Why does the spin cycle not start

As Mayer said #1 cause is lid switch. i love vintage "repairable " washers. I recently had a weird cause of no spin on an '80s GE. I put a hamper of dirty cloths on top of the lid and it flexed the center of the lid down causing the lid switch pin to pull up enough to prevent spin. I tested the switch and it was all good then I noticed the lid was still pressed in. I gave it a bump and it popped back to slightly domed and tada everything worked. Over the years I've just cut the wires at the switch and added a wire nut to "fix" a bad switch or snapped lid switch pin. Don't do this at home.

When I was a kid that switch didn't exist and we were smart enough to not reach down into a whirling 20 # load of cloths. Might just wrench your arm clean off. Nowadays humans aren't that smart so machines have to have loads of safety switches that often fail. Many new machines won't let you open the lid to add soap or laundry as the machine fills. That's to protect us from the hot water or possible drowning.

On a grand old '83 the next likely cause for no spin could be bad timer. My machine won't run on high speed in regular and perm press due to burned timer contacts. I now have to do all my washing on gentle. Looking for an affordable gently used or dusty new timer. There is no computer board or sensors. The safety switch just cuts the power to the spin circuit. One last cause of no spin is a bad water level switch. When the pump turns on and the water is mostly out of the drum the water level switch closes and sends spin circuit power to the motor and clutch to engage spin instead of agitate. Which leads to: if the spin doesn't work but every thing else does the transmission and or clutch may be bad. Washer drive train repairs are advanced repairs. But on those old workhorses drive train failure is very rare.

Whirlpool LSR5233AW0 Ser# CC2760556 I fix it needs a "mad Scientists" Department. Why I say this and what I really want to do.

First. Old appliances are much better than anything new. Second they last long, then last long after a repair. Then, when the next repair is needed it is almost impossible to find parts that are prone to eventually wear out. I.e.: Washer timers that have high current frequently used contacts. Agitate Fast, Fast spin. Much current.

Why can't WE take our ladder diagrams and schematics and put together a "universal" vintage washer controller. A box, some flex conduit. Industrial timers, relays, a power supply some switches and ta-daah! a portable, modular, repairable, generic controller for any washer old or new. Pull the motor wires off the old near dead timer and reconnect to labeled din rail connecters. Motor Reg. agitate, Motor heavy duty agitate, Motor gentle, slow spin, high spin drain, fill. This shouldn't be hard for a machine builder. It's been over 35 years since I did this at a factory. BUT give me a I fix it parts kit (these parts are hard to find in rural west TN), a wiring diagram and I'll be on my way.

What say you? My dear fellow repair addicts. Lets do this!

Project #2.. I completely re did a great toaster oven. It lasted another year. Planned obsolescence at it's finest. The control timer and therm. were broken from the factory during assembly. I repaired everything, with glues, zip ties etc. Then the tiny contacts burned out. Seems like a trend. I want to do the same as above. a universal remote or screw on toaster control box.

What is a toaster oven? two heating elements, a fan and some switches with a few over temp safeties thrown in. very simple wiring. Stainless steel and glass housing that would last for years. All designed to fail in 6 months and go to the land fill. Rise up. STOP THE WASTE!!! We have a manifesto here. it's on my wall. I gave it to my students. Is it just words?

We can tinker and patch items designed to fail or we can create work arounds to really win the war. Imagine a 30 Amp contact on a 12.5 amp toaster oven. 100 yrs life. Mine came with a 12 amp contact. .5 A less then min. Thus failure in around a year. BY DESIGN!! Plastic parts next to high heat DUH they dry out break and you find the contacts on the bottom of the wiring compartment. What if the controls were a dongle six inches away on the counter or screwed to the cool end of the oven or on an attached bracket like an industrial machine. Who will help me with this????