Washing machine lid lock assembly wiring schematics

Thread Starter

Alchemy One

Joined Oct 5, 2019
217
Hello.
I am hoping someone can interpret the schematics in the picture for me.
( I refer to lower part on the schematic where it says 70 ohm as connecting arms which is what they actually are as I have taken the switch apart)
The striker I believe is what is on the lid as you close it it enters the switch mechanism.
My question is.

1. When do I measure the 70 ohms, after the striker hits and closes the left bottom arm to the end of what I believe is the actuator/ solenoid? and does the striker from the schematics show that it closes just one switch or the one on the right ( the yellow wire) at the same time?

2. At what two points do I place my ohmmeter leads to measure 70 ohms. There are three connection points coming out of the switch?
Looking at the actual picture, the left terminal is violet, the middle is red and the right is yellow.

3. Does the other side of solenoid away from the striker connected to V ( violet) at all times or does it happen when the striker hit the left arm and closes the switch?

4. Does the connection arm also have to close on the right to the Yellow terminal as well to measure the 70 ohms?

5. Does the dotted line mean that the connection arms from the right side on the schematics also hooked up to the other side of the solenoid? Or does it mean that after the striker closes the switch, the right side gets connected to the other side of the solenoid?

6. At what point does the right side of the connection arms closes the switch on the right side to the yellow wire?

7 A. What two wires feed the solenoid?
7 B. what two wires is the door switch?
7 C. what two wires is the lock switch?

8. What does 20 stands for in the V-20, R-20, Y-20?



I hope some folks don't think I am a troll by asking these questions.
If your response is not in regard to this post please do not respond as it is all I am looking for.
Thank you very much.


Door lock switch assymbly.jpgDoor lock switch assymbly2.jpgDoor lock switch assymbly3.jpg



1. Washing machine door lock mechanism.jpg
 

Irving

Joined Jan 30, 2016
3,845
Answers inline

Hello.
I am hoping someone can interpret the schematics in the picture for me.
( I refer to lower part on the schematic where it says 70 ohm as connecting arms which is what they actually are as I have taken the switch apart)
The striker I believe is what is on the lid as you close it it enters the switch mechanism.
My question is.

1. When do I measure the 70 ohms, after the striker hits and closes the left bottom arm to the end of what I believe is the actuator/ solenoid? and does the striker from the schematics show that it closes just one switch or the one on the right ( the yellow wire) at the same time?

Between violet and red when locked
both switches get closed but the one on their right, yellow wire is driven by the lock solenoid


2. At what two points do I place my ohmmeter leads to measure 70 ohms. There are three connection points coming out of the switch?
Looking at the actual picture, the left terminal is violet, the middle is red and the right is yellow.

See above

3. Does the other side of solenoid away from the striker connected to V ( violet) at all times or does it happen when the striker hit the left arm and closes the switch?

V is connected to solenoid all the time

4. Does the connection arm also have to close on the right to the Yellow terminal as well to measure the 70 ohms?
No, but you won't measure it between V and Y unless the solenoid is powered or mechanically manipulated

5. Does the dotted line mean that the connection arms from the right side on the schematics also hooked up to the other side of the solenoid? Or does it mean that after the striker closes the switch, the right side gets connected to the other side of the solenoid?

Dots mean solenoid drives the RH switch so it closes only when lock is activated or has been mechanically closed

6. At what point does the right side of the connection arms closes the switch on the right side to the yellow wire?

as above

7 A. What two wires feed the solenoid?

V & R

7 B. what two wires is the door switch?

V & Y

7 C. what two wires is the lock switch?

R & Y

basically LH switch is Door Closed and also activates lock solenoid which closes RH switch which is Door Locked.




8. What does 20 stands for in the V-20, R-20, Y-20?
Just a circuit # I guess


I hope some folks don't think I am a troll by asking these questions.
If your response is not in regard to this post please do not respond as it is all I am looking for.
Thank you very much.






1. View attachment 212031
 
Last edited:

LesJones

Joined Jan 8, 2017
4,174
You will measure the 70 ohm resistance of the solenoid between terminals V-20 and R-20 but the striker must be pressed to close the left hand switch contact. (If you dismantle the lid lock assembly you can probably access both ends of the solenoid directly.)
One end of the solenoid is connected directly to terminal V-20.
The right hand switch contact will only be closed when the solenoid has been energised. This is so that the control logic knows that that the solenoid has actuated locking the door.
The dotted line means that the right hand contact is closed by the solenoid locking the door.

6 - No two wires go directly to the solenoid
No two wires go directly to the door switch
R-20 and Y-20 go to the lock switch.

