MDE10DAAEL Maytag Dryer - Instructions

I looked for dryer repair videos on my computer. I found several and they all showed me that what was most likely broken was the tumbler belt. I didn't even know dryers had a belt. My dryer still turned on,and still produced heat. It just wouldn't rotate. One of the videos even used the exact Maytag dryer in their video that I had. After watching it a few times, I knew I could make this repair. I am pretty good at fixing things if I can first see it done. I had never taken a dryer apart before though. I pulled the dryer away from the wall and unplugged it. I unscrewed the small access panel on the back of the dryer. This let me see the two belt pulleys back there. Then I went to the front and removed the two screws(my particular model) that held the front panel on and removed it. I then unscrewed the four screws holding on the front face plate in front of the tumbler. Next, I pulled the tumbler out, it is not screwed in. There was the broken belt. It took two days with regular shipping for the belt to come in. I put the tumbler back in, resting it on its two supports, placed the belt on, flat side down, and routed the belt through the pulleys in the back of the dryer exactly as it had been shown in the videos. I turned the tumbler clockwise two full rotations by hand to make sure the belt was seated correctly on the pulleys, and it was. I then screwed the face plate back on in front of the tumbler, put the front panel back on and screwed it in. I then reattached the back access panel. I plugged the dryer back in and turned it on. It worked. Though it may take a bit longer, this type of repair is about as easy as replacing a broken belt on a vacuum cleaner even for someone who has never done a dryer repair before. Watch a Repair Clinic video and if you enjoy fixing things, replacing a belt on a clothes dryer will be your next successful repair. It really is pretty easy.

All you need for a Maytag is a snub nose Philips screw driver. The screws on the front panel are at the bottom angled down, so a regular length Phillip's won't work. Just unscrew the 2 screws, then lift the panel up and out. Careful not to pull out too far, there are 2 wires attached to the switch. The replacement switch is NOT an exact copy of the old one. My Maytag is over 30 years old and it only had 2 prongs on the switch. The new one has 3. Don't let that throw you. It is the same size. Just attach, 1 wire to the bronze connector & the other to the silver. Push the switch into the door opening, re-attach the door. Total time 20 minutes. Saved well over $100 in a service call. Anyone with an IQ above freezing can do it.

Disassembled per instructions. Additional time used to clean inside unit.. Its much easier to install belt on motor pulley and tension pulley ( Roller) from rear access panel. Also ensures proper belt alignment on all items.

Every two to three years, the blower wheel gets chewed out in the center where it attaches to the motor shaft. I have learned the sound of it starting to rattle so I know to order a new blower before the air stops moving altogether. Replacing it is very easy if you have tiny sockets or nut drivers and a pair of snap ring pliers.

When working on this dryer, be aware that the heater wires are always "hot", even when the dryer is not running. You are only likely to touch one at a time so the worst you will feel is 120 volts. The shock probably won't hurt you but you may cut yourself jerking your arm out of the dryer. Best to unplug the dryer or open the circuit breaker before sticking your arm in there!

Installation of drum support kit was difficult because my snap ring pliers would not fit in the snap ring holes. Had to use pliers and screw driver to get them off and to put them back on. That took much patience and time. Installation of front guides was a bit difficult because the rivets were loose and turned when trying to drill them out. Also they were bigger and I needed a larger drill bit than the 1/8 told about in the video. Used drill, screw driver and pliers to get the rivets out. Also took more time and patience to do this. Belt did not need replacement but felt it a good idea to do it as long as I was in there. Belt installation was easy because my dryer has a rear view opening and I could use it to thread the belt. Tried it from the front as shown in the video just to see if I could and found it impossible. Could not even get my hands to hold the belt. Also vacuumed out 20 years of lint and dust that was inside the dryer. The videos were excellent in showing what to do and how to do it. Not sure how well I would have done without them.

Replaced both rollers,shafts, bearings and snap rings.

Per instructions I printed off online: took off door, then the front panel. Pulled out the old switch/button, connected the new switch/button, made sure the new button was working; put the panel back on then the door and DONE!

