Thread Number: 39493
Unused features in Kenmore / Whirlpool washer timers |
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Post# 585220   3/26/2012 at 16:38 (4,384 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Ok, perhaps this is a bizarre topic, but in the Deluxe Forum recently I was discussing a second rinse option which is present in many mid 1990s Kenmore Direct Drive washers. It seems the provision was there, but most models could not use it, so it shows on the console as a disproportionately large 'OFF' section. In order not to have two different timers, Kenmore used a more capable timer than was necessary, and this was done in most all their 70-series and some 80-series machines (their best selling models). This was done so they could use that timer in the better two-rinse 80-series machine without cost penalty.
There have been numerous examples of this in other models too, so I thought I'd document in pictures what I'm talking about, and posted this here because I am using belt-drive machines, of course, as my examples. Even more common than the blanked-off second rinse is a blanked or dead Pre-Wash cycle, which was there in most mid 70s to mid 80s belt-drive timers, but dis-used in a few models, thereby changing a four-cycle machine into a three-cycle. Funny part is, the machine having the extra rinse or the pre-wash sold for $20 more (or worse) but there was no more or less cost in the machine either way. It was less expensive to have one timer that covered a half dozen models than have separate timers that matched machine features to timer capability. Here are the pics: |
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Post# 585221 , Reply# 1   3/26/2012 at 16:40 (4,384 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Post# 585222 , Reply# 2   3/26/2012 at 16:41 (4,384 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Post# 585224 , Reply# 3   3/26/2012 at 16:42 (4,384 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Here is a 1982 Kenmore 60 series machine - again, no prewash, just a blanked-over mega off section.
Its almost humorous in that Sears offered this machine as a three cycle, with the delicate being 6-minutes long, but the cycle can be set for 8 minutes, its just not called-out on the graphics. A step up machine in 1982 had the "Knit-Delicate", with Knit starting at 8 minutes, thus becoming a magic 4-cycle machine for nothing but a printing change. |
Post# 585225 , Reply# 4   3/26/2012 at 16:43 (4,384 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Post# 585226 , Reply# 5   3/26/2012 at 16:47 (4,384 days old) by joefuss1984 (Little Rock, AR)   |   | |
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Post# 585227 , Reply# 6   3/26/2012 at 16:47 (4,384 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Post# 585229 , Reply# 7   3/26/2012 at 16:55 (4,384 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Joseph,
On this era of Kenmores anyway, the timer is totally dead in the OFF sections. The difference between these models is in the wiring harness, which has more pins on the machine with the active Pre-washes and second rinses. The same holds true for my 1993 DD machine, BUT, in my new 2010 DD, when the machine is set for "one rinse", the second rinse still works if you move the timer dial past the initial turn off from the main spin. I figured this rinse switch would deaden the entire second rinse portion, but it doesn't, it just stops the timer for one click at the end of the first full spin. Gordon |
Post# 585231 , Reply# 9   3/26/2012 at 17:06 (4,384 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)   |   | |
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Post# 585323 , Reply# 11   3/27/2012 at 12:18 (4,383 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Gordon & Cookie: you're preaching to the choir here, at least for me. " What Else Will the Dial?" do is a favorite pastime. Before you go cycle surfing the dial, make sure you have enough water in the machine to satisfy the water level switch, Extra-low or whatever you fancy. Enough water in the tub is the magic ingredient here.
The dead spot on the 77WP becomes very active if the tub has enough water and gives you 2, 4, or 6 extra minutes of slow agitation before the 14 minute high speed wash, so you can give a grimy load of work clothes 20 minutes of agitation like the early WP/KM's originally did. The dead zone on the 63LK is active with or without water. If provides 2 or4 minutes of fast agitation at any water level, which is great if something nasty needs a quick sloshing before you start the real load, and draining the nasty liquors, of course, before proceeding. Dial Surfing also taught me how to return suds on the 93WP and to get an infinite slow wash on the WP Portable's Gentle Cycle. I wonder who else does this--maybe everybody here! lol-- and what other machines have these hidden gems. Seems that WP/KM specializes in this. Haven't found any of these in the Frigidaires. Interesting that on some models the the wiring is disconnected, did you say, G? Is the hidden Knits just 2 more minutes or is the operation different? Here's the one you like of mine with the hidden 6 minutes, This post was last edited 03/27/2012 at 12:34 |
Post# 585329 , Reply# 12   3/27/2012 at 14:22 (4,383 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Mickey -
The 8 minutes of Delicate is just 8 minutes of slow agitation, nothing else, sadly. I just always found it funny that Sears would sell one machine with an 8 minute Knit/Delicate for a higher price than a 6-minute Delicate only model when the extra two minutes was available on that machine too. It wasn't even shown as an off on the panel. Of course, as soon as I could get my hands on one of these, I had to find out if the extra 2 minutes were live.... And, yes, when WP blanked-out those cycles, they did so by not equipping the wiring harness with the pins and wiring needed by that cycle. If you took a harness out of a machine that was wired for the pre-wash, etc and installed it in one of the blanked machines, the pre-wash would work as scheduled right through the OFF section graphics on the console. There was one model, a 76/78 Kenmore 60 large capacity machine which used this same timer, but it was a single-speed machine. The delicate was shortened to 4 minutes from the 8 total available (again by not equipping the harness with a couple pins and wires) and became a 'Short' wash, which agitated on high-speed. The momentary pause that is present in all WP/Kenmore belt-drives to change the motor from low-speed windings to high is interesting when the motor is already operating at high speed - it pauses and comes back on for nothing. The 1979 60 had it's own purpose made timer with a pulsed 6-minute delicate, which was probably better suited to this application, and the old timer was never used in a single speed application again. |
Post# 585810 , Reply# 13   3/29/2012 at 23:06 (4,381 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)   |   | |
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Post# 585841 , Reply# 14   3/30/2012 at 03:06 (4,381 days old) by aldspinboy (Philadelphia, Pa)   |   | |
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Work I T ..Out Gordon..
Boy you have great Kenny's ! Thanks thats just to cool the control panel differences. I will reference this for study. Are you saying in post 585221... That the hidden pre-wash is still in the timer.. Can you actavate the cycle where it was blind... or was it dead ? Eugene is right you never stop learning. Darren k |
Post# 587463 , Reply# 15   4/5/2012 at 20:44 (4,374 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Hi Darren,
Thanks for the kind words - you always post nice comments in people's threads! In post 585221, yes indeed, the timer in that machine has all the cams and switches that are needed for a Pre-Wash -- it's the same timer part number as used in machines with a pre-wash. You can't activate the cycle by moving the dial through the big off section. To make it work you have to add the necessary pins and wires to the wiring harness, OR use a harness from a machine that already has the provisions for pre-wash. I am sure that most consumers had no idea the cycle was ever there. That said though, pre-wash really isn't much of a feature. Selecting a rinse and spin will do the same thing essentially. Gordon |
Post# 587473 , Reply# 16   4/5/2012 at 22:46 (4,374 days old) by Northwesty (Renton, WA)   |   | |
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I wonder if the timer on this 1951 Kenmore also has an unused port for the suds return. This would be an old practice then... |