Repairing Kenmore Elite HE3 Washer Control Board Relays

Written By: jadeters

Comments: 22

Repairing Kenmore Elite HE3 Washer Control Board Relays

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

The Kenmore Elite HE3 washers will stop their cycle and display an error code if they detect a problem. Two error codes seem prevalent, FDL and F11. FDL indicates a failure of the door lock mechanism. F11 indicates an error in communication with the control board and the front panel. Clearing the error and restarting the cycle may fix the problem temporarily, but is not a permanent fix.

One condition known to cause the problem is that the door latch relay on the control board can become coated with carbon due to excessive arcing. This guide will explain how to access and clean or replace the relays.

Tools

Parts

OMRON G5LE-1-VD

Step 1

The F-DL door lock error may indicate an inability to open the door, trapping your damp clothes inside. This first step is optional, and explains how to release the door lock manually.
Unplug the washing machine!
Using a Torx T20 screwdriver or a 9/32" socket wrench or driver, remove the three screws along the bottom front of the washer, and remove the panel.
Reach up inside the right hand side behind the door latch, and you should be able to feel a 1" diameter ring. Grab the ring with your fingers, and pull it down toward the floor. It will release the door lock.

Step 2

DANGER! Improper handling of live electrical circuits can cause electrocution, fire, and/or death! Do not attempt to duplicate these repairs yourself unless you understand how to safely perform electronic repairs in general. If you do, be sure you take proper safety precautions.
Wear safety glasses when soldering. You could spatter molten solder or rosin in your eye and go blind. Unplug the washer before opening the cabinet. You could electrocute yourself. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling lead solder (especially if you are a smoker.)
WARNING! If you try this and do it wrong you could wreck your circuit board. You could wreck your washer. Your washer could unexpectedly start running water and flood your house (that actually happened to a friend of mine who also owned this washer.) You could burn yourself. You could burn your house down.
I am not kidding about any of these safety precautions or risks. And I can not be held responsible for actions you take on your own. You assume full responsibility for any consequences of following this guide. Call a qualified repair person if you are uncomfortable with any of these steps.

Step 3

Unplug the main power cord.
To remove the lid, remove the three screws along the back that hold it in place using either a T20 Torx screwdriver or a 9/32" socket driver.
Slide the top panel toward the back of the machine about one half of an inch, and lift the top panel up and off.

My machine wont come in at all now an i just used it

lakesha powell - 14/05/15

Step 4

Mark the wires and note how the cables are routed, so you can return them to their original routes after disassembly.
Either apply wire labels, or take a fine-tipped permanent marker and as you disconnect each connector mark it with the two letter name of the mating socket, which you will find stamped on the plastic of the control unit's housing. A flashlight will help reading the letters along the left side of the control unit.

Step 5

Remove the control unit by very gently prying up the two outside tabs that hold it to the top crossbar with a flat bladed screwdriver and simultaneously sliding the control unit toward the front of the washer.
Only the outer two tabs have a locking notch holding the control unit to the crossbar. The middle tab is there just for support.
Open the gray housing of the control unit by gently prying the side tabs open.
Remove the circuit board the same way, by gently prying open the tabs holding it down.

Step 6

There are three or five relays on the circuit board. K6 is an OMRON G2RL-1A-E, 12VDC, and rated to switch 16A at 250 VAC. K1 and K4 are both OMRON G5LE-1-VD, 12 VDC, and rated to switch 10A at 250 VAC.
K1 controls the door lock solenoid. I found the contacts on it were blackened due to arcing. I didn't bother to find out what the other two relays do, but I cleaned them all anyway. Another repairer says that only K1 & K4 were inspected; K1 had significant contanimation & K4 looked new by comparison. Treated K1 only with all problems resolved!
Unsolder one relay at a time from the circuit board, clean or replace it, then solder it back in position.
To unsolder a relay, start by heating the solder at one end of the relay, and gently pull the relay's plastic package with a finger on the hand holding the circuit board. Use solder wick to remove excess solder. After making progress at one end, switch to desoldering the contacts at the other end of the relay in the same fashion.
To clean a relay, open its plastic case. Blow out the dust and grit. Dress the relay contacts with a small piece of folded-in-half 200-400 grit sandpaper, treated with contact cleaner. Replace the plastic case on the relay.
Solder the relay back onto the circuit board, and repeat with the next relay until all relays are cleaned and/or replaced.

How do you remove the circuit board from the housing to access the other side? Mine seems to be pretty firmly held in place

Jeffrey Falgout - 11/02/19

I ended up using a screw driver to get enough leverage to disengage the clips

Jeffrey Falgout - 12/02/19

where can I buy the whole circuit board … I would rather replace the whole thing.

Scott Dishman - 14/02/19

I just replaced K1, which had blackened contacts, and everything now working perfectly! Thanks for the instructions!

Greg Morris - 02/03/19

Thank you!!! On mine the door wasn't locking , just kept clicking I cleaned both white relays contacts and it worked. Looked like K4 need it most. So I recommend cleaning both as well.

Rui Fernandes - 30/11/20

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

jadeters

Member since: 28/08/10

1409 Reputation

16 comments

"Open the gray housing of the control unit by gently prying the side tabs open." Gently is the operative word here, I broke both tabs, could use a new cover. Found K1 clean as a whistle, no suspect solder joints. Just cleaned the board edge contacts and up and running. We will see how long it lasts.

