Maytag dryer hums, not spinning

[ohaya]

Hi,

We have a front loading Maytag Performa clothes dryer (PYE2000AYH), and we noticed that tonight that when we try to use it with a normal load, it hums, but it won't spin. I can turn the drum by hand (with some difficulty), but only one way, and the light inside turns on when the door is open (i.e., the house circuit breaker didn't trip).

When we left it off for awhile, and then took all the clothes out, we could get it to spin for a short while, but then when we put in a very small load, it would not spin (but hums). Plus, we couldn't get the control knob to stay pushed in with the clothes inside. Shortly after that, when we push in the control know, nothing happens (I think there must be something detecting that the motor is not turning?).

I did some searching, and I thought that the front panel could be removed so that we check inside to see if anything was jammed. There are two screws on the front after you open the front door. I removed those, but couldn't get the front cover to budge :(...

Can anyone tell me:

1) How to remove the front cover so we can check inside, and

2) What might be causing the problem?

Thanks in advance, Jim

[Appliance Repair Aid]

Hi,

Doesn't mean anything, electric dryers have 2 powers....electricity doesn't sound like your problem anyway.

Either the motor only is going and the drum belt is broken, or the motor is not starting up and is hummmmmming only.

Sounds more like the motor overheated and shut off on it's built in safety/thermal switch.

Might be PYE2000AYW

Something caught in the fan blower, seized drum support, bad motor.

& PULLEY ASSY. (Series 10)

(115V 60HZ) (Series 11+)

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[O.B.]

The only problem I have had with dryers are broken belts. Your symptoms line up with this problem.

It is a very simple repair. On Maytag models, remove the two screws on the front of the dryer (about 6" above the ground). There are two retaining clips under the lid; pull down and away from the dryer to remove the door.

[ohaya]

Hi Jeff and O.B.,

Ok, we got the covers off:

1) Shove putty knife under front edge of the top cover and push clip back (one on each corner). That pops the top cover off. 2) On the inside, near the top, there's a hex-headed sheet metal screw. Unscrew both, and the front cover pulls off (spring clips on bottom).

We found a TON of 'chunks' of dirt/dust in there, clogging the intake vent. Cleaned that all out, and the vent from the front cover.

After that, it still wouldn't spin, but we did one last attempt, giving the drum a "manual assist" (read "push"). The drum started spinning, and seems to be running now.

It still sounds very rough/bumpy, so I'm wondering, are we suppose to/can we lubricate the bearings/stands that the drum is sitting on? It looks like there are four of them, and there are brownish "pads" on top.

Should/can we spray something like WD-40 on those pads to allow the drum to spin more freely? Or maybe some other type of lubricant?

Thanks for the help so far!!

Jim

[ohaya]

Hi,

What we are seeing now is that once we can get the dryer running, it seems to run ok. But, if we then stop it, and start it again within a short while (for example, if we put in another load), it hums and won't spin again.

If we leave the machine not running for awhile, we can then get it running again.

In other words, it seems that if the machine is warm/hot, it won't start, but if we leave it for awhile (to cool down?), it will then start spinning.

Any ideas/suggestions about what to look at would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Jim

[Appliance Repair Aid]

Not on this dryer/model.

No lube on the front glides! Drum roller wheels and idler pulley cna be lubed.

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[Appliance Repair Aid]

again.

More and more -sounds- like a bad motor :(

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid