Washer fills any level motor hums trips OL

The wife was just filling the washer today and lifted the lid and when she put it back down the washer just hummed. We advanced the timer through all settings with no change. If we let it hum it will trip the overload. The motor never tries to start. I can rotate the drum by hand and the agitator and drum seem to turn fine. I can place my hand on the motor and feel it hum so I’m not really thinking the lid switch unless it is a vibration hum but I don’t think so. It just seems odd that raising the lid would start the problem.

Sounds like the motor has gone bad.

  • The motor [part]AP4009168[/part]

Here are the breakdown diagrams and Replacement parts for MAYTAG LA612 Washer - Top Loading | AppliancePartsPros.com

Gene.
The power to the motor comes through the lid switch. There is no power while the lid is lifted up. I do not think that the raised lid caused the problem. This washer is very old and, unfortunately, nothing last forever.

Thanks Gene,
That’s what it is looking like for all the searching I’ve been doing. Is the device on top of the motor actually a switch where the 6 wires connect? I found an online diagram to make a suicide cord to test the motor directly. Even with the age of this it’s the first problem I’ve ever had and I’d rather fix it than buy a new one only to have it go out the month after the warranty does

You are welcome.

Sounds like the problem is a bad start windings, so I do not think you will be able to do it. If you have the motor digram, you can check it for continuity.

Gene.