Hi all,

Just wanted to explain how I fixed my Whirlpool Cabrio Dryer,
Model Number WED660DVW0.
The start button broke and it won't work with out it.
This is one of host flex plastic engagement buttons
and the plastic broke off rendering the dryer useless.

When I looked to have the board fixed etc, at the time Whirlpool
wanted over $200 for the interface board and it also had about a
one month wait.

This dryer was the high end of the consumer Whirlpool line
and cost big dollars. I couldn't live without the dryer for a month!
Yes I called the local shops and no one had it in stock but all of them
had a very high price for something that should only be a starter switch, right?

Here is an image of the dryer's user interface.





The start button on the right hand side, broke, internally.
After removal and inspection I was dumb founded.
Here is what that control board looks like:





Enlarge it and you will see on the buttons left side a formed
plastic hinge, which keep the button pressed out, or
N.O. (Normally Open), until pressed which closes
the switch and starts the dryer.

We cannot just buy a switch as in the old days, we are forced to
buy the whole interface. Here is a link to Whirpool's web site. LINK

User Control Board - 1 month wait, $157.92 as of Dec 30, 2019

In my next post, I'll explain and if I can find the pic I show my solution.

 

Here is a pic I found of the full image of the dryer.



BACKGROUND
Two things to note, I bought this as one a repair lady informed me that these were the
better dryers that Whirlpool made, it has steam for quick touch up and also has the lint
clean out on the top, providing for better internal hot air circulation.

This dryer has been redesigned no longer using the integral full control panel, as
other folks had to buy whole panels for a simple broken switch.

MY REPAIR
Since I needed to dry my clothes and was pissed that Whirlpool wanted over
$200 at the time for the part and one months wait for the part to arrive
(on shore, I presume) I started looking around the house and garage for
what might work in this situation.

I tried rubber bands, super glue, Marine Tex epoxy, PVC Cement and
rubber cement. Nothing worked.

MY EPIPHANY

Then, in a moment of desperation I saw it, sitting there on the top of the large
roller tool box in the garage. Something I've been moving around there for years
and finally I saw that I could use it. To hell with the kit, your going in my dryer!

So I removed the boot from the Chevrolet coil to distributor wire. This wasn't
just some cheap rubber boot, but was from a high performance set that I had
not used. It was a special black silicon rubber. It is tough and not real spongy.

I brought it inside and see if it would fit around the switch area.




It fit, but how to make it work? The circumfernce of boot fit the yellow
circle as highlighted.



It's hard to see, but that is where it fit. Then I had to cut the thickness
to about a faucet washer size thickness. It took a couple of tries to
get it work and feel right, but I got it done for the price of a spark plug
cap/boot. You can buy singles at an auto parts store. Or just buy the
whole High Performance distributor to coil wire and use the boot.
It is a firm spongy silicon rubber.

I'm please to say it's been working for about 10 years not w/o a problem.
If any of the other switches fail, I have another boot that I can trim to fit.

TOTAL TIME FOR REPAIR
I think I experimented for about one day trying to find something
that would work.

Total time to repair, about 20 minutes after I found the solution.

TOTAL ESTIMATED COST

$1.99 for the special boot.

 

I just found a similar boot, let me pic and post it here.

 

Next time try little cutting board feet or cabinet bumpers from your local hardware store.

 

They don't push in. They are pretty solid.
Unless the convex portion is air/hollow?

That membrane is the switch.

I looked for some new dryers to find a pic, but
Whirlpool must have seen the writing on the wall
and went back to discreet switches.
I don't know if they are digital or analog switches.

Regardless, good thinking out-of-the-box.