Under perfect conditions, a Maytag Centennial dryer dries your clothes at a touch of a button, making the whole experience fun. But like every other dryer, it can fail, necessitating a Maytag Centennial dryer troubleshooting guide.
From a dryer that won’t start, spin, or dry your clothes to one that’s overheating or not heating, you can troubleshoot them with the right guide, and that’s where I come in.
I’ll share a troubleshooting guide you can use to fix all those issues. What’s more important than the fixes that I’ll suggest is understanding the causes.
Interestingly, most of these problems have similar causes. For example, a Maytag Centennial dryer that won’t heat shares most of its reasons with an option that overheats or doesn’t dry.
Similarly, a Centennial dryer that won’t start and one that won’t spin have almost the same explanations. Of course, there are a few differences, as you’ll note.
Let’s get into the troubleshooting:
Quick Maytag Centennial Dryer Troubleshooting Guide
| Dryer Problem | Probable Cause | Fix | |
| 1. | Dryer Won’t Start | The door is not well latched, incorrect setting, power failure, blown thermal fuse, active control lock, or part malfunction (start switch, door switch, drive belt, belt switch, timer, motor, or main control) | Latch the door correctly, choose the right dryer setting, fix the cause of the power failure, replace the blown thermal fuse, deactivate ‘control lock’ and change the malfunctioning part mentioned under probable cause |
| 2. | Dryer Won’t Spin | Overheated motor, broken drive belt, defective dryness, control board, or worn out part (drum roller, drum roller axle, drum bearing, or slides) | Replace the motor, drive belt, dryness control board, or any other part mentioned under probable causes if defective or worn out |
| 3. | Dryer Not Drying Or Often Taking Too Long To Dry | Clogged air vents or hint filter, burnt-out heating element, or defective part (blower wheel, gas solenoid valve, moisture sensor, or thermostat) | Clean the clogged air vents or lint filter and replace the or any other defective part mentioned under probable causes |
| 4. | Dryer Not Heating | Power failure, blown thermal fuse, burnt heating element, or malfunctioning part (gas valve solenoid, flame sensor, guitar, timer, thermostat, or main control) | Fix the power failure, replace the burnt heating element, fuse, or any of the parts mentioned under probable causes if it’s defective |
| 5. | Dryer Overheating | Clogged air vents, missing or worn felt seal, or faulty part (heating element, cycling thermostat, or blower wheel) | Unclog the air vents, replace the felt seal and any other part mentioned under probable causes if it’s faulty |
5 Common Problems for Maytag Centennial Dryer Troubleshooting
Below are five common Maytag Centennial dryer problems you can troubleshoot:
1. Maytag Centennial Dryer Will Not Start
If your Maytag Centennial dryer won’t start, it is probably because of one of these reasons:
- The door is not well latched
Before your Centennial dryer can start, its door should shut correctly. So, ensure you properly engage the door latches before you can press the start switch.
- Incorrect setting
You should select ‘Timed Dry’ (on some Centennial models) or Automatic Dry (on others) before you can start the dryer. It won’t start if you set it on the ‘Wrinkle Reduction’ cycle.
- Power failure
There’s the chance that your dryer doesn’t receive any power. So, check for the possibility of a tripped breaker, blown-up fuse, faulty extension cord, or faulty outlet.
Use a multimeter device to test for power failure. You’ll need to reposition the breaker if it’s tripped and replace the blown-up fuse if that’s the case.
- Blown thermal fuse
The thermal fuse’s function is to protect your Maytag Centennial from overheating. If the Maytag Centennial dryer thermal fuse is blown, you need to replace it, lest the dryer won’t start.
- Active’ Control Lock’
Check the dryer’ control lock’ feature. If it’s powered on, the dryer won’t start. So, you’ll need to disable it first by pressing down the ‘cycle signal’ switch for 3-5 seconds.,
- Part malfunction
Consider the probability of a faulty start switch, door switch, drive belt, belt switch, timer, motor, or main control board.
The start switch, for example, could not be firmly pressed down, which you’ve to do for the dryer to start.
Generally, you’ll need a multimeter to test all these parts for fault. If any does not show continuity, replace it – it’s likely defective.
2. Maytag Centennial Dryer Won’t Spin
A dryer that won’t spin is as good as one that won’t start. Often, the problem is any of these:
- Overheated motor
If your dryer drive motor overheats, the dryer will shut down until the motor cools down. But if the motor continues to overheat when you start the dryer, it’s likely defective. So, replace it.
- Broken drive belt
The drive belt turns a pulley system that rotates the dryer drum. If it’s broken, your dryer’s drum won’t spin. So, you’ll need to replace the drive belt to fix the problem.
