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Maytag Washer Is Stuck On Sensing (How To Fix)

Washing machines have revolutionized everyday life. Unfortunately, It’s not until the washing machine stops working correctly that we realize how much we depend on it. What can you do when your washer is stuck on sensing?

Typically, your washer will be stuck on sensing if the washer is not able to transition to the next cycle. This will happen if the water inlet valves are closed, if there was a recent power outage or power surge, or if the control board or timer is defective.

Washing machine with clothes inside

Washing machines are one of life’s greatest inventions. Thanks to modern inventors, we can easily do laundry in our home, at any time of day, and choose from a variety of cycles and settings to clean our clothes. One such amazing feature is the sense mode.

The sensing mode on a washing machine is probably the most underappreciated cycle on the washing machine. More is involved in the sense cycle than simply detecting items inside the washing machine drum.

When you press the Start button to begin a wash cycle, the first step of the sense mode’s job is to test the lock on the washer door. You will often hear the washer door click as it unlocks.

After the door is unlocked, the drum will rotate and then the door will lock again. Once the door is securely locked again, the washer drum will rotate a few more times. The washing machine is using this technique to estimate the size of the load inside the drum.

Once the weight of the load is estimated, the washing machine will begin to fill the drum with enough water to soak the laundry. After a few minutes, more water is added to the laundry before the estimated amount of water is reached.

When a washing machine is stuck in sensing mode it is because something is malfunctioning. The problem can arise from a variety of reasons ranging from something as simple as a clogged inlet valve to something more complicated and serious such as an electrical failure.

How To Fix Maytag Washer Stuck On Sensing

Washing machine with clothes inside

You have used your Maytag washer for years without any issues but now it is stuck on sensing. If this is happening to you, what can you do?

1. Faulty Lid Switch

The washer lid gets a lot of use. It is common for the lid to become loose or misaligned. When this happens, the door will not lock and the washer will remain in sense mode. If there are visible signs of damage to the door, it will need to be replaced.

2. Faulty Control Board

If the washer drum does not even spin on sense mode, the control board may be faulty. Because the control board controls all of the functions of the washing machine, it can be quite costly and time-consuming to replace the control board. It may be more cost-effective to replace the washing machine.

8 Reasons Why Your Maytag Washer Is Stuck On Sensing

Washing machine with clothes inside

There are a variety of reasons why your washing machine is stuck in sensing mode. The issue can range from something as simple as an imbalanced load to something more serious as an electrical issue. This article will discuss 8 reasons why your washing is stuck in sensing mode.

1. Faulty Shift Actuator

The shift actuator on a washing machine is what allows the different wash cycles to transition from one to another. It contains a sensor that is responsible for monitoring and determining the speed of the wash and spin cycles.

If the shift actuator is defective, the washing machine will remain in sense mode. A recent power outage or power surge can cause the shift actuator to become frozen.

Resetting the washing machine will often resolve the issue. However, if the issue is a mechanical one, the shift actuator will need to be replaced.

2. Faulty Drive Motor

When the washing machine is first sensing the weight of its load, the drum rotates. After the weight is determined and the wash cycle begins, the drum will continue to rotate throughout the entire process.

The rotation process ensures the items inside the drum are evenly distributed and cleaned. The rotation also ensures all excess water is removed from the drum and the laundry during the spin and drain cycles.

A faulty drive motor will prevent the washer drum from rotating. If the drum is not able to rotate, the washing machine cannot sense the weight of the load, therefore it will remain in sense mode.

3. Defective Timer

All cycles on a washing machine rely on the timer. Without a properly working timer, the cycles would run endlessly or be extremely short. This would not only result in a terrible waste of energy and money but it would also affect your laundry. You would either have laundry that never gets clean or laundry that is ruined from constantly being submerged in water.

Accessing the timer will involve removing the face of the control board. You will need to consult your model-specific User’s Manual to ensure you correctly and safely remove the panel. Use a multimeter tool to test the timer for continuity.

4. Electrical Failure

All of our appliances depend on a steady supply of electricity. Without electricity, the washing machine would simply not work. However, an interruption in the supply of electricity will also affect the washing machine.

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on January 29, 2023.

