Whirlpool Washer Door Locked Light Flashing – Let’s Fix It

If your Whirlpool washer has locked its door and there’s no way to get it open, don’t worry — this is actually something that can be solved. There are several reasons why this could happen, but all of them are easily fixable. Check out the tips below for guidance on what you need to do to get your clothes back at home so you can finish washing them and solve Whirlpool Washer Door Locked Light Flashing Issue.

If your Whirlpool washer door is locked, there are several possible causes and fixes. First, you can reset the machine to release the lock. If that doesn’t work, there are a number of other components that can be causing problems. For example, try checking the door switch assembly, the latch assembly, or even the washtub itself. If your machine is still under warranty, you can have it replaced for free.

Whirlpool Washer Door Locked Light Flashing – Troubleshoot and Diagnosis

You’ll never have to worry about your washing machine flooding your home or trapping clothes inside, thanks to an automatic door locking feature that prevents the door from opening during a cycle. However, malfunctions can cause the door to lock before the cycle even starts or when it’s in the middle of running.

Washing machine doors offer automatic locks to prevent accidents from occurring. These locks should release at the end of a cycle to open up, but sometimes malfunctions can keep a door locked. In other cases, a door may lock before a cycle even starts.

1. Wait For Few More Minutes

Once the motor speed of your washing machine reaches zero revolutions per minute, it’s time to open the door. From that point on, you’ll have to wait for three minutes before you can get access to your clothes — this is to prevent overheating and fires.

Nearly every washing machine has the ability to heat up warm water used in the wash cycle. This is done through an internal heating coil that is built into the machine. It’s not uncommon for the temperature of the wash water to reach 122 degrees Fahrenheit; this is standard for most washing machine designs. But, if your water reaches above 122 degrees, your machine may experience a slight delay as the hot water cools down.

2. Check Control Lock

Some washers come equipped with a control lock feature, which locks the control panel. In order to unlock it, simply press and hold the button on the dashboard for three seconds. You should hear a beep to indicate that your control lock has been disabled. Now that you can access your control panel, you can wash and dry your clothes as usual.

When you press the End Cycle button, the washing machine will automatically reset itself, retract the tumblers, and unlock the door. If this doesn’t happen, you can manually open the door latch to break the cycle. This is done by pressing the End Cycle button for ten seconds.

3. Reset the Washer

Naturally, new technologies aren’t always perfect. A washing machine that’s acting up can be frustrating — it can feel like nothing you do will solve the problem right away. Luckily, there are tried-and-true fixes on the market to help you out. First of all, unplug your washer from the wall for at least 45 minutes. This can help reset your machine, solving any minor glitches it may be experiencing.

4. Check The Lid Switch And Striker

The striker is an important part of the washer that helps it know when to switch the water flow. This part can sometimes become loose and move from its original location, which results in malfunctioning or complete non-operation of the washer.

In cases where the striker has been knocked out of place due to a fall or a drop, you can put it back in place by applying a little force with your fingers. However, most cases of a broken lid switch are caused by a defective lid switch.

However, in most cases, the lid switch just stopped working. So it’s important to check the lid switch with a multimeter before touching any internal components of the washing machine.

We know that the door latch is supposed to disengage once the washing cycle is complete, but in some cases, it can malfunction and lock up in place even after the wash cycle has finished. We’ll explain how you can tell if this is happening — and we’ll also give you a few ways to fix it.

5. Defective Door Latch

Check the latch and the striker. The latch is a small metal piece that fits into a place in the striker, a plastic part of the doorframe. When everything aligns properly, you’ll hear a simple click. If things aren’t aligned, you can push them back into place. You may also need to tighten the hinges to bring the door back into alignment; this will prevent your washer door from rocking back and forth and shifting out of place.

Before you tackle a problem with your washing machine, make sure that the power is cut. Always remove the machine’s front panel to access its components. With a multimeter, check for electricity in the power assembly that controls the door latch. If the lid won’t latch due to an electrical short or breakdown, then replace the door latch assembly.

6. Bad Actuator Motor

The Whirlpool washer’s Actuator motor can either go bad or just come loose from the machine’s spinning and shimmying, causing an unfortunate need for repair. The motor powering the spinning and shimmying of the machine is usually not priced higher than the cost of a new washer.

