Why Won't My Washer Spin or Drain?

I recently came across this in an Appliance Repair Forum.  It's a fairly simple problem, thought it might help someone out.

Q:  When I start the machine, it fills and agitates fine. When it finishes the wash (agitation) cycle, it stops when it should start the drain/spin cycle. The same thing occurs during the rinse cycle. If I advance the time it won't do anything but fill and agitate.  Does this sound like a lid switch or a timer problem? :

A: Most likely it's a lid switch problem.  A bad lid switch will allow the washer to work a little bit, but will likely stop the washer before the drain / spin cycle. 

The lid switch is a safety device that's there to protect you from sticking your hands into a spinning washer. If this switch goes bad, the washer will not work. You will have to replace it. It is inside the main housing for the washer, and located near the door frame.

If this doesn't quite answer your question, visit the Appliance Repair Forum and post your question there.

Here is a little more information on clothes washers as well as maintenance tips.

Why does my washer do nothing when I turn it on?

Is your washer getting power? The first things to check if your washer suddenly stops working are your circuit breaker, lid switch, or fuse box. After making sure there is power to the appliance, you can start troubleshooting other problems. To verify there is power at the outlet, try plugging in a small electric appliance such as a hair dryer or radio.

Sometimes the motor will overheat and then requires a cool down period before it will restart.

Is the machine in a pause cycle? Is the lid up? Washers will not spin or agitate if the lid is up. There is a lid switch probe that can sometimes become dislodged. This is generally a little plastic piece that is in the hole under the lid on the washer. This probe activates the lid switch when the lid is put down. Manually advance the timer if the pause is too long.

There are some washer models out there that will not run at all until the water is filled to the level that has been selected. Sometimes the mechanical timer knob on certain washers doesn't exactly line up with the graphics on the control panel. You can try advancing the timer slightly and pull the knob out again to see if it will start.