The "20" (Together with the V-, R- and Y-) will be to identify the wires at some other point on the schematic. (Probably the control board.)

Les.
 

Thread Starter

Alchemy One

Joined Oct 5, 2019
217
Answers inline
Answers inline

Thank you so much for everything and specially the way you have gone about answering.

Here I go again just when I thought I could avoid this. I was wrong

Thank you so much the style of your answer. What a wonderful way to do it so as not leave the other person wondering that some questions were skipped and not answered.

It seems I need more clarity.

1. When the door is open should I be read no resistance between any of the three pins, is this correct or should I read some resistance somewhere.

2. When I close the lid, what resistance should I read
A. Between R and V?
B. Between R and Y?
C. Between V and Y?

3. When the computer actuates the solenoid in order to lock the switch so the door doesn't open, does V and R gets the voltage?

And then
What should I read between

A. R/V
B. R/Y
C. V/Y

4. When the computer actuates the solenoid the second time ( which I think is what takes place) to unlock the door should I have the reading as stated in second question #2 above or the readings should there be some other reading?


The problem:
The computer has problem unlocking the door as the error.
Of course the computer can not open the door so any connection made by closing the door remain in place, at least it should by default but locking the switch is done via solenoid action inside which should have no relationship to physical fingers on the cradle containing the switch.
I assume when the computer powers the solenoid the first time to lock the fingers in the cradle, the fingers by logic does not move if observed as it is already in position. Furthermore when it unlocks it, the fingers don't move again.
The only difference is when locked you can't open the door not because the finger(s) have moved but because the fingers are not giving.
And when the solenoid unlocks the mechanism inside the switch, when you open the door the fingers give.
In other words the locking and unlocking mechanism besides the solenoid is the gears inside the actual switch body and that doesn't have any relation to the fingers of the cradle.
BASED ON THAT LOGIC I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM MAY LIE IN THE GEARS INSIDE THE SWITCH ITSELF WHICH I HAVE NOT CONSIDERED.

Perhaps that is why I have not been able to fix this problem.
I have refused to purchase a new switch which is of course what you are suppose to do... :)

Thank you kindly.

Door switch solenoid and gears showing.jpgswitch cradle.jpgswitch, switch cover, cradle.jpg
 

Irving

Joined Jan 30, 2016
3,845
1. When the door is open should I be read no resistance between any of the three pins, is this correct or should I read some resistance somewhere.

All open circuit


2. When I close the lid, what resistance should I read
A. Between R and V? 70
B. Between R and Y? open circuit
C. Between V and Y? open circuit



3. When the computer actuates the solenoid in order to lock the switch so the door doesn't open, does V and R gets the voltage?

I'm guessing, when you start the machine it puts a voltage on R, thats the feed. V is connected to ground inside the controller via an electronic switch. If the door is closed the solenoid gets energised via the striker switch, so a current flows from R to V driving the locking pin to lock the door and closing the lock switch, feeding power from R to Y, thus telling the controller the door is locked. The machine can then start.

When the cycle is finished the controller unlocks the door. Now I can't tell how that works. There are two possbilities. One, taking power off the solenoid retracts the locking pin through spring action. Or two, the controller reverses the polarity between R and V and the solenoid (or more correctly the lock motor) runs in reverse, unlocking the door.

Looking at the gears in the picture and not seeing a spring mechanism, I'm guessing its #2. I note you think (below) its activated twice; that's possible I suppose but its adding a whole extra level of complexity if the activation is in the same direction. Given these things are as simple as can be, I'd say it's unlikely.


And then
What should I read between

A. R/V Door unlocked/open, machine ready to wash, waiting for door to be shut.. a voltage between R and V. Oce shut & locked its hard to say, probably its disconnected so zero;

B. R/Y A voltage between R & Y until door is locked, then zero, but a voltage on Y same as that on R relative to V.

C. V/Y A voltage until door locked then probably zero, but hard to say.

4. When the computer actuates the solenoid the second time ( which I think is what takes place) to unlock the door should I have the reading as stated in second question #2 above or the readings should there be some other reading?

Hard to say, but I have a feeling they'll all be reversed.
 

Thread Starter

Alchemy One

Joined Oct 5, 2019
217
1. When the door is open should I be read no resistance between any of the three pins, is this correct or should I read some resistance somewhere.

All open circuit

2. When I close the lid, what resistance should I read
A. Between R and V? 70
B. Between R and Y? open circuit
C. Between V and Y? open circuit



3. When the computer actuates the solenoid in order to lock the switch so the door doesn't open, does V and R gets the voltage?

