Before I begin, contrary to what you might have already read via google/forum searches, you CAN bypass the lid closed/lock safety switch on your Washer. It's not as simple as twisting two wires together, though. You should also go ahead and unplug the unit while this is being done. The circuits we're modifying are 5volts, but, it's possible when cutting the wire you could short out the motor control circuit and I wouldn't want you to risk any controller board damage.
If you proceed with these instructions, you do so at your own risk. Bypassing the lid closed detection and locking circuits is a safety issue and will slightly change the behavior of your washing machine.
It should go without saying that once these modifications are performed, the washer will always think the lid is closed and the actual locking mechanism will no longer lock the lid to prevent you from opening it while the machine is running. DO NOT STICK YOUR HANDS or anything else in the machine while it's still spinning. It's making more than enough torque to give you a really bad day. Don't try to be a hero and stop the rotating drum with your hands. It can break fingers, hands, wrists, etc. Not fun.
The switch unit can be purchased online for around 15 dollars and comes with a new cord attached to it, so at any time, you can reverse these changes and put it back like it was. If you're in a pinch, this will get your washer washing your clothes again while you wait on getting the part to officially fix it. If you've already googled for a solution, then you already know various forums claim what you're about to do cannot be done. I assure you it can, if you follow my directions.
You will need the following:
3 short pieces of wireA single SPDT switch (this is super important, it has to be this type of switch) It has 3 connections. One in the center, one on each side. Do not purchase a momentary contact kind as that won't work for this purpose. You can buy these switches at most hardware stores and some automotive centers that actually sell parts and pieces.
The one I happened to have in my extras pile happens to have a center off position; if you can avoid getting one with that, go ahead and do so.
A putty knife to lift the top of the washer unit. It has two tensioners on it; One roughly 4-6 inches or so on each side. Slip the putty knife in and press hard. Be sure to pull up on the side (left side if you're doing the left one first). When it releases, repeat the same process on the other side. It's going to have more tension on it with the top partially loose; push extra hard. When you feel it release, pull on the right side to seperate the top.
A philips screwdriver. Wire strippers able to handle telephone wire. The wires you're going to be working with aren't much thicker. A small nutdriver (to remove the lid closed control unit) A pair of needlenose pliers
You'll see underneath the top in the center a small gray box with two screws holding it in place. Remove the screws, the box will come off and you can take it apart. You'll find a total of six wires going into it. Cut the entire wire 'harness' free from the box.
Go ahead and fish the disconnected 'lid' wire from the front of the washer around the back. It has small wire holders, a pair of needlenose is all you need to bend them from the back enough to release the wire. You can opt to remove them outright, but, they're stuck fairly well just bending the upper piece with the needlenose is easier.
You want the small pair of wires out the back of the washer as you're going to drill a small hole into the side of the washer control box (on the right side is easier) and install that switch. So you will be taking the three philips screws loose to remove the control box to route the wires and mount your switch. You'll do this after you're done with the fishing part and have closed the top of the lid back.
With the unit released from all six wires, go ahead and strip the white wire, the blue wire, the green wire, and the red wire. As I said previously, don't strip the brown/black wires. Cut them at slightly different lengths and tape them out of the way so they can't touch each other or anything else.
Attach three wires to your switch from the extra wire you should have acquired before you started this. One will be on the common terminal (the one in the middle) and one for each other terminal. Be sure you remember which one you connected to each terminal on the switch.
Now, take the green and white wires and twist them together with a pigtail to be wired to the switch. You're going to land this one on the 'common' terminal (the one in the middle) of the switch.
Take the blue wire and connect it to either side terminal of the switch with the wire you brought from the switch.
Take the red wire and connect it to the other side terminal you didn't use to connect the blue wire. Make sure the connections are solid and the wire isn't in the way of anything. Use wirestraps and a small amount of electrical tape to position the new internal wiring out of the way inside the control box. Put the control box back into position, retighten the three philips screws holding it together.
With the switch in the position to where it's connecting the middle terminal (that has white and green on it) to the terminal that has the blue wire, press the power button..
This tells the washer that (a) the unit is in place and (b) the door lid is closed. The white wire is your door lid closed circuit, the green wire is power. The blue wire tells the machine that the device is present and it can only be disconnected when the device enters a wash cycle. Otherwise, it must be tied into green/white; which is what the switch does in one position.
You may now add clothes, make your setting adjustments etc. When you're ready, press the start button, wait for the chime to end (it's a second or so), and flip the switch up so that it's now disconnected blue to white/green and has tied red into white/green (red is your lid lock confirmation circuit).
If you don't flip the switch in time, you'll be greeted with an error message on the display and the lid lock light will flash. Reposition the switch to the other setting, press cancel on the control box. Repeat the step when I wrote to press start. It may take you a couple of tries to get the timing right. When you do, in a few seconds, you'll see the fill light come on and the washer will do it's thing.
When the washer is finished, you'll get a funny "DU" flashing with the led lock light also flashing, this is because it wasn't able to automatically unlock the lid for you. Flip the switch into the down position and press the power button twice. It'll shut down. Your load is done.
Repeat steps above (aside from the wiring aspects) to wash another load. If you screw up the switch position, reset the position of the switch to the correct one and press the cancel button. If you forget and leave it in the lid lock position while powering on the washer, it'll complain. You must always start with the switch in the other position.
That's what I meant about it changing the behavior of your washing machine slightly.
Just in case, I'll state once again. You are bypassing two safety circuits on your washer with this modification. One which tells it the lid is closed and the other that confirms the lid is locked so you can't accidently open it while it's running. With this bypass modification, that drum is NOT going to know to stop spinning if you open the lid. Do NOT stick your hands or anything else in there while it's spinning. I'm not responsible for anything that happens to you as a result.
When/if you decide to properly fix it with the right unit, you can easily disconnect the butchered wire we modified previously from the control board as the new unit comes with one. Snake it around in reverse just like you did the old wire to put it back in place. Also note, the lid closed function relies on a magnet stored in the lid itself. If the magnet is missing or has become weak, it won't have enough to close the magnetic switch portion and your washer will think the lid is open when it's not. You can test it, but, if you feel the magnet on the lid itself (in the middle in the front) is bad, add a small one or a magnetic piece of tape that'll hold up under some wear.
Be sure you don't get the magnet or the tape in the way of the locking mechanism the new unit has; it's a piece of black plastic and can't tolerate excessive abuse. IE: No slamming the lid.
And that's that. I tried to find an appliance repair newsgroup to post this into, but, ES doesn't seem to carry one for the USA. So, I've posted it here. Apologies if it's slightly off topic. I hope it helps someone else out there who owns one of those machines.