If your dryer is making a rumbling noise, change the blower wheel. It's plastic and the heating and cooling cycles causes the keyway in the plastic to give out and the wheel just spins causing the noise and the slower dry time. The other parts I replaced see below. Like many other repairs, remove screws below dryer door. Mark all wires and locations for re-assembly. Next remove front tumbler/lint screen assembly (4 sheet metal screws 2/L 2/R. Work belt off back of tumbler and remove. Use flathead screw driver to release tabs that hold felts on both front and back tumble supports. Make sure you know rotation of tumbler and install new felts so the overlap goes in direction of spin. Use a drum stick or 3/8 ratchet extension, something dull and flat to press tabs back down on felts. A screwdriver could slip off and tear cloth. Next drill out heads of the rivets on the glides and remove teflon glide and cork backer. Make sure all rivet material is removed front and back. Install new cork and glide. Rivet one side back in, then the other. Repeat on 2nd glide. Re-assemble dryer. Super smooth, super quiet.

My part was not amazing. What was genuinely cool: I ordered it one day and it was here the next, took out the old and put in the new. Thanks for getting it here so quickly.

I removed the cover from the control panel, took out the schematic, removed the rear cover by the motor, followed the schematic, powered the heater by taking the blue hot leg wire off the right side of the switch and touching it to the black lead for the heater on the left side, and I could hear the heater power on. Since bypassing the motor start switch powered the heater, I ordered the part. When it came, I installed it in about 5 minutes and the dryer worked perfectly.

I had replaced belt, but the noise continued. Ordered new rollers and washer. Removed the front panel by tipping the dryer back against the wall and removing two screws at the bottom of the panel. Tipping the dryer makes it easy to remove the front panel. Removed the front drum support by removing four (4) screws. I was then able to just move the drum enough to have access to the rollers. Didn't even have to remove the belt. Replaced the rollers. Needed special pliers to remove and replace the retaining rings. Put the drum back into position and mounted the front drum support. Tightened four screws and then put the front panel back on. Plugged it in and tested it. Problem solved. Took about 35 minutes. Thanks

Removed front panel and tumbler, replaced roller axle,
wheel, and front glides. Anybody can do this.

There are some really good blow-by-blow descriptions on how to go about the repair already listed here. The main thing is to go slowly and take your time. It was really quite logical for a weekend handy man. The best advise was to use a digital camera to record every step of the way as you disassemble the dryer. I referenced the pictures more than once when I was putting all of the wires and pieces back together. Also, I didn't have a pair of snap ring pliers. My neighbor told me how to use two ice picks to poke in the tiny holes and spread the rings...just be careful! Keep a vacuum handy, there will be lots of lint to clean up. The new motor, belt and pulley work great and I pleased with how well the repair went.

Turn off circuit breaker or unplug. Remove two screws 4 inches from bottom front panel of cabinet with stubby phillips head. Pull panel towards you about 30 degrees; then wiggle it down, to free two steel spring clips holding it to cabinet. Pull off red and yellow wire from door switch. Now set front panel aside. Blower assembly is facing you at lower left. Open the housing by removing six small screws from cover and one attached to dryer base. Remove spring clip from end of shaft. (A circlip pliers helps to prevent it from springing off somewhere.). Squeeze spring retainer surrounding blower wheel shaft with regular pliers, and wiggle the blower off. Replace in reverse order. Be sure insulation around blower wheel housing seats properly into front panel. This keeps the hot air flowing up past the lint trap.
Easy job, about half hour. Mine took longer, because I had removed the belt and drum, thinking the noise came from bad drum support rollers. It was just the plastic blower wheel shaft seat, which had worn itself round. Cost $20 (including shipping) and my 29-year old Maytag is as good as new--at least for now.

I had my oldest son who was home from college help me. We removed the front face of the dryer and put the unit on it's back. We removed the door switch and the blower unit. I didn't get a good look at how the belt was routed when we removed the drum but was able to figure it out when we put it back together. Not only was the belt frayed and dry rotted, the blower squirrel cage was free-wheeling on the shaft. I found a tab of metal I was able to insert in the flat of the shaft between the cage bushing and the shaft and I put the squeeze ring and snap ring back in place. We also discovered the source of much of the rattling noise we had grown accustomed to was actually change pieces trapped under the drum ribs. We removed them and put the ribs back in place and we installed the new belt and figured out how the belt routed around the shaft and tensioning pulley. We cleaned all the trapped lint out of the dryer and reassembled the unit. It now works like new. Thanks!