How to Replace Your Kenmore Dryer’s Control Board When the Buttons Don’t Work

If your dryer is plugged in but the control panel buttons aren’t working, the control board may have shorted or failed. But you can easily access and replace this part in a Kenmore dryer. Order a replacement control board 134484212 and then follow these instructions:

1. Unplug the dryer to stay safe.

No matter what repairs you’re making to your dryer, always unplug it first. This will reduce the risk of an electrical injury or damage to the appliance.

2. Dismantle the top of the appliance.

First, remove the top panel. Go to the rear of the appliance and remove the screws securing the panel. Then slide the top panel towards you to remove it from the lip and lift it off the machine. Set it out of the way.

Next, remove the control panel. Start by popping the knobs free so the rest of the panel will be to slide free of the control switch shafts. Then remove the two screws in the top corners of the control panel that secure it against the body of the appliance.

Also, reach into the appliance to locate the two screws on the interior side of the control panel in the bottom left and right corners. Remove these screws, too.

Tilt the control panel open so you can access the wires without stretching them.

3. Uninstall the control board from the control panel.

During this step, you will be disconnecting wires. Before you get started, take a picture of the configurations. This will help you reinsert the wires in the correct positions during reassembly.

Starting from the left, remove the red and black wire harnesses. You can pry them out by hand or with pliers. Just be sure to grip them by the wire harness rather than the wire itself. Then pull the middle of the wires free from the plastic clip and set them aside.

Remove the wire harnesses attached to the circuit board close to the middle of the control panel. These will have multiple wires per harness. They may have push tabs that you can compress to pull them free instead of needing to be pried out of position. Slip the lengths of the wires free from two spots: a large plastic clip and the tab holding the tie clip in place.

Now the control panel is completely disconnected from the appliance. Set it on a flat work surface and remove all of the screws holding the control board in place at the edges and center of the board.

Carefully pull the bottom edge of the control panel down to release the locking tabs at the bottom without putting too much stress on the plastic. Then reach around to the bottom (front-facing surface) of the control panel and push on the shafts to lift the control board out of the shell of the control panel. Each of the little plastic pieces can come free, but you need those parts during assembly. As an extra precaution, complete this step over a bowl or shoebox container that can catch any small pieces that might fall off.

4. Install the new control board (part #134484212).

First, transfer all of the clear plastic pieces from the old control board to the new one. You can lift them free by hand and just press them into place. Also, make sure that the five holes at the bottom of the control panel shell still have the small spring knobs that align with the control board buttons.

Next, carefully align the matching parts and lower the control board against the control panel. While you want to act quickly so the part can’t come loose, be careful to not knock anything loose. Because the control panel’s knobs aren’t secured, make sure you lower the board onto the panel rather than the panel onto the board.

Once the two parts are in place, press down at the bottom to engage the locking tabs. Retighten the screws securing the two parts, too. Then turn the control panel right side up and make sure all the buttons are aligned.

5. Reassemble your Kenmore dryer.

Lower the bottom edge of the panel into place against the front of the dryer, but don’t push it flush against the appliance. Hold the panel at an angle so you can reattach the wires. Work in reverse from how you disconnected the wires, and reference the picture you took earlier for confirmation.

First, push the larger wire bunch’s tie clip into the tab and slide the length of wires into the clip to the left. Then plug in the two wire harnesses. Orient them correctly and listen for a click. That click indicates when each wire harness has snapped into place.

Next, reattach the two wires to the lift. Start by sliding the wires into the clip. Then press each individual wire harness into their ports. Consult the picture to make sure the colors are oriented correctly.

Then tilt the control panel flush against the appliance. The wire clips should keep the wires in place, but watch to make sure they don’t get pinched on any edges. Retighten the four screws you removed from the top and interior sides earlier.

Once the control panel has been secured, move to the back of the appliance. Lower the top panel on the top of the dryer so the edge closest to you is hanging off by half an inch or so. Then slide it back under the groove at the front of the appliance. Resecure it with the screws along the back edge of the panel.

Move to the front of the machine and add the two knobs to the control panel. Make sure the ‘D’ shapes of the knob’s posts match up with the orientation of the shafts so you can snap them into place without forcing or breaking the parts.

Once the dryer has been reassembled, push it back into place. Check the dryer with a level to make sure the leveling legs weren’t shifted during the repair. Then plug it back in and confirm that your control board responds when you push the buttons.

For more dryer repair tips and repair guides for all of your appliances, go to Dan Marc Appliances. We also have expert repair technicians who can help troubleshoot and repair your appliances.