Slow Fill or No Fill
If your washing machine fills slowly or won’t fill at all, try cleaning the inlet screens on the water valve. If that doesn’t help, replace the entire water valve assembly.
Won’t Agitate or Spin
If the machine fills with water and then just sits there, suspect a broken lid switch. To test the switch, you’ll need a continuity tester or a multimeter. Remove the wires connected to the switch and touch the tester’s probes to the switch’s connectors. As you open and close the lid, readings should alternate between continuity and no continuity. If not, replace the switch.
To replace the switch on a Whirlpool-type washer, just remove the two screws and screw in the new one. To get at the switch on a Maytag-type washer, you’ll have to unscrew the access panel behind the console and replace the switch as shown here. Remember to raise the lid before you remove the old switch.
Tip: Never drop a washing machine’s lid! Slamming the lid eventually wrecks the lid switch.
