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How to Install a Jumper Wire to Bypass the Lid Switch on a Whirlpool Washer

David Young

If you’re attempting to troubleshoot your Whirlpool washer, you may need to operate the washer with the lid open. For safety reasons, the washer won’t enter the spin cycle while the lid is open. To run the washer through a full cycle with the lid open, it’s necessary to install a jumper wire in the lid-switch circuit.

Once installed, the jumper will make the washer think that the lid is closed, allowing you to perform a complete diagnostic while the lid is open. Other than the obvious dangers of running a washing machine with the lid open, this is not a difficult process.

Tip

Any type of insulated wire with bare ends can be used as a jumper for the lid-switch harness.

Warning

Stay clear of the washer tub when operating the machine with the lid open. The tub can begin spinning or agitating without warning, causing personal injury. Don’t use a jumper as a substitute for a replacement switch. The lid switch is an important safety device, and you should replace it immediately if it’s defective.

  1. Remove the two Phillips-head screws from the front corners of the control panel. Pull the control panel slightly forward, and then flip it up over the back of the washer. Let the control panel hang by its hinges.

  2. Locate the lid-switch connector on the top of the washer body, under the control panel. It is the only connector that goes into the top of the washer body. Squeeze the locking tab on the harness and pull it out of the connector.

  3. Insert a jumper wire into the lid-switch connector that attaches to the control panel. The connector has two wires attached to it, one violet and one gray. Bridge these two wires by inserting the bare ends of a jumper wire into the connector. You can now operate the washer through a full cycle.

  4. Remove the jumper wire, and connect the lid-switch harness after completing the diagnostic of the washer.

  5. Flip the control panel forward, and push it slightly back to seat it against the rear panel of the washer. Install and tighten the two Phillips-head screws in the front corners of the control panel.

The Drip Cap

  • If you’re attempting to troubleshoot your Whirlpool washer, you may need to operate the washer with the lid open.
  • For safety reasons, the washer won’t enter the spin cycle while the lid is open.
  • Let the control panel hang by its hinges.
  • Locate the lid-switch connector on the top of the washer body, under the control panel.