- A defective dryness control board
The dryness control board automatically shuts your dryer off when the clothes reach a certain dryness level. If it’s faulty, the dryer won’t spin until you replace it.
- Worn-out part
If the cause is none of the above, then the chances are that one dryer component is faulty. The commonest to inspect for fault include the drum rollers, drum roller axles, drum bearing, or slide/glides.
You’ll need to test these dryer components for continuity using a multimeter. If any of them is faulty, consider replacing them.
3. Maytag Centennial Dryer Not Drying or Often Taking Too Long
If your Centennial dryer doesn’t dry at all or takes a long time to do it, the problem could be any of the following:
- Clogged air vents or lint filter
Good airflow is essential for the dryer to dry your clothes. The dryer won’t have enough air circulation if the air vents or lint filter are dirt clogged. Consequently, it may not dry your clothes.
The problem is fixable by cleaning the venting system using a dryer vent cleaner at least once a year.
- A burnt-out heating element
A burnt-out heating element means your dryer won’t heat. And if it doesn’t, it won’t dry the clothes. You’ll need to replace the faulty part.
- Defective part
The problem could be a defective part if the issue has nothing to do with clogged vents, a lint filter, or a burnt-out heating element.
The parts in question include the blower wheel, gas solenoid valve, moisture sensor thermostat (cycling thermostat or high limit thermostat), or thermistor.
So, test all these components with a multimeter and replace whichever doesn’t show continuity.
4. Maytag Centennial Dryer Not Heating
If your Maytag Centennial dryer doesn’t heat up, it’s often because of one of these reasons:
- Power failure
Check the electric outlet and extension cord for faults using a multimeter. If nothing is wrong with them, check for a blown-up fuse and replace it or a tripped breaker and reposition it.
- Maytag Centennial dryer thermal fuse problems
The dryer won’t overheat if the thermal fuse is blown or faulty. Locate it on a heating element or blower housing and test it with a multimeter. Then, replace it if it’s defective.
- Burnt heating element
The heating element’s job is to warm the incoming air. If it’s burnt, the incoming air will be cold. So, the dryer won’t heat. The issue is, however, correctible with replacing the burnt heating element.
- Malfunctioning part
If the dryer issue has nothing to do with power failure, the thermal fuse, or the heating element, it could be because of a part malfunction. The parts to look at are the gas valve solenoid, flame sensor, igniter, timer, and thermostat.
Maytag Dryer Troubleshooting No Heat
In case of a malfunctioning part, the only fix is a replacement. Test the above parts with a multimeter and replace the defective one.
5. Dryer Is Overheating
Lastly, if your Maytag Centennial dryer overheats, the problem could be:
- Clogged air vents
If the air vents are clogged, your dryer won’t have enough airflow to cool it down; consequently, it’s likely to overheat. That’s why it’s advisable to clean the venting system annually.
- Missing/worn felt seal
The job of a felt seal is to prevent heat escape from the dryer drum. If it’s missing or just bad, the dryer will overheat. So, inspect the felt seal and replace it if it’s missing or old.
- Faulty part
If the problem is not the air vents or felt seal, it must be a defective component. The components to test for fault with a multimeter are the heating element, cycling thermostat, and blower wheel.
And if any of the Centennial dryer components are faulty, replace them.
People Also Ask
1. How Do I Reset My Maytag Centennial Dryer?
Overall, it’s advisable to reset your Maytag Centennial dryer after changing a setting or replacing a major part such as the control board, when you wish to clear an error code, or when your dryer has a problem that you can’t figure out.
Here are your options:
- Factory Reset – A factory reset is recommendable after changing the dryer setting either intentionally or unintentionally. You need to select ‘factory reset’ on your dryers control panel, and the dryer will reset to its default setting.
- Power/Cancel Reset – If your dryer displays some error codes that you would love to clear, press ‘power/cancel’ twice or more. Then, choose a cycle before pressing ‘start’ to clear the error.
- Hard Reset – If none of the above resets work, consider unplugging your dryer from the power for about 30 minutes or longer. After that, plug it back and switch it on. But if the problem persists, contact Maytag for assistance.
2. Why Is My Maytag Centennial Dryer Not Getting Hot?
If your Maytag Centennial is not getting hot, the chances are that there’s an electrical fault. In that case, you need to inspect your electric outlet and power cord to ensure everything is okay. Also, check for a blown-up fuse and replace it or a tripped breaker and fix it.
Closing Remarks
Overall, the above Maytag Centennial dryer troubleshooting guide can help you fix a Maytag dryer that won’t start, spin, dry, or heat properly. So, before you can call an expert to repair your Maytag dryer, try the above guide. It’s a decent add-on to your dryer manual.
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