DDC4498AEL General Electric Dryer - Instructions

Unplugged dryer. Removed access door from lower right front of dryer. Disconnected wiring harness to igniter. Couldn't reach retaining bolt with wrench or socket, but was able to spread igniter clip with fingers to be able to remove old igniter and then work new igniter into position without unbolting retaining clip - ultimately a tool-less operation that could have taken 5 minutes. Reconnect wiring harness and reconnect power. Test dryer then replace access cover.

I suspected the idler pulley shaft was worn. I found the repalcement pulley on parts select web site. finding the part was very easy and delivery was very quick. After removing the dryer from the wall,I removed the access panel in the rear which exposed the motor, belt, and pulley. After removing the belt from the pulley, I removed the pully assembly from the dryer. I removed the keeper retaining ring on the pulley and installed the new pulley with the new parts supplied. The new pulley assembly was then ready for re-installation.

Watched the video on YouTube and everything went great!

I noticed the original blower wheel was worn, the hole for the motor shaft was reamed out and the blower was not spinning with the motor. Air was not being circulated so the clothes were not drying well. Replacing the wheel was relatively easy. I did see other people commenting on the difficulty of getting the drive belt re installed properly. I noticed a small "lip" bent into the motor frame, and found the arm for the belt tensioner would fit into this lip and it held it out of the way while I reinstalled the drum and reouted the belt onto the motor pulley. Once the belt was in place, I gently let the tensioner out of its holding position and everything went back into place nicely.

Unplug dryer and turn off gas to appliance. Remove small vent door front of dryer for access to burner assembly. Reach inside and remove all three wires attached to the valve. Using a backup wrench remove the union that attaches the 3/8" gas line to the burner assembly. Remove the two bracket screws holding the assembly. The entire burner assembly can now be pulled out. Replace the faulty igniter by spreading the retainer clip and inserting the new part. Use extreme care not to touch the new igniter with bare skin...best to use a helper to assist holding the assembly while you insert the igniter. Then replace everything as you found it . Soap all gas fittings, plug it in and enjoy your dryer.

I watched Youtube videos on how to troubleshoot the dryer but I did not go through all the testing of the fuses and the heat sensor. I did not want to take the dryer apart if I didn't have to. I turned on the dryer and looked into the bottom grate and saw no glow from the igniter (it should be very bright) so I started there. (The Youtube videos test the igniter last). Unplug the dryer. Turn off the gas. Pry off the grate. Unplug the igniter connector and set the multimeter to tone on continuity. There was no tone so it was bad. I used a flashlight that I put inside next to the gas valve to see. Remove the top flat cover on the burner assembly, 2 screws. (Had to do all this laying on my belly in front of the dryer. Very uncomfortable.) Remove the old igniter from the clamp. It fell apart as I took it out. Now the tricky part: The clamp is very tight and the igniter is delicate. I tried to slide it in from the top holding it between my index and middle finger and lining up the slots for the igniter 'wings'. I struggled with that until many-swear-words-later, I decided to slide the igniter in sideways. Put the 'wing' into the clamp's left side opening and then gently but firmly squeezed the 'barrel' into the clamp. It worked. Plug in igniter plug, put burner cover back on carefully without banging igniter, turn on gas, plug in dryer. Turn on dryer. Igniter should be very bright when it lights. It takes a little while to heat up the heat sensor that will open the gas valve and the burner should light.

I was unsure of how to disassemble the machine to reach the belt, but a YouTube video gave me confidence. Thanks to Partselect.com, the great customer service, and fast delivery. I had my dryer up and running really fast! The process was really not difficult at all and it gave me a chance to vacuum out years of trapped lint. I am so happy to have saved hundreds of dollars, not having to buy a new dryer.I would urge other folks to tackle these relatively simple repairs, the right parts are a phone call away. Frank

Removed drum, replaced bearing. Installed new belt. Reinstalled drum. No problem

I watched video supplied from parts select, only took about 30 minutes, hardest part was putting belt back on, couldn't fit hands in easily, but once I did it, dryer is like new, can't hear a thing.

Remove the Torx screws along the front top edge and flipped the top back. Removed two screws at the top inside holding the front panel on. Loosened two screws at the front bottom and took the front panel off. Pulled the drum out the front. I gave everything a good vacuuming with a shop vac and a long handle brush. Then went around back, removed the access panel, removed the rear drum bearing plate and installed the new one. Removed the rear bearing from the back of the drum and installed the new one (You have to work from both sides of the drum which makes it a little tricky.I used a couple of wire ties to hold everything in place while I lined everything up. Screws or punches would work too). The front drum slides are held in by 2 screws each and you could replace them without removing the drum. They need to be lubed with the lubricant supplied. I put the drum partially in then looped the belt over the narrow back part of the drum, around the motor pulley and idler pulley. Put the drum all the way in and the belt onto the drum by rotating it by hand. The belt ribs go against the drum. Installing the belt was the a little tricky but not impossible. It could be easier if you loosen the left side panel to give you some room to reach in but I was able to do it without doing that. Threw the front and top back on and was done. Total time was about 1.5 hours a lot of which was spent getting the dryer in and out of the little cubby hole it lives it.

I was disappointed that there were No Instructions included with the part. So I found a you-tube video that wlked me through it...Took off back of dryer, then the top, then the front to get to the igniter...could not pull out the part, so I had to reach in and replace it while it was in the dryer. It Works!

I unplugged the dryer and moved it into a open spot on the floor.I then opened the door so I could release the top panel,and tilted it back.This allows the removal of the front of the unit. Folled the instuction for removing the drum and got it out. Cleaned up the area and removed the screws that held the drum to the bearing, and pulled the drum out. The instructions for removing the plate and the bearing where o.k., and the tips given for reassembly were helpful, but would have been easier to see if the were a seperate line. The parts fit GREAT, and this 1989 dryer is ready for a few more years.A good price on the parts and a quick ship.I will shop here again!

I didn't know what was wrong at first, only that the dryer would not start. I bought it used so had no fear of taking it apart to diagnose. Found the broken belt inside, ordered a replacement, installed the new belt, then crossed my fingers. Was pleasantly surprised that was all that was wrong and that for less than $20, including shipping, a few hours of my time, and a little help from YouTube videos the dryer is working again!

The same procedures as posted in the video, but as applied to the model. Belt had broken. Bearing and front supports were worn, but the cause of the noise was a worn tensioner pulley bearing/arm, causing damage to the belt until breakage. Save the time and effort of a second repair and purchase a tensioner arm/pulley anytime the belt breaks as this is likely the cause of the original breakage. The hardest part on this older GE was getting under the drum to engage the tensioner and belt to the motor, as clearances we very tight. Review the diagrams, watch the video, and enjoy a quiet and well running machine for your efforts. PartsSelect is the only place to shop for appliance parts, my hat's off to excellent service, fair pricing and fast shipment. Thanks PartSelect!

Ordered the recommended parts on-line and they showed up the next day. I followed the on-line repair video that described it all step-by-step.