Maytag washer not spinning or agitating: A troubleshooting guide

It’s so frustrating when your washer goes on strike. If your clothes are sitting in a soggy mess or you hear the machine trying to spin or agitate but nothing’s happening, there may be a part within it that needs to be repaired to get back in working order. Many things, including a bad drive belt, motor, capacitor, wire harness, shift actuator, lid lock, or main control could prevent the washer from agitating or spinning.

We’ve got all the information you need to troubleshoot this issue yourself so you don’t have to spend the time or money on a repair technician. Let’s figure this out together!

If you need any replacement parts for your washer, you can find them here. You can also use your model number to search AppliancePartsPros.com for compatible parts, which usually arrive at your door within two business days.

Disclaimer: The troubleshooting information provided in this article is based on general service manuals and may not apply to your specific appliance model. While we strive to offer helpful advice for DIY appliance repairs, variations in models and configurations can lead to differences in troubleshooting steps, error codes and part replacements. For the most accurate guidance, we strongly recommend consulting the technical sheet for your specific appliance model.

READ MORE: How To Find Your Appliance’s Model Number

What you need

• Multimeter
• Flat-head screwdriver
• 5/16-inch socket
• 1/4-inch nut driver

Safety precautions

Your safety should always be the top priority when performing any appliance repair:

• Always power off and unplug your washer or switch off the circuit breaker before you attempt any maintenance or replacement work. This keeps you safe by preventing any risk of electric shock.
• Turn off the water supply at the outlet before beginning repairs. Keep towels ready to catch any residual water in the system when removing parts.
• If the washer has recently been used, give it plenty of time to cool down before working on it.
• Take your time while working to prevent accidents and personal injuries. Rushing is the enemy of precision.
• Work in a well-lit area so you can clearly see and access washer parts.
• Keep your workspace free of clutter and other obstacles. Keep children and pets away from the work area.
• Never work on internal parts with wet hands. Make sure the work area is completely dry.
• Check the user manual to see if there are specific installation or safety instructions related to your washer or replacement part.
• Be gentle when handling or removing parts. Excessive force might damage the washer or cause personal injury.
• Wear insulated work gloves to protect your hands from sharp metal parts and debris.
• When working with wires, avoid touching any exposed wires or terminals. If you need to touch a wire, use a non-conductive tool or wear insulating gloves to prevent electrical shock.
• Don’t test live voltage with a multimeter if you’re unfamiliar with how to prevent short-circuiting.
• Consider wearing safety glasses and/or a dust mask when working with chemicals, dust or a large amount of debris to prevent irritation or injury.

READ MORE: How to replace the main control board in a top-loading Maytag washer

Troubleshooting steps

Step 1 – Check the drive belt

Before you dig far into the washer, let’s check a part that can easily fail from normal wear and tear.

1. Turn off the washer and disconnect it from the power source.
2. Disconnect the water supply.
3. Lean the washer back against a wall.
4. Use a 5/16-inch socket to remove the belt shield bolts.
5. Set the shield off to the side.
6. Check the belt to see if it’s broken or stretched out. You shouldn’t be able to pull the belt in very much when pinching the belt in between the pulleys.

If the belt is damaged or broken, it’ll need to be replaced. If it’s good, move on to the next step.

READ MORE: How To Use A Multimeter To Check Appliance Parts

Step 2 – Test the motor

1. Remove the belt.
2. Rotate the motor pulley to see if it moves freely. If it doesn’t, that means the motor has failed. If it does rotate freely, you’ll need to test the windings.
3. Remove the wires to isolate the motor.
4. Set a multimeter to Ohms, which has a symbol that looks like an upside-down horseshoe.
5. Test from the white wired terminal to the other two terminals.

The windings should measure between 3.5 to 6 Ohms. If the windings aren’t within this range, then the motor has failed and needs to be replaced. If the windings test good, you can put the wire connection and belt back on and move on to the next step.

Step 3 – Test the capacitor

1. Carefully disconnect the wires.
2. Use a screwdriver to discharge the capacitor. DO NOT touch the metal of the screwdriver when doing this. Set the tip on one terminal post and create a bridge to the other one, then leave the screwdriver there for a few seconds. Repeat this one time.
3. Set the multimeter to capacitance, which has a symbol that looks like two sideways Ts facing each other.
4. Set the meter probes onto each post. If the capacitor is good, you should get a reading between 48 to 52 microfarads of capacitance. If the reading is outside of this range, then the capacitor will need to be replaced.

If the reading is good, plug the wires back in, install the belt shield and set the washer onto its base before moving on to the next step.

Step 4 – Test the main control

LIVE POWER WARNING: The next step is voltage testing at the main control. For this test, you’ll need to plug the washer in and turn it on, so please be very careful here. Always take extreme care when checking live voltage so you can protect yourself from electric shock, which has the potential to cause serious injuries. Don’t ever test live voltage if you’re uncomfortable using a multimeter.

1. Use the 1/4-inch nut driver to remove the screws from the rear console cover.
2. Set the console cover to the side and plug the power cord in.
3. Use the washer’s tech sheet to set the washer into diagnostic mode and select the tachometer test.
4. Set the multimeter to DC Voltage, which looks like a V with a solid and a dotted line.
5. Find the J2 connector.
6. Test from pin 3 with the black meter probe to pin 4 with the red probe. You should get 13 Volts DC. If there’s no voltage present, then the main control has failed.
7. If you get good voltage, move the red probe to terminal 2. With both the probes in place, rotate the basket by hand and look for a return voltage. If you get a return voltage, then the main control might be the problem, but you’ll need to continue testing to see if another part has failed. If there isn’t any return voltage, move on to the next step.

Step 5 – Test the shift actuator

The test you did with the main control is the same for the shift actuator.

If you get 13 Volts DC from the wires at pin 3 and pin 4, but no return voltage from the wires at pin 2 and pin 4, then the shift actuator is bad and needs to be replaced.

If you got return voltage, then the shift actuator is good and you can move onto the next step.

Step 6 – Test the lid lock

1. Cancel out of the tachometer test by pressing the cancel button and holding it down for 3 seconds.
2. Go back into diagnostic mode and select the manual test option.
3. Set the multimeter to Volts AC, which looks like a V with a squiggly line.
4. Test connection J15 from the yellow wire at pin 1 to the white wire at pin 3 for 120 Volts AC.
5. When you press start, you should see 120 Volts and hear the lid lock. If the voltage was measured but the lid didn’t lock, then the lid lock assembly is bad. If the lid is locked, press start again for it to unlock. Cancel the test mode by unplugging the power cord to continue testing.

Step 7 – Test the wire harness

1. Set the multimeter to Ohms.
2. Remove the J16 wire connector.
3. Put the black meter probe on the white wire from pin 5.
4. Set the red probe on the red wire and then the orange wire to see the resistance.

If both wires have resistance between 3.5 to 6 Ohms each, then the wire harness on the motor circuit is good. If you’ve reached this point without finding a bad part, then the main control needs to be replaced. If you don’t get good resistance when checking the motor circuit, then the wire harness needs to be replaced.

READ MORE: How to replace shock absorber W11415987 on a front-load Whirlpool, KitchenAid or Maytag washer

More information

Thank you for reading! We hope this guide helped you troubleshoot your Maytag washer and get it working again.

If you have any other appliance repair needs or projects, don’t hesitate to explore our other troubleshooting guides and videos.

If you need replacement parts or some extra help with ordering them, grab your model number and head over to AppliancePartsPros.com, where you can chat with a pro, read our DIY blog and more. We can also help you troubleshoot common washer problems here.

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