DDC4400SGM General Electric Dryer - Instructions

First of all, unplug the dryer. I removed the two screws on the front of the cabinet to remove the top. I then took out the screws to remove the dial panel. Release the belt for the drum through the access hole in the rear of the dryer. Remove the front cover and pull the drum assembly out.

Remove the element disc from the rear of the housing, take note of the the wireing placement. Replace disc and reverse order of disassembly.

This job was easy for me as I am a tinkerer by nature. The hardest part of the whole job was waiting on the part, which by the way was ordered on a Sunday evening and I had the replacement in my hands and back in the dryer running by 1:00 PM on the following Tuesday!

I book marked this website and WILL refer it to others who simply need a repair, not a costly new appliance!

first I took the dryer apart 1st thing i did was unplug the power supply (safety first) then I removed the top of the unit then removed the front cleaned all the lint from the inside of the cabinet I found the proper belt size on part select.com the next day I had my dryer belt delivered (which cost 1/3 the price of the local repair shop price)
then I placed the belt over the dryer drum and made sure it was in the general location it should be I then replaced the front cover and the top. then I removed the rear cover which was held on by six 5/16 sheet metal screws which gave me access to the drive pulley and belt tensioner the belt goes on by going under the tensioner then around the drive pulley
Then i rotated the drum by hand to make sure everything had clearance I then buttend everything up plugged it and started it up it workd fine and I figure Ill get another 8 years out of it
Thank you partselect.com

I pried out the remaining pieces of the handle out of the door with a screwdriver. When the new part arrived, I snapped it into place and it was done. It fit perfectly.

The end repair was very simple and took minimal effort. The time and difficulty was all in the testing. I disassembled the dryer and removed the drum and then hard wired each thermo-fuse to determine where the fault was. After test all of those I was stumped. When I opened the door the light would not come on so I assumed it was a power fault closer to the source. However after all of my testing I couldn't find anything wrong. I then removed the light bulb and realized it was burned out which led me to the door switch being the fault. I removed the switch and soldered the three wire together and the dryer started right up! All I had to do was order a new $15 part, unsolder the wires and plug them in. Would have been so much simpler if that light bulb hadn't of been burned out causing me to over think my diagnosis. This was my first major appliance repair and I did it with only the help of the parts diagram provided on the website.

pulled out door striker anddoor latch out with pliers and just pushed in new parts. works like new in under a min.

Removed 4 screws from top of control panel , remove 2 from back to lossen top of dryer. Removed rear lower access cover,6 screws on back of dryer exposing pulley and tensioner, remove broken belt and vaccuumed out a ton of lint , removed pulley and tensioner and replaced. From the front remove 4 screws and take off front of dryer, disconnecting several wires, again vaccumed out lint, lifter drum evough to replace belt. Reassembled

1. removed two screws to take off top.
2. removed two screws to take off front.
3. Took belt off pulley and removed drum.
4. inspected old heating element at back of dryer - saw broken wire
5. replaced heating element (round w/ heating coil)
6. Re-assembled dryer

Helpful hints:
1. mark down or take pictures of all wires before removal - easy to mix them up
2. when you re-attach drum-belt, it should be taught. Comes straight down wall around metal pulley and then forms an "S" as it wraps around plastic pulley on way up. To re-attach, stick both arms into dryer - one to pull plastic-pulley and other to attach belt.

Doing some simple troubleshooting with the volt-ohm meter I determined that the door switch was failed.

The replacement door switch restored the motor circuit keeping my dryer in action.

If you're dis-assembling the dryer panels to remove the drum to acess the bearing located at the rear of the drum,don't hesitate to buy a idler pulley kit and a belt.It's easier to change them now,while it's apart. besides,their all pretty much in the same state of wear! In lew of prying my son away from the computer,an extra set of hands is a help, I used a scrap piece of 4x4 with a 1 inch whole bored in one side to place the bearing end into to steady it to get the screws started. otherwise you need to have 6ft.arms! re-assembly wasn't bad, a magnetic tipped #3 screw driver eliminates the frustration of dropping panel screws down inside the partially assembled body.

First, I loosened the the top control panel and then loosened the top flat roof panel which allowed me access to the inside of the dryer. Then, I removed the front panel which allowed access to the drum. I was amazed at the amount of lint that was inside the dryer itself. Most of my time was spent in the disassembly and cleaning of the internal cavity around the drum. I reached below the drum and removed the belt from the pulley wheels and then unscrewed the drum (from the inside) from the back of the dryer and bearing kit. I removed the diffuser and cleaned it thoroughly. Then I replaced the entire drum bearing kit - the old one was almost completely dissentigrated. I probably should have applied some kind of non-flammable lubricant to the new bearing kit - the instructions did not include this step but after about 3 loads a slight squeak (different). I put everything back together - applying the new drum kit will require 2 sets of hands (my 9-year old daughter did great at this). I re-assembled the dryer and it works great, again except for the slight squeak that's still there. I may disassemble it again and apply some lubricant but I do not know what kind to get; I need to check that out.

First I removed the removed the screws that held the top on the dryer. Next I removed the screws that held the controls on from the back. I then removed screws that held the left side in place and removed the drum by first removing the drive belt.
The heating element unit was removed by removing four screws and the wiring harnes. I reversed the procedure to install the heating unit and put the machine back together.

unplugged dryer ,pulled dryer front and top off and removed drum , found element wire broken . loosened element to be able to remove wire pods . reverserd removal ( belt is a little tricky ) reattached power cord to outlet worked like a charm.

The heating element was broken.

Everything is cleaned as it is removed.

Remove the two screws holding the top down.
Disconnect two wires from door switch.
Remove the two hex screws holding the front on.
Remove the 4 screws holding the access panel on the back and disengage idler pulley to loosen the belt.
Remove the drum.
Label the wires then remove the heating element.
Check orientation of ground strap before disassembling rear bearing.
Remove four screws holding rear bearing to back of heating element.
Install rear bearing and ground strap on to heating element.
Reinstall heating element.
Reconnect wires.

Most Important : Get help putting parts back on drum! I didn't and that's why it took over 2 hours.
I will describe how I did it.

Unscrew bearing from inside of drum.
Wrap screwdriver with tape to a little larger than the screw hole.
Use small screwdriver to line up the drum, shim and deflector.
Don't forget the brass shim. It wasn't on the parts diagram.
Start two screws don't tighten them yet.
Remove Screwdriver and start third screw. Tighten all three down.
Put belt on drum.
Install drum and belt.
Reverse disassembly.
When putting the front on make sure drum rests in the felt.

I rated this a bit difficult because I did it myself. With help this is a fairly easy repair.

Opened door, removed screw holding down metal plate that presses against interlock switch when door is closed. Removed plastic cover thingy that is over interlock switches. Removed the interlock switch by pressing the plastic lock thingy away from switch. Pulled the wires off each end of the interlock switch. Removed new interlock switch from plastic bag and reversed above procedure. Done, shut door and the dishwasher works.