What you are actually seeing
- Heat escaping around the door
- Lint appearing around the door opening
- The door sags or is hard to close
- Clothes catching in the door gap
- Not this fault: A door that latches but the machine still does nothing
Ranked causes on a Contoure dryer
- Machine not level so the door does not sit square — Ranked here because: an RV is level only when someone levels it, and several of these appliances will not work correctly out of level
- Door catch or strike worn — Ranked here because: a few hundred miles of road vibration loosens connections, fasteners and plumbing joints that would never move in a house
- Hinge worn or fasteners loose — Ranked here because: a coach installation is tighter than any domestic one and the venting and clearance shortcuts taken during the build show up as faults later
- Drum felt seal worn — Ranked here because: a door latch and gasket that has been slammed by road motion is a routine finding
- Door gasket hardened or torn — Ranked here because: this is a wear part with a service life rather than a component that fails at random
What to check, and in what order
- Look at the catch and the strike for rounding, cracks or play
- Check for lint around the door opening and inside the cabinet edge
- Check the hinge fasteners and whether the door has to be lifted to latch
- Level the machine and confirm all four feet are on the floor
Steps you can safely do yourself
- Check the hinge fasteners and whether the door has to be lifted to latch — Tools: nut driver or screwdriver — Estimated time: about a quarter of an hour
- 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
- Open and close the door and check the drum light follows it every time — Tools: none — Estimated time: a few minutes
- Start a cycle and press the door firmly closed — Tools: none — Estimated time: a few minutes
- Look at the catch and the strike for rounding, cracks or play — Tools: flashlight — Estimated time: a few minutes
Safety
Safety
unplug-before-service branch-circuit-15-20a
When to call a technician
the door switch needs replacing rather than adjusting the drum felt seal has worn, since that means the cabinet has to come apart the door has dropped because the hinge itself is worn
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: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/contoure-dryer-abnormal-noise)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
