What you are actually seeing
- A tear or a hole in the door seal
- The lid switch on a top-loader does nothing
- The door will not lock and the machine will not start
- Not this fault: A leak that only appears on the drain
Ranked causes on a Contoure washer
- 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 dropped on its hinge — Ranked here because: a few hundred miles of road vibration loosens connections, fasteners and plumbing joints that would never move in a house
- A garment trapped in the seal — Ranked here because: a door latch and gasket that has been slammed by road motion is a routine finding
- Door seal torn, punctured or perished — Ranked here because: coach appliances are used intermittently and stored for months, which produces its own fault pattern
- Biofilm and residue in the seal folds — Ranked here because: a door latch and gasket that has been slammed by road motion is a routine finding
- Door lock or interlock worn — 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
- Check whether the door has to be lifted to latch and tighten the hinge fasteners
- Level the machine on all four feet
- Pull the seal folds right back and look all the way round for trapped items, tears and biofilm
- Close the door firmly and listen for the lock to click
Steps you can safely do yourself
- Pull the seal folds right back and look all the way round for trapped items, tears and biofilm — Tools: flashlight, gloves — Estimated time: about ten minutes
- Close the door firmly and listen for the lock to click — Tools: none — Estimated time: a couple of minutes
- Wash the seal folds and the door glass with hot water and dry them — Tools: cloth, hot water — Estimated time: about a quarter of an hour
- Run a short cycle and watch the bottom of the door for the first sign of water — Tools: towels — Estimated time: one short cycle
Safety
Safety
unplug-before-service branch-circuit-15-20a
When to call a technician
the door seal needs replacing rather than cleaning the door lock or the lid switch needs replacing 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 Washer: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/contoure-washer-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.
