = 39th week of the year.

5th-9th Digit: Manufacture order that week

See the charts below for the year codes:

Whirlpool Model Number Codes
A letter in the model number indicates the year the model was introduced. Please note that the year the model was introduced to NOT indicate the production date. For models 1981 and older you will reference the 2nd character in the model number, and on models produced after 1981 you will reference the 8th character in the model number. Please reference the charts below for the year codes:

On older style Maytag & Jenn Air dryers, the blower wheel often fails with age.  The blower wheel connects to the motor and is the fan that blows the air through the dryer.  When the blower wheel fails you will often hear a rumbling noise come from the dryer when you start it, and then again when you turn it off.  Also you may start to notice the clothes taking longer to dry than normal since the blower wheel isn’t spinning as fast as it’s supposed to.

What goes bad on the blower wheel is the flat spot that is supposed to bed on the blower wheel.  On a bad blower wheel the center will be round out.

(bad blower wheel)

On a good blower wheel the center will have a “D” shape with a flat spot for the motor shaft to grab onto.

(good blower wheel)

The manufacturer part number for the blower wheel is Y303836, and sometimes they will have the number 3-12913 stamped on the plastic.  Click the link below to purchase the blower wheel from our store.

Blower Wheel – Y303836

For a few years Whirlpool decided to try using a different style idler pulley (belt tension pulley) on their 29″ wide dryers with the lint filter located on the top of the dryer.  They did this for about 2-3 years, and then they decided to go back to the original idler pulley that they had used for years previously.

This poorly designed idler pulley uses a piece of stamped metal with a plastic/teflon piece attached to it where the belt rides to reduce the friction.  Over time this idler pulley will start to make loud squealing noises or even high pitched whines.  Sometimes the squeak will be louder when the dryer starts, and then go away.  Whirlpool has now gone back to the original design that uses a wheel that fixes this squeaking noise.

Bad Squeaking Idler Pulley

Part to fix the problem.  Part Number PD00002256  (mfg #691366)

For a little bit more you can get a maintenance kit part number PD00002464 (mfg#4392065), that includes the idler pulley, belt, and rear drum rollers.

On Whirlpool Duet and Kenmore Elite HE3 style dryers they will commonly build up with lint inside the blower housing.  The blower housing is underneath where the lint filter on the dryer goes.  To clean out the blower housing you can either stick brush down where the lint filter goes.  Or the better option is to unplug the dryer, remove the lint filter, remove the two screws that hold on the bottom panel of the dryer, and then remove the two-four (depending on the model) screws that hold on the blower housing.  Clean all of the lint out real well and then re-install.

When the blower housing is clogged with lint, the dryer will work less efficiently and clothes will take longer to dry.  Other things a clogged blower housing can cause is blown thermal fuses, heating elements to burn out, and its also a fire hazard.

Parts Dr offers free appliance repair help for most major appliances.  We have expert technicians that can answer most questions about repairing your appliance.  It free to register and use.

We love love helping Do-It-Yourselfers!

Check it out at http://forum.partsdr.com