How to Know Which Electronic Control Is Bad in a Kenmore Front-Load Washer?

Unplug the Kenmore washer from the socket.

Turn off the hot and cold water supply for the washer at the valves located directly behind the appliance. Rotate the valves to the right to cut the water flow.

Move the washer away from the wall or other objects behind so you can reach the back panel and hoses. Hold a towel underneath the point where the washer hose meets the water supply valve. Loosen the coupling on the hose with a pair of pliers or your hands. Catch any water that drips out with the towel. Do this for both the hot and cold water supply hoses.

Loosen the bolts located at the top of the rear panel with a socket wrench. Pull the top of the Kenmore toward the rear of the appliance. Lift it up and off the machine.

Pull the dispenser drawer out of the front of the appliance. Loosen the screws located on the inside of the dispenser wall with a screwdriver.

Loosen the screws on both sides of the front panel. Pull the panel out of the front of the machine, but not too quickly, as it is still connected to the wiring harness. Gently squeeze together the sides of the plastic plugs to remove the panel from the wiring harness.

Turn the control board over so you can access the connections at the rear. Look for the connection labels imprinted on the back side of the circuit board. Each connector will have a power lead going into the control and one leading out. Hold a multimeter probe to each side of the connection and check the resistance (in Ohms) according to the Kenmore specs for your model, which can be found in the technical manual for your washer model. Bad electronic controls will have a resistance beyond the normal specifications.