"Daniel Schudel" wrote in message
...


I have a seven year old Kenmore electric dryer (110.66702690) that
stops drying mid-cycle. It only does this when it is set on
Auto Dry I heat settings (Auto Dry I is where it uses a thermostat
on the exhaust to determine when the clothes are dry). It just takes
pushing
the "Start switch" to start the dryer back up again (if only for a few
minutes). It goes full cycle on the Timed Dry cycle.

I scanned in the wiring diagram that was in the dryers console:
http://www.ddktech.com/schematic.jpg

Now, normally, when the thermostat (in red) senses dry air (and hence
dry clothes), the heater should shutdown, but the drive motor should
still spin. The thermostat doesn't control the motor, so I don't
suspect the thermostat. However, last spring, a bird nested in the
dryer's exhaust pipe outside the house. About 2 weeks went by before
my wife told me about the clothes not drying before I was able to clear
out the nest.

The centrifugal switch (in blue) in the motor should be independent
of which cycle is selected.

The thermal fuse (in yellow) is described as being "not resettable",
which I think would describe a fuse similar to car fuses or old house
fuses. So if something were wrong with it, then the motor should not
spin at all.

I've seen other posts recommend the timer itself as being the problem.
I don't really believe that can be my problem. The dryer fails on both
the
"Perm. Press" and "Knit Delicate" phases of the "Auto Dry I" setting.
It never stops on the "Timed Dry" or "Air Dry". If it was the timer, I
don't think pushing the "Start switch" would start it up again. However,
I can't eliminate it as the problem due it controlling so much in the
dryer.
And I would rather only replace it if I knew it *is* the problem as
Kenmore's
replacement part is $75.

I'm at a loss in determining what the problem really is. I would
appreciate
any help anyone could give.

Daniel
--
Daniel S. Schudel

If my sales training was right, the thermostat on the exhaust doesn't
actually sense "dry" clothes. The auto 1 cycle works this way....As the
heat comes on and is rising, the timer doesn't advance, when the heat cycles
off at it's upper limit setting, the timer will start to advance but as the
clothes are wet, it won't get far before the heat cycles on again and stops
its forward motion. This cycle continues repeating itself but as the
clothes get dryer, they don't cool the inside of the dryer so fast and the
timer is allowed to advance further each time of "heat off" and subsequently
runs the timer out and shuts off. If all is well this coincides with the
clothes being dry. But if it isn't cycling the timer off, it would run out
before the clothes were dry. However, I read you to say that the timer is
still in the middle of its "on" position as all you have to do is hit the
start button so it must not be running to the end prematurely. I'm not a
service person so I'm sure I haven't been of much help. And I'm not all
that familiar with how electricity works (other than I don't stick my finger
in any light sockets) but I have a question. What is the function of the
resistor in the auto dry cycle line just to the right of the switch. If
that were defective, could it somehow open (or close, whatever they do) and
stop the heater coil and motor. And one other question... the thermal
fuse...does "not resettable" mean that it could burn out and not be
resettable like a circuit breaker or does it mean that you can't adjust the
heat limit at which it cuts out but that it closes back up automatically
when cooled down some?
Geez, I think I had more questions than you did...
Tom.