How to Bypass Lid Lock in Kenmore Washer

Reaching into your washing machine is hazardous and that is why your washer has incorporated a lid lock. A washer’s lid lock bypass is especially discouraged in a household that has kids, because they might attempt to try and retrieve an item when the washer is running and end up hurting themselves. Additionally, if you successfully manage to bypass the lid lock then you can expect your washer to experience confusion when it comes to completing cycles.

Lid lock bypass on the flip side allows you to safely unlock the lid when the washer is running and add more clothes, below is a step-by-step procedure of how you can hack the lid lock feature.

Tools needed 

• Electrical tape
• Screwdriver
• A jumper
• Pliers

Procedure

1. The first step when dealing with electrical home appliances is to disconnect them from the wall socket, to stop the flow of current for your safety and that of your household members. You will, therefore, disconnect your Kenmore washer from the wall socket.
2. The control panel at the top of the Kenmore washer is secured by two screws that you will remove with a screwdriver. You will find one screw fixed on the lower end of the end caps.
3. In the next step, you will want to turn the washer to a service position and you will, therefore, lift the front of the control panel and rotate it to the rear wall.
4. At the inside of the top panel, you will identify the lid switch wiring harness. Firmly grip the wiring harness connector and then gently pull it away from the lid switch plug.
5. Get the wire strippers and strip ¼ inch of the insulation from the ends of the jumper wires.
6. You will then insert either end into the outer plug connections on the wiring harness, be keen, however, not to insert either end into the center plug hole.
7. Before closing it up, you will first want to test and see if the Kenmore washer is working. Plug it back to the wall and switch it on, if it works then you will have to secure everything back into their right place.
8. You will then get your electrical tape, and cover the exposed plug connections neatly including the slots.
9. The above lid lock bypass for the Kenmore washer qualifies for the long term, however, but not recommended.
10. Once done and are sure that the washer can run with the lid open, you will then put everything in the control panel back to its place.

Important to note is that the above lid lock bypass on the Kenmore washer can only be used on the 3 wire connection (70 series ), other different setups will probably need a different technique.

Procedure 2

Tools needed

• Screwdriver
• Electrical tape
• Pliers
• Wire nut

The second procedure is just as simple, so once you have gained access to the control panel, there is a plug connected to the top part of the washer, and has a green, black and gray wire.

You will unplug the plug and cut the black and gray wire, but don’t touch the green wire. You will then strip the tops of the black and gray wires that you have just cut and then twist them together clockwise. And with a wire nut, you will conceal the stripped wires; the plug now only has the green wire connected, and which you will plug into its initial position.

The above process has bypassed the lid lock in your Kenmore washer, and you can now put the control panel back in its place. Put the screws back in their place, and test to see if the washer can run with the lid open, which it should.

Final word 

Kenmore washers come in varieties and series, so before running any technical processes on them ensure that the process that you want to run is compatible with the appliance. Any interference with the normal working conditions of your washer will void its warranty, so it is best to carry out the above processes when the warranty period has expired.

FAQ’s

How do I run diagnostics on my Kenmore washer? 

If the washer is in diagnostic mode, you will turn the control dial 1 clockwise, and then press the start button. To display the first saved error code, you will turn the control dial one click clockwise, and to display the next error code, just turn the control dial one clockwise.

Is it possible to fix the code in the Kenmore washer?

Yes, it is possible, if you get the LE error code from your washer, you will have to check that the washer isn’t overloaded. If you use too much detergent, you will also get the error code, and the best thing to do is let the washer sit for 30 minutes without running. Another problem could be a defective drive motor or a drive system obstruction.