The short answer
Start here. On this washer, a panel that ignores input is usually locked or stuck, and both are cleared without a part. The lock sequence and a proper power cycle are free; a worn selector or membrane is a part.
What you actually see
- The display is dark but the machine still runs — A dead display over a working machine is a display fault.
- Programme selection does nothing — A dial or button that changes nothing separates the input from the control.
- Settings reset between loads — A control that forgets is being interrupted rather than failing.
- It beeps repeatedly with no code — A repeating tone with no code is usually a door or an unbalanced-load alarm.
Causes, ranked for this washer
- Child lock or delay start engaged — Top of the list: a delay in particular shows a time and does nothing, which is exactly what a failure looks like. Getting a definite answer here is worth more than a quick look at the three below it.
- Control left in a stuck state — Next: a brief interruption leaves a simple controller mid-state, and it is the single cheapest thing on this list to rule out. If this is the answer, the rest of the list stops mattering entirely.
- Programme selector worn or misaligned — Then: on a membrane panel the same symptom comes from a worn contact under the most-used button. Where this checks out clean, treat the next entry as the working theory rather than a possibility.
What to check, in order
- First — the lock and delay indicators — Hold each button in turn for several seconds and watch for a lock symbol clearing, then cancel any programme before setting a new one.
- Second — a full power cycle — Note whether the fault returns immediately, which rules the power cycle out cleanly.
Checks an owner can do safely
- Step 1. Power-cycle the machine — Unplug it for several minutes until any display is fully dark, then restore power and watch what it does on start-up.
Tools: noneAbout 10 min
- Step 2. Turn the selector through its travel — Move the selector slowly through every position and watch the display change at each one.
Tools: noneAbout 5 min
- Step 3. Give the machine its own outlet — Run it from a socket with nothing else on the circuit for a few loads and see whether the resets stop.
Tools: noneAbout 15 min
Before you open anything
Safety
Disconnect power at the plug or the breaker before opening anything. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, which is why a panel that has been dead for a minute is still treated as live. If a check requires the unit running, that check is not an owner check.
When this becomes a service call
Where the owner side ends is easy to state. A burning smell or visible scorching is a stop-now condition: unplug the machine and do not use it again.
Sources
General guidance- The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) — OSHA 1910.147 and manufacturer service manuals, fetched
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
This is the general page. It applies to Black+Decker washers broadly and deliberately avoids anything that would only be true of one family or one production run — board revisions, part numbers, code tables and torque figures all belong a level down. Where such a page exists it takes precedence over this one, and Related pages is where to find it.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