A power outage or power surge will greatly affect your washing machine’s ability to work correctly. The sudden loss in power as well as the sudden surge in electricity can cause the washing machine to become stuck on the last command.

The surge in electricity can also damage the control board. Use a multimeter tool to measure the amount of voltage that is in the control board. Your User’s Manual will have the specific voltage amount needed for the washing machine to work as well as the amount to not exceed.

5. Closed Water Valve

Water is probably the most important element of a washing machine, next to electricity, of course. Without water, the washing machine is useless.

If either the hot or cold water valve is closed, the washing machine’s sensor will be unable to detect when it is time to move into a new cycle. The washing machine will remain stuck in sensing mode until water is detected.

6. Clogged Inlet Water Valve

A clogged water valve is more than an irritating nuisance. It is a problem that can become quite serious if not remedied immediately.

If the water valve is clogged, the washing machine will not fill with water. The washing machine will remain in sense mode until a sufficient amount of water is sensed inside the washing machine drum.

One common reason for a clogged water valve is hard water buildup. You’re probably thinking, “Water is water, right?” No. Interestingly, not all water is the same.

There are actually two different types of water. Hard water and soft water. Both are very different from each other. The difference depends on the amount of minerals present in the water. The higher the amount, the higher the water ranks on the hardness scale.

Water contains natural minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Hard water is the result of a high amount of these minerals. An indicator of hard water is water spots and film on your dishes. The not-so-pleasant name we know these spots as is ‘soap scum’.

Hard water is not dangerous to consume but it is very dangerous for your pipes and appliances. As the water continually passes through the pipes, the minerals in the water will continue to build up along the inside of the pipe.

Much like a clogged artery in a human heart, the buildup will eventually restrict the flow of water. Because the water inlet valve has a smaller opening, the valve will become clogged before the pipes do.

Use a multimeter tool to test the water valve. If there is no continuity this means the valve is clogged and needs to be replaced.

7. Load Imbalance

We’ve all done it. We try to cram as many items as possible into the washing machine drum. Who wants to wait around and run another load for a few items of laundry?

Unfortunately, this causes problems with our washing machine. Here are two specific problems that arise from overstuffing the washing machine.

First, while washing machines are designed to handle larger loads, the items inside the washing machine need to have enough room to rotate throughout the drum. This is true whether you have a top-loading or front-loading washing machine.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on January 29, 2023.

When the drum is overloaded, the items inside will block the sensors inside the drum. The washing machine will not be able to correctly sense the size of the load and it will remain stuck in the sensing mode.

The second issue that arises is that the correct weight of the load will not be determined. When the machine is in sensing mode, the washer drum will rotate a few times. This rotation of the items inside is how the washing machine is able to determine the size of the load and how much water to use.

If the laundry inside the drum becomes stuck on one side of the drum, the sensor cannot accurately detect the weight of the laundry. The washing machine will remain stuck in the sensing mode until the load is evenly distributed.

8. Defective Control Board

The control board is the brain of the washing machine. The control board is responsible for sending out signals and commands to all the various working components of the washing machine.

You can use a multimeter tool to test the control board for continuity. If there is no continuity detected, the control board is not receiving any electrical signals and needs to be replaced.

3 Things You Can Try To Fix Your Maytag Washer Stuck On Sensing

Washing machine with clothes inside

When your washing machine is stuck in sensing mode, here are 3 things you can try to fix the problem.

1. Reset The Washing Machine

If your washing machine recently experienced a power outage power surge, the last command entered may have become stuck. You will need to reset the washing machine in order to clear out the stuck command.

Turn off the power supply to the washing machine by either unplugging the washing machine or turning off the breaker supplying the washer. Let the washing machine reset without power for at least 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, return power to the washing machine and being the wash cycle.

2. Open Both Water Valves

Was your washing machine recently installed or moved? It is possible the water inlet valves are still closed. When either the hot or cold water valves are closed, the washing machine will remain in sense mode because it is not sensing any water in the drum.

3. Replace The Control Board

The control board houses the selection of cycles we choose from. When the control board is defective, the signals are not sent out to the various components of the washing machine. The sense mode may have started, but because there is no signal communicating to transition to the next cycle, the washer will remain in sense mode.

ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on January 29, 2023.

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