Kenmore Dryer Timer Keeps Ticking

Clothing Fastener

• Stop and empty your Kenmore dryer when you hear it ticking. It’s possible that a belt was accidentally left on a pair of pants that might be making a ticking sound, as the item tumbles dry and scrapes the walls of the drum. Also, verify that all loose clothing fasteners, such as snaps, buttons and zippers, are closed. Occasionally, an open metal or plastic fastener will make contact with the drum’s sides and produce a ticking sound.

Timer

• It’s not uncommon to hear your Kenmore dryer’s timer tick as it advances through a drying cycle. The noise should stop after the cycle ends. Although the sound might be irritating, it’s not a noise that you should be concerned about and rarely does it indicate a problem with the timer or dryer. However, if the noise persists after the dryer is off, the timer might be malfunctioning. Because certain Kenmore dryers have timers that operate with 240 volts -- an extremely high voltage amount for appliances -- don’t attempt to check the component’s continuity on your own. Contact a Kenmore dryer specialist to have your dryer serviced. The timer might be short circuiting and need to be replaced.

Drum Belt

• Some Kenmore dryers use a rubber belt to spin the drum that could slip or wear from routine use. When this happens, you might hear the belt tick after each drum rotation. Remove the back panel from your dryer. Manually spin the drum with your hand and listen for the ticking sound. Examine the belt thoroughly if you hear the noise. Pull on the belt to check its elasticity. If it’s not firm and has a fair amount of give, replace it. Similarly, substitute out the belt for a new one if you detect any visible damage.

Motor

• If you push the “Start” button on your Kenmore dryer and it doesn’t come on and only ticks, the motor might be bad. A properly functioning motor hums when it’s operating right. When it ticks, it’s usually trying to summon enough power to turn over and run. Contact Kenmore to send a specialist to inspect your dryer and confirm whether the motor is dying.