Maytag Atlantis Drain Question

[carolina-trader]

Washing machine is about 14 years old and until now the washer/dryer pair has been faultless. I certainly don't want to "upgrade" to anything with a logic board.

Symptoms are rather simple:

1) Run complete cycle, open lid and see that washer never drained water, so you have to twirl the timer around to point where washer is supposed to do initial drain and start again. Washer will drain, spin, fill again with clean water, though 2nd draining is never kicked off so twirl around again and kick off final drain with spin.

2) During my trouble shoot, I found that if you monitor the washing machine and about where the washing machine would perform first drain and start to spin, you open the top lid for just a moment, and then close lid, the machine immediately drains and spins just fine. I can do the same thing and open top for a moment when 2nd drain should occur and this kicks off final drain and spin.

I was thinking this is just a faulty "top lid" switch due to symptom (2) but if I open lid during spin cycle the drum halts. Close lid and drum spins again which leads me to think "top lid" switch is just fine.

Should replacing "top lid" switch be the first thing that I do or are there other suggestions?

I did review "common faults" topic.

Thank you.

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

I would expect the top lid only cuts the motor out, if it was faulty you should get the drum stopping rotating. It could be a sticking drain pump although that's unusual. I would at least check that the pump and filter isn't blocked or if it drains into a u-bend on the sink that it isn't partially blocked at that connection in case there is a small blockage which is slowing down the pump rate.