Give it the full sensing time before judging
Let the machine run for several minutes without opening the lid. Clicking, brief drum movements and pauses are the sensing phase, not a fault. If it still has not taken water after that, or if it reports a code, then the lid lock and the water supply are the next two candidates and both are free to check.
What the machine does
- Long pauses with occasional clicks before any water arrives — The sensing phase. It is normal, and it is longer than most owners expect.
- The drum rocks briefly and then stops, repeatedly — The machine weighing the load, which is exactly what it is meant to do.
- The lid lock indicator flashes and never settles — This one is a fault: the machine cannot confirm the lid and will not proceed.
- A code appears after several minutes of sensing — The machine gave up waiting for something, most often water.
- The machine fills and then stops before washing — Past the sensing phase, so this is a different investigation.
- NEAR MISS: the console is completely dark — That is a supply question and belongs on the will-not-start page.
Ranked for this cabinet
- Normal sensing being read as a stall — First, because it is not a fault at all and because it accounts for a large share of these reports. Waiting it out costs nothing and resolves it.
- The lid lock not confirming — Second. The machine will not proceed past sensing without a confirmed lid, and the lock is operated on every load.
- A slow fill from a partly closed tap or a clogged screen — Third. The machine waits for a level it never reaches and eventually reports it.
- The control board — Last. On this cabinet the board reports the three above and is rarely the thing that fails.
Wait, then look
- Start a cycle, close the lid and leave it alone for several minutes — Opening the lid restarts the sensing, so interrupting it is what keeps it going forever.
- Watch the lid lock indicator and see whether it settles — The second cause has a clear signature: an indicator that never stops flashing.
- Check both taps are fully open and the inlet screens are clean — The third cause, and it takes a few minutes with pliers.
- Only then treat the code as the primary evidence — Three simpler explanations sit ahead of it, and all of them are free.
Owner checks
- Start a cycle and stand back for at least five minutes without touching the lid — Sensing takes time and it restarts every time the lid is opened.
About 10 min
- Watch the lid lock indicator through one start attempt — An indicator that settles is healthy; one that keeps flashing is the fault.
About 5 min
- Close and reopen both taps fully and clean the inlet screens — Scale on a screen starves the fill and turns a normal wait into a timeout.
Tools: pliers, old toothbrushAbout 15 min
- Redistribute the load so it sits evenly around the drum — A load bunched to one side confuses the weighing phase and lengthens it considerably.
About 5 min
- STOP before the console or the cabinet is opened — Live terminals sit behind both, and that is where owner checks end.
Before anything is opened
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. A washer holds water even when it looks empty, so expect some when anything underneath is disturbed. Leave the lid lock wired exactly as the factory fitted it, because it is what keeps the drum from spinning with the lid raised.
When to call
Call once the machine has been given a full sensing period, the taps are open and the lid lock still will not settle, because the lock and its circuit are then genuinely in question. Call sooner if the lid can be opened while the drum is spinning, if the machine trips the breaker, or if there is a hot smell at the console. A lid lock is a routine and inexpensive repair.
Nearest pages of this class
Scope of this page
Written for the Amana washer class rather than one family. Lid lock part references, sensing times and console layouts differ between cabinets and belong on the page for your specific model. Where that page exists it is the more precise answer; this one explains behaviour common to all of them.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
