What you are actually seeing
- A scraping from the front of the drum
- A rhythmic thump once per drum revolution
- A high squeal that starts as soon as the drum turns
- A grinding or rumbling that rises with the drum
- Not this fault: A hum with no drum rotation at all
Ranked causes on a Contoure dryer
- Machine not level or feet not all on the floor — Ranked here because: an RV is level only when someone levels it, and several of these appliances will not work correctly out of level
- Blower wheel loose, cracked or fouled — Ranked here because: an RV vent run is short, tightly bent and easy to crush behind the appliance
- Coins, buttons or a zip pull loose in the drum or blower — Ranked here because: coach appliances are used intermittently and stored for months, which produces its own fault pattern
- Drum support rollers worn or flat-spotted — Ranked here because: this is a wear part with a service life rather than a component that fails at random
- Idler pulley dry or its bearing failing — Ranked here because: the drive belt is the part under continuous load and the first to give out
What to check, and in what order
- Clean the lint filter, the filter housing and the vent connection at the back
- Name the sound: thump, squeal, grind, rattle or roar
- With the machine off, turn the drum slowly by hand and feel for roughness or a flat spot
- Listen at the end of a cycle as the machine coasts to a stop for anything loose in the blower
Steps you can safely do yourself
- With the machine off, turn the drum slowly by hand and feel for roughness or a flat spot — Tools: none — Estimated time: a few minutes
- Listen at the end of a cycle as the machine coasts to a stop for anything loose in the blower — Tools: none — Estimated time: a few minutes
- Check the drum and the door seal edge for coins, buttons and zip pulls — Tools: flashlight — Estimated time: a few minutes
- Level the machine and confirm all four feet are on the floor — Tools: spirit level, adjustable spanner — Estimated time: about a quarter of an hour
- Clean the lint filter, the filter housing and the vent connection at the back — Tools: vacuum, brush — Estimated time: about twenty minutes
Safety
Safety
unplug-before-service branch-circuit-15-20a
When to call a technician
a roller, an idler or the belt needs replacing, since the cabinet has to come apart the blower wheel is loose or damaged on its shaft the noise comes with a burning smell or with drying times that have doubled
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
Not this fault: the family pages for the refrigeration, cooking and laundry lines Not this fault: model-specific pages once the model and serial label is read
Links: - [Common CONTOURE Dryer Problems](/blog/contoure-dryer-problems) - [Common Contoure Microwave Problems](/blog/contoure-microwave-problems) - [Common CONTOURE Refrigerator Problems](/blog/contoure-refrigerator-problems) - [CONTOURE Dryer: Does Not Clean or Dry](/blog/contoure-dryer-cleaning-performance)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
