Stacked washer dryer unit. Washer tub fills, but does not agitate in any of the wash modes. I pushed the timer button in, rotated one click then pulled it out to turn it on. Then pushed it back in, rotated one click at a time, then pulling out with no agitation. THen when the timer got to the drain and spin mode. It spins and drains fine. Then when in Rinse cycle, it fills but does not agitate. Timer doesn’t advance, except when in drain and spin cycle. Any ideas?
Okay, here it is. I found a February 2003 Electrolux service manual that covered Frigidaire, Tappan, White-Westinghouse, Gibson, and Kelvinator, 27" gas and electric laundry centers. Do they still make Gibson and Kelvinator? Publication # 5995381885. Using their trouble shooter, I found it was either the Timer, water level pressure switch or lid switch. I opened up the control panel. It was full of lint, though, during jostling of the control panel, the agitator would intermittently work. I vacuumed out the lint colony. Still intermittent agitation. The pressure switch seemed to be functioning well.
I then noticed it would agitate when I leaned against the washer cabinet. Then it would agitate when I thumped my fist on the cabinet top above the lid switch. The spade connectors there were solid, but still intermittent when I’d push on the connectors. Then I noticed the switch wasn’t level with the cabinet and that I could close the agitation circuit when I pushed up on the switch body. The bracket, which is part of the lid switch/lid lock assembly was sagging.
Because of this the lid tab couldn’t push the paddle, which operates the micro-switch, far enough to close it. I pushed up on the bracket to bend it up into a more or less level position. The lid switch now closes and my Frigidaire is operating as usual. Happy Days (and clean clothes) Are Here Again!
In retrospect, A quick way to determine if this is the problem without having to open up the cabinet would be to use a screw driver to push down on the paddle. This can be done through the hole the lid tab uses. If it closes the circuit and allows the agitator to agitate, you have a quick simple cheap fix. Just open the front panel and push up on the bracket until the switch sits level.
Note to self: Schedule a control panel clean-out annually. It’s right below the dryer lint filter and it is not sealed very well. It could prevent a cabinet fire.