Richard Sandell -

well its good but i think i am not facing problems regarding control board i think its main machine....

http://www.tristaterepairs.com/washer-re...

Andre Matthew - 27/05/14

I'm doing this exact repair and have noted that there is a lot of carbon on the one relay. i've also noticed that the relay is $1.26 at digikey and for an extra buck you can get the 16A version to replace the 10A version that keeps getting burnt out.

awr - 24/08/14

What is it when the relay k4 lights up for a split second before error F11

Ruth - 17/02/16

Hey guys! Just wanted to tell anyone who's mentally (and miserably) preparing themselves to have to fix their washer.

I had same problem: an f11 error that I could not clear....2 weeks of trying. I unplugged it, plugged it back in....i did this repeatedly....and nothing. Still had that error.

Anyway, when I finally got 'ready' to do this repair I took the stacked-on-top dryer off of it and in a last ditch effort, decided to plug it in.... you know, just one last time .... and I'll be a son of a b*tch! The %#*@ thing works. No code. No problems at all.

I've no clue as to whether the dryer being on top of it had anything to do with it, but one must admit, it sure is odd.....

Anyway..... you might just try leaving it unplugged for a few hours and always make that 1 last attempt! Ya never know.

Whew. I dodged that bullet. (for now)

Holly The Nurse - 03/03/16

Nice guide. I got rid of F11 errors by re-flowing the solder points for each relay.

misc - 20/05/16

Thanks for the precise instructions. My wife and I have had a Kenmore Elite HE4t Washer since the early 2000's and got tired of paying a couple hundred bucks for periodic repair to address the relay issues. I found the HE3 repair instructions that seemed very similar to the HE4t circuit board. I cleaned the contacts on the K1 and K4 relays; the others were sealed. I ordered the 5 relays K1, 3, 4, 6, and 7. Cleaning sort of worked for about a month, then back to beating the top of the machine with a plastic hammer to get the relays to switch so I replaced all 5 relays. The machine has been working wonderfully for a week. The five relays were less than $20 with shipping, so if the fix lasts awhile I intend to order several replacements while I can still get them. Of the five relays, I found the K3 and K4 relay contacts were the most severely burned. Thanks again.

DSmith - 09/10/16

My HE3t quit working today, washed fine 3 days ago. I pushed the power button, fine, then the start. The light came on but the door did not lock nor did it start. Tried it several times. Turned the breaker on and off, unplugged, plugged it back in, tried a different plug. Now the lights don't come on at all, just a little dinging sound when I hit power? Anyone have this problem?

nessiemp - 05/11/16

It worked! Thanks. We have an HE4T, bought around 12 years ago. Used twice a day. For the last couple of years it would throw an occasional DL code, and we had the ritual of opening the top and jiggling the pink heavy duty wires at the control board and that seemed to work. Went on like this for a long time. We had a matching set of W/D and pedestals so I didn't want to give up on them. I do have some electronics background, so I was keen to fix it. I thought maybe the one of the plugs was bad, or even the board. I removed the board and re-soldered key areas I thought may be the problem, even soldered wires direct from the 4-lead DL pink plug to no avail. It turned out it was the K4 RELAY, not the K1 for us. The K1 looked perfect, but the K4 had arc dust on the closing set (normally open) contact. I filed the contacts with fine grit paper. But I swapped the two relays upon reinstallation (let the other cleaner really have a go at the next 12 years). So far all good. Will buy new relays though.

C Jule - 29/08/17

As an extra note, our symptoms were also hearing clicking from the control board as it would try to 'lock' the front door. It would click a few times, then give up and throw the DL code. If opened the lid in time, while clicking, we could jiggle the pink wires and the door would normally now lock - which made me think it was a connection problem with plug to the board or the board itself had a bad trace line. In the end though, it was the K4 relay.

C Jule - 29/08/17

Worked like a charm. My washer (H3t) was most often throwing the DL code. I pulled K1 and K4, K4 was blackened, K1 was fine. I replaced both with the 16A version, and reflowed all components that were bigger than a transistor. Some of the plastic locking tabs for the wire connectors broke when I touched then, so I used a dab of hotglue to hold them in place. Thanks for all the information, everyone.

David Swift - 13/05/18

Chasing the FH error. Replaced inlet valves and flowmeter. Still get error code. Plenty of water coming in, draining fine. Thoughts?

Barrett - 30/11/18

Ever figure out anything? I’m having the same issue.

Crystal Galloway - 25/02/19

Neither my K1 or K4 were blackened. Reflowing doesn’t seem to have helped with the F11

Jeffrey Falgout - 12/02/19

Have a nod code what does it mean

fatima oliveira - 20/08/19

I love my 14 yr old he elite 3. Ran so quiet. Always had it stacked until I moved. ThenF11 became a normal par t of washing. Thought the wood floor/ leveling was culprit. For years, I’d hit the part to the right of other board, water level detector? with end of big screwdriver and it’d work... code always come up at same times during wash cycle,( first 10/20 min and 4,3,2 and 1 min from finish).

Turned out to be a combination of things… like a loose contact from the part that detects water level and mostly due to slope and build up where the 1.5” drain line connected to main drain. Leveled machine to “exact“ rather than “almost”. Changed drain line size to 2”, improved slope, cleaned contacts and replaced pink wire “ thingy” that runs from mother board to the part I’d been beating on….And tada

Mary Stewart - 16/09/20