I'm guessing, when you start the machine it puts a voltage on R, thats the feed. V is connected to ground inside the controller via an electronic switch. If the door is closed the solenoid gets energised via the striker switch, so a current flows from R to V driving the locking pin to lock the door and closing the lock switch, feeding power from R to Y, thus telling the controller the door is locked. The machine can then start.

When the cycle is finished the controller unlocks the door. Now I can't tell how that works. There are two possbilities. One, taking power off the solenoid retracts the locking pin through spring action. Or two, the controller reverses the polarity between R and V and the solenoid (or more correctly the lock motor) runs in reverse, unlocking the door.

Looking at the gears in the picture and not seeing a spring mechanism, I'm guessing its #2. I note you think (below) its activated twice; that's possible I suppose but its adding a whole extra level of complexity if the activation is in the same direction. Given these things are as simple as can be, I'd say it's unlikely.


And then
What should I read between

A. R/V Door unlocked/open, machine ready to wash, waiting for door to be shut.. a voltage between R and V. Oce shut & locked its hard to say, probably its disconnected so zero;

B. R/Y A voltage between R & Y until door is locked, then zero, but a voltage on Y same as that on R relative to V.

C. V/Y A voltage until door locked then probably zero, but hard to say.

4. When the computer actuates the solenoid the second time ( which I think is what takes place) to unlock the door should I have the reading as stated in second question #2 above or the readings should there be some other reading?

Hard to say, but I have a feeling they'll all be reversed.
Thank you Irving,
I just realized there is no way I can solve problem this way. The fact that the washing machine shows error code with mostly unable to unlock the switch. As we have no idea about the computer program and how it interacts, at what juncture and time frame it sends signal to the switch.
For instance there are two types this machine. One of them seem to lock the door while filling but not when it starts agitating and then only locks when spinning. Plus from what I seem to notice there are three position that the switch actuator takes. One for close door, one for lock and one for unlock. And the unlock position at the end of spin is not the same as when the door was closed in the beginning.
And there is more....
I have had it.
Another switch is coming from Amazon.
There are times one has to just let it go. At least for now until I get bored again. :) And again thanks for everything.
 

Irving

Joined Jan 30, 2016
3,845
Lol, yes, it can be instructive trying to diagnose and fix a problem, but sometimes you just have to admit defeat & make a tactical retreat. :)

Happy to help, hope the new switch fixes the problem.
 
Last edited:

Thread Starter

Alchemy One

Joined Oct 5, 2019
217
Lol, yes, it can be instructive trying to diagnose and fix a problem, but sometimes you just have to admit defeat & make a tactical retreat. :)

Happy to help, hope the new switch fixes the problem.

================================================

I was just reading all your answers again you so sequentially typed to my original questions. It does appear that there are most likely three position on the actuator operation.
One when the lid closes. I think that also mechanically moves the plunger/shaft on the actuator moving those plastic gears. The plastic gears must move in order to make connection and the plunger on the solenoid is connected to the gears at all times. Those plastic gears are under those copper leaves going up and down caused by fingers on the cradle pushing two in total buttons that are under the body of the door switch connected to the gears moving them up and down. The actuator also makes those buttons go up and down to block or not to block the fingers on the cradle, locking, unlocking etc.

The second position is on that #5 question as you said as the actuator locks the switch by connecting the yellow to violet although I am not clear about this point as I see the red middle wire also connected on the same side as the red on that right hand switch as if red and yellow getting shorted out or something.

The third position of the actuator I would think moves everything to the position as if one never closed the lid in the first place. I think that is the rub. And I think that is where the malfunction is. There should be a nice loudest click of them all when that happens and that is what I don't hear. Because the game of this machine is to check the lock system, making sure it locks but also unlocks. It is the unlocking part that shows on the error code. Majority of washing machine just locks and and is done with it and at the end after the machine actually has already shut down the door unlocks. Which means that the unlocking is not part of the circuit at all so no error code exist for it. the heating bi metal cools off and then click and it is over.
But these bored electronics wizards designed it all to play around with the fragile switch constantly. No wonder these particular;ar GE machines got the most problem with the switch. And since 2015. In fact I believe they have issue with the control module as well. Last time I checked I had a hard time finding the control module as either they don't make it or they are out of stock.

If I am right, at present time I am concluding that when the new switch arrives I will pay attention when I close the lid and listen to the sound of door switch and any clicks I hear and any pressure of push and lifting of the door.

Then at the end when the wash is done and then left the door and see if it feels the same or rather it may feel like the actuator is not hitting a thing as if it is empty space under it. Assuming the switch is my problem. :)
 
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