A closed and securely locked lid is necessary to run the spin cycle in a washing machine. Some washers do not start a wash cycle unless their door is locked.
But, if your washing machine lid won’t lock, your unit probably won’t start washing clothes. This issue only occurs when a hardware failure occurs in the system.
A malfunctioning lid lock assembly, a broken door strike, a faulty control board, and a faulty lid switch are the most common reasons behind a washing machine lid not locking. All these components are interdependent in locking machines, if one stops working, it causes the chain to break and the unit cannot lock the door.
In this guide, we’ve described everything regarding how to fix a washing machine lid that’s not locking.
Table of Contents
Why won’t my Washer Lid Lock?
There are several possible reasons why your washer lid is not locking. We’ve listed each cause that you should check in your unit.
Here’re the Most Common Causes of Washing machine lid won’t lock:
- A malfunctioning lid lock assembly
Every washing machine has a lid lock latch assembly to lock the door. This component is made of a group of small electronic components. It has a latch, electric wires, and small components in it.
When we close the door of the washer, the strike of the lid goes into the lid lock assembly latch, and the switch gets depressed.
Once the switch is pressed by strike, it sends a signal to the control board that the lid is closed and locked, the control board blinks the lid light on the control panel to show whether the lid is locked or unlocked.
In case any wire in the lid lock assembly is broken, or the entire lid lock assembly is faulty, it fails to lock the closed door.
- A broken door strike
Every washer lid has one or two strikes that have a lid lock assembly mechanism. This is a plastic made part on the lid where it meets against the cover.
If the door strike is broken, the lid cannot depress the lock switch and the latch will not hold the lid, resulting in lock failure.
Take a closer look on all over the lid, if the lid has no strike, this means you attach a new strike there.
- Faulty control board
The lid lock assembly is connected to the control board. There is a bottom on the washer’s control panel to lock and unlock the lid. When we press this button to lock the lid, the control board sends a signal to the lid lock assembly to lock the door.
But, if the control itself is faulty, it will fail to operate the lid lock assembly, and the washing machine lid won’t lock.
However, it is not the most common reason, but if everything is fine, but the washer lid is still not locking, you should check the printed circuit board.
- Faulty lid switch
There is a switch inside the small space on the washer’s upper cover where the lid strike goes. If this lid switch sends a signal to the control board that the lid is closed when the lid strikes, depress it.
In case this lid switch is damaged, the washer lid will not lock as the control board doesn’t have a command from the lid switch that the lid is closed. This switch cannot be repaired.
Top Load Washer Lid won’t Lock?
Whether it’s a Whirlpool top loader, GE washer, or any other brand’s top load washer, if its lid is not locking, the issue is probably with the lid lock assembly.
Before testing lid lock assembly, strikes, or hinges, you must check the cleanliness of the area where the lid locks. If any particle is stuck in the space where the strike goes, it will prevent the lid from being locked.
When a user doesn’t clean the appliance for long, dirt builds up on its body and in all areas where water can store. For example, the lid latch goes into a gap located in the lid lock assembly. If that gap is filled with dirt and any particle, the lid latch will not completely go inside the gap and it remains unlocked.
On the other hand, if the lid is closing completely, the issue is probable in the lid lock assembly or circuit board. It requires technician skills to test any electronic part of any appliance.
To access the lid lock assembly, First, you will require to remove the upper cover of your unit which is located around the washing drum. However, you should be familiar with the use of a digital multimeter to test this electronic part.
If the problem is in the control board, you can repair its faulty part or replace it.
Practically, a printed circuit board is repairable, but only when it has single or two components damaged. Moreover, the damaged components should be replaceable to fix the PCB.
How to Fix a Washing Machine Lid that won’t Lock?
Practically, as several issues could cause lid lock issues in a washing machine, it is important to know what the root cause is for your unit. A screwdriver is required to proceed with fixing.
Here’re steps to Fix a washer that’s the lid is not locking:
- You must isolate your unit from the mains before proceeding further to fix the issue.
- Now, check the slot where the lid strike goes, if it is dirty, clean it. Moreover, if any particle is stuck there, remove that.
- Check the lid strikes. Sometimes broken parts cause issues in working. So be sure the door has no crack or broken part.
- If still the washer lid is not locking, you’ve to check the lock assembly. To do that, first, take a screwdriver and remove the control panel cover. Access the lid lock assembly wiring and disconnect from the panel.
- Now, take a screwdriver and use it to remove the upper cover of the washer which is located around the washing drum top.
- Once the cover is removed, you get access to the lid lock assembly. If any wire of its component is damaged, replace them. If the entire component malfunctions, you need to replace it. You have to read the model number of your washer, to get a new spare part for it for replacement.
- However, if the lock assembly is fine, test the printed circuit board. In case everything is working, the issue is probably in PCB, you might need to replace this component to fix the issue. But, you should test it with a digital multimeter before replacing it.
- Once the faulty part is replaced, connect the wiring to the PCB and assemble the covers back. Now, the washer lid will start locking again.
Note: Get help from a technician to resolve this issue in your unit if you’re not sure to fix it yourself. In case the unit is brand new, you can contact manufacturer support.
Conclusion
Lid lock assembly, door strike, control board, and lid switch are some components that play a crucial role in locking the machine lid and if one of them is not functioning properly, your washing machine won’t lock. Address the root cause manually to reuse your unit after fixing the lock problem.