First thing to check… What’s the cycle status? Is washer still running and hasn’t completed its program yet? Don’t try to force the door open. The door won’t unlock until the washer has finished. There is nothing wrong; just let it finish.
It may take awhile, and sometimes the timer can be slow. Wait for the washer to indicate it’s done by giving a signal (beep), then open the door. If your washer appear to be stuck on a cycle, proceed to the next step.
Checking Electrical Components
Now check the water in the drum. As a safety measure, there will be some leftover water remaining in the lock which holds it in place and prevents opening of the door until it is drained. You’ll need to remove this yourself by unscrewing the drain pump filter cap and gently pulling it off.
The water just pours out, clearing the obstruction. Oftentimes it’s a clogged drain. Removing the water reset the mechanism.
Water will pour out as you drain it, which clears the blockage.
Next, look at the panel settings. Sometimes the child lock is engaged. When the child lock is on, the door won’t open even if someone tries to open it accidently. It locks shut electronically. Look for an indicator light on display that’s lit up. That means it’s on. Simply press the appropriate buttons to switch it off. The door should pop open. This is an easy solution, it occurs when we forget to switch it off.
Next, reset it. Turning the machine off and then on after a couple of seconds can help reset any glitches caused by power issues in the electronics.
The above simply resets the system and clears some of the little errors. This may unlock your door. It is simple but so often overlooked. It takes no time, it gets you back to normal operation without having to disassemble anything.
Hardware failure occur on occasion. The door latch is broken. A good latch makes a click sound when it engages. Listen for that click. Is there no click? The latch is probably bad.
To fix this, remove the top casing and use your drill to take out the screws. This will reveal the inside where you’ll disassemble the old latch. Install new latch and you’re back in business. Use your flashlight to get close. Old latch often has visible wear and doesn’t lock into place anymore.
I mounted it back on and screwed it in place. I put the front panel back on and tested the door. It locks correctly again and you hear that click. So yes, it was a mechanical problem and it’s fixed.
Now for the final test. Let’s look at the main board.
The brain of the washer is this. Two fuses live here too. Open the housing panel to find the green board. Test continuity with your multimeter on both fuses. It may have one blown out which is why the lock failed.
Look at the board for any scorch marks or damage. If not, simply replace the defective fuse. Problem solved and the board is good to go again.
These six covers most causes. If there’s water in it, drain it. If the cycle seems stuck, perform a hard reset. If it doesn’t work because the child lock is on, disable it. If the latch mechanism seems odd, check that out. Lastly, if the control board is at fault, check it.
After the repair the washer opens and closes like normal. It isn’t hard to repair; you simply go through the steps. Be patient, don’t force anything on it. Wait for results and replace mechanical component or test electrical ones when necessary. Use logic and you’ll be able to get laundry done.
