Clear the holds first
Look for a lock symbol and hold the marked pad to clear it, check for a delay setting, and close the door squarely until it latches. If the machine still refuses, and especially if the display is dark, the question becomes the supply and the door switch. Two of those four are instant.
What you are seeing
- The display lights and start produces a beep but no motion — Awake and refusing, which is the deliberate-hold case rather than a power case.
- A padlock or key symbol is showing — Child lock. It is meant to look exactly like this.
- A delay time is counting down — The machine is scheduled and is doing what it was asked to do.
- The door appears shut but the drum light stays on — The latch has not registered, which the machine treats as an open door.
- The display is completely dark — The only presentation here that is genuinely a supply question.
- NEAR MISS: it starts, tumbles, and never heats — That is a heating complaint with its own page.
Ranked for this cabinet
- Child lock engaged — First, because it is one long press away, it survives power cycling on many models, and its symptom is indistinguishable from a refusal to start.
- A delay start left set — Second. Same pattern: a deliberate feature whose appearance is a machine that will not go.
- The door not latching squarely — Third. These drums have wide openings and the door has to meet the catch properly; a slightly proud seal or a hinge that has dropped stops it registering.
- Supply at the receptacle or the breaker — Last, and only in play when the display is dark. On an electric machine, a double breaker can trip on one side and look fine from across the room.
Fastest first
- Look at the display before touching it — Lit and refusing is one investigation, dark is another, and the observation is free.
- Hold the pad carrying a lock or key symbol for several seconds — Top cause, cleared by the action that also confirms it.
- Cancel any delay and press start again — Second cause and equally quick; a delay often shows as nothing more than one small indicator.
- Close the door firmly and watch the drum light go out — The light is the machine telling you whether it believes the door is shut.
Owner steps
- Press and hold the pad marked with a lock for several seconds — The symbol should clear and the panel should answer normally.
About 5 min
- Look for a delay indicator and cancel it with the power or cancel pad — Turning the machine off and on again does not always clear a schedule.
About 5 min
- Close the door and watch the drum light — The light going out is the confirmation. A light that stays on means the latch is not registering.
About 5 min
- Check both halves of the breaker and the receptacle if the display is dark — A double breaker that has tripped on one side is easy to miss at a glance.
Tools: flashlightAbout 15 min
- STOP before the door switch or the rear panel is reached — Both sit beside live terminals, and that is the boundary for owner work.
Before opening the cabinet
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Leave the door switch wired exactly as the factory fitted it, because it is what stops the drum turning with the door open. On a gas cabinet, if you smell gas, do not switch anything on or off, leave the building, and call the gas utility or your local emergency number from outside.
When to call
Call when the lock and the delay are clear, the door latches and the drum light goes out, and the machine still will not run. Call also if the display stays dark with the breaker confirmed on. Anything that smells hot, or a receptacle that is warm to the touch, is a same-day call and an electrician's question rather than an appliance one.
Nearest pages of this class
Scope
Written for the Samsung dryer class rather than one family. Which pad carries the lock, how a delay is cancelled and where the door switch sits differ between cabinets and belong on the family page for your machine. That page is the more specific answer where it exists.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
