The short answer
Cycles that end with the load still wet usually mean the sensor bars are coated or the load is too small to touch them. Cycles that never end usually mean restricted airflow. A timed program that works normally proves the mechanism is fine and the sensing is not.
Which pattern is yours
- Stops within minutes with wet laundry — The machine read the load as dry.
- Runs far past its estimate — Airflow, and the machine is waiting.
- Stops and restarts repeatedly — A thermal device cycling on an overheating machine.
- Timed programs work, automatic ones do not — That isolates the sensing.
- Small loads behave worse than large ones — Classic sensor-contact behaviour on a compact drum.
- Not this fault: it will not start at all — Read the will-not-start page.
Ranked for compact machines
- Sensor bars coated with softener residue — First for early endings, and cleaning them takes minutes.
- Loads too small to touch the sensor bars — Second, and specific to small drums.
- Restricted airflow stretching the cycle — First for cycles that never end.
- Thermal cut-out cycling — Fourth, and it shows as stopping and restarting.
- Program chosen for the wrong load type — Fifth, and more common than admitted.
- Sensing circuit or control fault — Last, after the five above.
Check in this order
- Run a timed program instead of an automatic one — If timed works, the fault is in the sensing.
- Wipe the sensor bars in the drum — The cheapest fix on the page.
- Dry a normal-sized load rather than two items — Small loads defeat sensing by design.
- Clean the filter and duct for the never-ending case — Airflow is what stretches a cycle.
Owner-side steps
- Wipe the metal strips inside the drum with rubbing alcohol — They sit near the door opening and the residue is invisible.
Tools: cloth, rubbing alcoholAbout 10 min
- Run the same load on a timed program and compare — The single most informative test here.
About 45 min
- Add items so the load can reach the sensor bars — A fuller drum measures far better than a nearly empty one.
About 10 min
- Clean the lint filter and duct run — It addresses cycles that never finish.
Tools: duct brushAbout 45 min
- Note whether the machine stops and restarts on its own — That pattern means overheating, not sensing.
About 10 min
- Stop before opening the cabinet for the sensor wiring — Mains wiring, lint and a heat source share it.
Working safely on a dryer
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Let the drum cool before reaching in, apply rubbing alcohol to a cloth rather than into a warm drum, and stop using a machine that repeatedly stops and restarts, because it is overheating.
When to call
Call when timed programs run correctly, the sensor bars are clean and automatic ones still misbehave, because the sensing circuit is internal. Call as well when the machine stops and restarts after the duct has been cleared, since a thermal device cycling on a clear vent points at a thermostat. On a compact machine ask for the price first.
Other faults here
Page scope
Generalized across dryer families under this badge rather than for a model line; where a family-specific or model-specific page exists it is the narrower answer. Not here: sensor specifications, program timings, thermostat set points and drum capacities.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
