Your clothes dryer is an important appliance, and it can be very stressful when it is not operating correctly.
Sometimes, a problem that occurs is the dryer won’t turn off unless you open the door.
Have you dealt with this issue? Dryer even will start by itself when the power is OFF once you will close the door.
Yet, don’t stress, there are some things you can do to troubleshoot. The good news is that this problem is generally caused by one of two things, but it’s not always easy to fix it.
Let’s take a look at what may be causing the problem (there are not many of them), and how to fix it.
- Motor Relay on the control board stuck in ON position
- Wrinkle Prevent is enabled
- Push Start button relay stuck (on old dryer models)
Wrinkle Prevent is Enabled (Not Common)
There’s nothing worse than removing clothing from the dryer that is wrinkled.
This usually occurs when you are unable to immediately remove your clothing from the dryer after the cycle has stopped.
While this issue can also occur when you leave clothes in the washing machine too long as well, the dryer usually takes care of this problem.
To make it easier for busy people, dryer manufactures have added options that prevent wrinkles. These cycles usually work by kicking on and off.
The original drying cycle will end, and then the dryer will shut off. After a certain amount of time, the unit will turn back on and tumble the clothes for a set amount of time.
The dryer will do this until you stop the cycle and remove the clothing.
This option can cause the dryer to continue running until the door has opened.
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So, if you are experiencing an issue with the dryer not turning off until the door opens, check if this option is turned on.
If you do not want this problem in the future, simply disable the option and it will stop.
The Motor Relay on the Control Board is Stuck (Most Common)
If you find that wrinkle prevent is already disabled, the other common problem is the motor relay on the control board is stuck or has shorted out.
When the relay is stuck in the “ON” position, it ignores the signal from the control board and every time when you shut the door, power flows to the motor through the door switch.
If you suspect this is the problem, here’s how to troubleshoot it:
Disconnect the power from the dryer and pull it forward so you can access the rear
Remove the screws in the back that hold the control panel in place
Flip the control panel up so you can see the control board
The relay switch should be on the lower right corner of the board
Is the relay melted? Or do you see black marks on the metal panel?
Check the back of the board for a burnt pin
If you find any black marks or burnt pins, then the relay switch is your problem. You have a few options on how to fix this.
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Do you know how to use a soldering iron? If so, replacing the relay is fairly easy. See the next set of steps on how to do this.
If you aren’t comfortable with a soldering iron, you’ll want to skip the next set of steps and replace the entire control board. See below.
Replacing the Burnt Relay
Remove the control board from the dryer, and unplug all wires and connectors that are attached to it.
You may want to take a photo of where these wires and connectors go, so you can reassemble the correct way.
Use a soldering iron to heat the pins on the back of the bad relay up.
Melt the solder and lightly pry the relay off the circuit board at the same time.
Clean up the burn mark area on the back of the board, so the new relay will go through.
Carefully heat the pins using the soldering iron, and touch the solder onto it.
Fit the board back into the plastic housing
Reconnect the protective cover and plug the wiring back in
Plug the control panel back in
Slide the control panel back onto the lock in the catches, and replace the screws.
Plug your dryer in and complete a test cycle
Your unit should run like normal now.
Replacing the Control Board
Turn of all power to your dryer. If it’s a gas unit, also turn the gas off.
Slide the dryer away from the wall, and remove all screws securing the top panel to the frame.
Release the tabs behind the front console
Pull the top panel up and off of your dryer
You should now see the control board
Take a photo of where the wiring connections go, so you can ensure you install the new part correctly
Release the locking tabs from all wire connectors. Pull the wire harness plug from the connection receptacle on the control board.
Remove the screw that secures the control board in place, and remove it from it’s mounting brackets
Before you take the new control board from its package, touch the metal frame of the dryer to dissipate any static electricity that’s present.
Position the new board on the support bracket, and push onto the mounting slots
Lock it into place and line up with the mounting screw hole
Replace the mounting screw
Refer back to your photo and begin connecting all wires to the new control board
Make sure each wire harness plug is snapped into place completely
Place the top panel back on your dryer, and position it slightly away from the tabs located behind the control panel
Push the panel forward to engage the tabs
Work the panel into place and replace all screws
Restore the power to your dryer, and don’t forget to turn the gas back on if you need to
Push Start Button Relay Stuck
Another issue which may cause dryer to keep running is when push start button is stuck.
It always sends the power to the dryer motor right after you close the door, causing dryer works non stop.
In the end, these are the two most common problems that cause a dryer to say on until the door is opened.
Have you had this problem before? What type of dryer do you own and what was your problem?
Comment now and let us know what you did to fix it.
Had a Bautmatic BVD60 that turned on anytime the power was connected and didn’t heat. Had narrowed it down to a fault somewhere on the control board by elimination and was worried about the cost of a new control board.
Turns out the old “percussive maintenance” on the relay in the middle of the control board was exactly what it needed. Nice tip!
Note to all… If you’re having intermittently relay issues, the wiring harness plug itself builds up a film inside the connection… I used the bristles of a small wire brush and carefully cleaned the connections within the harness.. Small bits of black debris fell out… Problem solved! No more stuck relay or new PCB needed…
Just an FYI
Can you elaborate on this? Photos perhaps? I’m not quite sure which part you’re saying you cleaned. Thank you!
I’m pretty sure my relay is sticking in the closed position. The dryer sometimes keeps tumbling after the cycle completes. When this happens, I can whack the top of the dryer by the control board, turn it on, then off again, and it shuts off. I have to do this every few weeks.
Do you have a good source for the relay and any of the specs for what relay I need to buy?
Do you have electrical troubleshooting skills to perform this job ( to replace relay on the control board) ? If not, then get a new board. Cause relay ratings need to be exactly the same (old vs new), such as current rating, operating voltage, position on the legs, etc… Another thing, Whirlpool dryer control board relay will not fit LG dryer relay… There are many thing you need to keep in mind, so just get a new board if you believe it will fix the problem
This is where you go back with the original part
Not sure if you have fixed your dryer yet. I ma not responsible for this information but if you google your part number you can find the spces. the current one in mine a SFK-112DM. After looking at the specs the Omron G4A-1A-E fixed mine. not sure if I can post links but here is the link to both specs. Once again you can research and find out if this fixes yours I take no responsibility for this information and it is for research purposes only.
https://datasheetspdf.com/pdf-file/869643/SANYOU/SFK-112DM/1
https://omronfs.omron.com/en_US/ecb/products/pdf/en-g4a.pdf
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FRBSJP0?psc=1&smid=A20VIERU7MNN7L&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp
I have a Maytag electric dryer about 34 years old — just today it won’t shut off until I open the door — then when I close the door it starts automatically without hitting the start button. The time knob works okay, but when I put that to the off position it makes it’s buzzing sound like when the load is done but the buzzing won’t shut off untill I open the door —
What is wrong ?
Timer is malfunction
And that would cause this problem ?!
How does the timer get fixed ? What needs to be done and how ?
You need to replace with a new one. If you want to fix it by yourself, You can call any appliance parts store and provide them model number of your dryer. They will tell you how much part cost. Or call appliance repair company in your area and ask them to fix it, if its reasonable of course. If not, then get a new dryer
I had the same issue on a samsung dryer. The relay is not meant to be installed upside down like they did and was sticking.
Rotating the entire control board box so that the legs of the relay are pointing down as opposed to up solved it.
Thanks so much. My Samsung dryer run once close the door even not turn on yet. The relay on control board stuck as you say. I tap it several time and it works now.