Clothes dryer with its vent duct in a small laundry closet
Generic photo: Introspectivedsgn · Pexels License

Dryer runs and runs: timer won't advance or the cycle never ends

On mechanical-timer dryers, the timer motor advances differently by cycle. On Timed Dry it runs the whole time. On Auto/Sensor Dry it usually advances only while the heat is cycled off, so a dryer that never gets hot enough (weak or no heat, open element half, gas valve coils weak) can run forever on Auto while timed cycles end normally. Test Timed Dry first: that splits a heat problem from a timer problem.

Cross-checked ~45 min moderateBrands: Whirlpool, Kenmore, Maytag, GE, Frigidaire, Mechanical-timer models

Before you start

  • Unplug the dryer before any resistance test; the timer area carries 240 V on electric dryers
  • Do not live-test at the timer unless you are trained for live electrical work
  • Gas models: electrical checks only; any gas-side issue goes to a licensed gas technician

Diagnostic steps

Unlock all 5 steps with expected values

Full library + AI assistant + the OnCall Tech app for iPhone & Android. $34.90, one time.

Get lifetime access

OnCall Tech is a reference tool for trained technicians and can make mistakes. Always disconnect power and confirm with the manufacturer's documentation before you work.

More dryers guides

Guide · Dryer

Dryer vent cleaning service: disconnect, brush the run, check the hood and prove airflow

Failure to clean is the leading factor in dryer fires. Whirlpool says vents to the outside should be cleaned every one to two years, or sooner if drying slows, and fire services recommend cleaning the lint filter every load. The service is: disconnect, clean the dryer's exhaust outlet and transition, brush the run section by section to the hood, replace foil or plastic duct with rigid or semi-rigid metal, reconnect with foil tape (no screws) and test airflow at the hood.

6 steps ~60 minmoderate
Guide · Dryer

Clothes come out of the dryer full of static

Static is mostly overdrying plus fabric mix. Synthetic fabrics hold charge, dry air makes it worse, and every minute of tumbling past dry builds more. Fix it with sensor or lower-heat cycles, sorting synthetics from cottons, and a softener product or dryer balls. If an Auto/Sensor cycle overdries every load, the moisture sensor bars may be coated or the sensor circuit faulty.

4 steps ~15 mineasy
Guide · Dryer

Dryer heats on High but not on Medium or Low (or the reverse)

If the dryer heats on any setting, the heater, thermal fuse and high-limit are basically working. Different behavior by setting points to the parts that make the settings: the temperature selector switch and the cycling thermostat with its small internal bias heater, or on electronic dryers the control and thermistor. Some models use separate heater circuits for different settings, so check the wiring diagram first.

5 steps ~45 minmoderate
Dryer runs and runs: timer won't advance or the cycle never ends · OnCall Tech