You should always turn off the power to your washing machine before you poke around in there, just to be safe — and don’t forget to unplug it too. You can access the actuator motor from underneath your washer’s deck, just lay your machine on its side to reach it. Once you’re in place, place a blanket or furniture pad beneath the machine, just in case any drips or spills occur during the repair.

Test the wiring connected to the actuator motor. If there are loose connections, tighten them. Rapid spinning can loosen connections. If the wiring is in order, check the actuator motor for problems. If it’s not working, you need to replace it.

7. Faulty Sensor Actuator

Diagnosing sensors (such as the one on the Whirlpool washer) often involves getting into diagnostic mode. This mode can be tricky, but you can follow the directions in your machine’s manual to get it to recognize the sensor and run a diagnostic test. After that, you’ll need to check your diagnostics against the reference manual (or online) to determine what’s wrong.

The washer is stuck in the rinse cycle. It’s possible that the optical speed sensor (OSS) on the motor is not correctly reading the motor speeds. If that’s true, the washer doesn’t know when the washer stops and therefore doesn’t know when to unlock the door.

8. Water in Washer Tub

In the event of a flood, the washer door will not unlock unless the tub is completely empty. If you spot water standing in your tub, perform a spin-and-drain to expel all of the water. Then, you should be able to unlock the washer door and resume your laundry.

9. Check Drain Pump

Water can remain in your Whirlpool washer if something is stuck in the drain pump or filter. You can remove it manually, or clean or replace the pump or filter. Replace whichever of these is causing the problem.

If the washing machine smells like it has backed up, you’ll need to find the washer pump. The position of the washer pump is usually located at the bottom of the machine, near the drain. Accessing it can prove tricky, but thankfully it is doable with a few tools.

Unscrew the knob to drain water from the tub. If water drains but it fails to spin or agitate, check for foreign material or debris in the tub.

10. Cracked Hose

When checking the condition of your inlet hoses, it’s a good idea to start by making sure that there aren’t any cracks or leaks. Any airtight hose is a good hose, but even the best can sometimes break down due to wear and tear. If you can, look for kinks or cracks that may have formed over time. These can be a common source of water flow issues and can even interfere with water level sensors.

11. Check Control Board

You may encounter this error when you shut your washing machine door but the unit remains unresponsive. The most common cause of this type of issue is a problem with the control board itself, which controls communication between your washing machine and its other parts. However, factors like too much or too little voltage to sensors or a hiccup in power can also cause this type of malfunction.

How To Manually Unlock The Door On A Whirlpool Front Loader Washer

If your washer won’t unlock, you can usually fix the problem by resetting the control panel: unplug the machine for one to two minutes and then plug it back in. You can also try flipping the circuit breaker off and then on again. Both of these steps should set the control panel to its initial state and allow the washer to work as normal. If it does not work then follow the below steps.

Turn off the washing machine completely, unplug it, and remove any laundry that might be inside of it. Remove the screws on the back of the top panel to access the lock assembly. With your fingers or with tools, pull out, back, and up to take off the top panel. Pull straight back and up to take off part of the front panel on the right side of the door to access the lock assembly.

First, locate the small plastic tab at the bottom of the washer door lock. Then, pull down on this tab and the door should pop open.

How To Manually Unlock The Door On A Whirlpool Top Loader Washer

When a washer door is locked, there are a couple of things to do. First, always unplug the washer from the wall. You can also press and hold the Cancel button for one to two minutes. If this doesn’t work, it may be time to manually unlock the door. To do this: Unplug the washer from the wall. Turn off the water supply to the washer.

To remove the drain pump cover, you’ll need to locate it on the right bottom side of your machine and use a screwdriver to take off the one screw holding it down. You should see a curly cord inside it — simply tug on this to unlock your machine.

Whirlpool Front Load Washer Door Locked Light Blinking

If the Door Locked light is blinking and you cannot open or close the washer door, there may be a problem with the control board or the lock.

There are a few ways to fix the Whirlpool washer door locked flashing light issue. You can unplug it for 10 minutes and reset it. You can also press and hold the End of Cycle button and hold it for 20 seconds.

If the washer is already in the middle of the laundry cycle, do not alter the washing machine settings to avoid activating the lid lock light.