Before the Whirlpool Cabrio dryer can dry clothes, it has to get hot; before it can get hot, it has to start. Sometimes, however, the Whirlpool Cabrio dryer won’t start, which means it cannot get hot and dry clothes.
Often, a Whirlpool Cabrio dryer fails to start due to a nonresponsive start button, lack of power, an improperly secured door, wrong setting, or a component malfunction.
Some dryer components that could malfunction and deter it from starting include the timer, drive motor, drive belt, and main control board. This is, however, usually the last consideration as it’s often the least likely.
Not that sometimes the Cabrio dryer may behave in a way to suggest that it’s running when it’s not. That includes turning on, beeping, clicking, and saying ‘sensing.’ Those are other issues I’ll address.
But first, let me explain what to do when your Cabrio dryer doesn’t start!
In a rush? Below is a quick guide to starting a non-staring Cabrio dryer:
Quick Troubleshooting Guide for a Whirlpool Cabrio Dryer Not Starting
| – | Likely Reason | Applicable Fix |
| 1. | Nonresponsive Start Button | Hold down the start button for 3-5 seconds and replace it if it’s defective (it fails to show continuity on a multimeter) |
| 2. | Lack of Power | Ensure the dryer is firmly plugged in and switched on, reset a flipped breaker, and replace a blown-up fuse, or defective plug or wall socket |
| 3. | Improperly Secured Door | Remove any obstruction on the door and fasten it securely. If it doesn’t lock, replace the door latch |
| 4. | Wrong Setting | Disable the Control Lock and reset the dryer in case of an Auto Dry or Time-Dry |
| 5. | Component Malfunction | Replace a defective timer, drive motor, drive belt, or main control board |
What to Do First When Your Whirlpool Cabrio Dryer Won’t Start
Generally, it’s advisable to perform the two steps below when your dryer doesn’t start:
Step 1 – Reset the Dryer
A dryer reset can fix different issues, such as a software glitch, a wrong setting, or a power issue that could prevent the dryer from starting. So, consider performing it as your first troubleshooting step, and here’s how to reset a Cabrio dryer:
Option 1 – Hard Reset
This requires you to unplug your dryer for at least 10 minutes to recycle its power. The dryer should start after the reset if it’s not a serious issue.
Option 2 – Breaker Reset
The difference between the breaker and hard reset is that the former involves flipping off the circuit breaker. However, both include disconnecting the dryer from the power for at least 10 minutes.
Option 3 – Cycle Reset
If the hard reset and breaker reset fail to reboot your Cabrio dryer, consider performing the cycle reset, which involves the following:
- Press Pause/Cancel while the dryer is still plugged in to reset previous codes
- Then choose a new cycle and press Start to run it
- If the dryer doesn’t reset, unplug it for 10 minutes (hard reset)
- Plug it back in and start a new cycle
Step 2 – Run Diagnostic
If you can’t fix the dryer with a reset, consider putting it in diagnostic mode. That will give you a fault code that you can use to determine what’s wrong with your Cabrio dryer and fix it. It saves you from wasting too much time guess working.
Here’s how to put a Whirlpool Cabrio dryer on diagnostic mode:
- Put the dryer first on standby mode – where you leave it plugged into the socket and turn off all LEDs except the Done and Clothes Clean indicators
- Press any button apart from Start, Stop, or On/Off (or Power) and hold it for 3 seconds
- Repeat the above step twice to make it a 3-cycle sequence to allow the dryer to get into diagnostic
But Why Is My Whirlpool Cabrio Dryer Not Starting?
Now, if you can’t find out why your Cabrio dryer won’t start, here are some likely reasons:
1. Nonresponsive Start Button
Ideally, you should long-press the start switch to engage it fully. The dryer won’t start if you only tap the start switch. At times, however, the start switch itself could be defective, perhaps broken. In such a case, it won’t start the dryer no matter how long you press it.
Fix
Ensure you hold down the start switch for 3-5 seconds. If the dryer doesn’t start after that, you may want to check if the start switch is broken or defective.
Just use a multimeter to determine if the switch has continuity. If it doesn’t, which confirms its faultiness, replace it.
2. Lack of Power
Your dryer won’t turn on without power. Equally, your Whirlpool Cabrio dryer won’t heat if it has no power. So, you must ensure it’s powered on.
If it’s not, it could be that it’s not firmly plugged, and if it is, it could be that it’s not turned on or the socket is defective.
But still, the power cord itself could be defective, or perhaps the circuit breaker has tripped up, or the thermal fuse has blown off due to a power surge.
Moreover, the socket’s voltage rating could be less than 240v, thus insufficient to run the dryer. Don’t forget the possibility of a power blackout, which should probably be the first check.
Fix
Start by checking if there has been a power blackout. If yes, then all you must do is wait for the power restoration.
If it’s not a blackout, check if the dryer is plugged firmly (not loosely) and turned on. Firmly fix it and turn it on if it’s not.
Inspect the breaker and reset it (flip it on) if it’s off. And if that doesn’t work, use a multimeter to examine the thermal fuse, power cord, and socket for continuity.
If any of the three lacks continuity, replace it. Don’t forget, however, to check if the outlet is 240V. If it’s not, you may need to call an expert electrician.
3. Improperly Secured Door
The dryer door needs to be properly latched. If it’s open even slightly, the dryer may fail to start as it sees that as a fault.
Note that it could be that something is impeding the door, or perhaps you just forgot to secure it. Or, it could be that the door won’t latch because of a broken latch.
Fix
If something, perhaps debris or a piece of cloth, is impeding the dryer door, remove it. If the dryer still won’t shut, check if the latch is broken and replace it if that’s the case.
4. Wrong Setting
Sometimes the reason why your dryer won’t run is as trivial as using the wrong setting. These settings in mind include these three:
- Control Lock – The issue with Control Lock is that it locks all the controls on the control panel except the Power switch. It intends to prevent unintended access to the dryer, which is effective against kids, but in this case, it stops the dryer from starting.
- Auto Dry – The Auto Dry setting uses sensor technology to determine when the dryer should run, depending on the clothes’ moisture level. The dryer will shut off if the sensor detects dry clothes.
- Timed Dry – Time Dry only allows the dryer to run for a specific period, say 30 minutes. Once the time elapses, the dryer starts to cool down.
Fix
If Control Lock is on, you must disable it, which you can do by long-pressing the switch for a few seconds. However, if Auto Dry or Timed Dry is on, you must reset the dryer and choose a new cycle.
5. Component Malfunction
Lastly, your Cabrio dryer might fail to start because one major component is malfunctioning. The component could be worn out, broken, or just defective, and they include the following:
- Timer
- Drive motor
- Drive belt
- Main control board
Fix
Check if any of the above components is faulty and replace them.
Whirlpool Front Load Dryer Won’t Start
You must consider several issues when your Whirlpool front loader or any dryer doesn’t start. First, check if the dryer has power, as issues like a tripped breaker, defective outlet, loose plug, and a blown-up fuse can interfere with its power supply.
The next check is the dryer setting. Check if settings like Control Lock, Auto Dry, Timed Dry, or Wrinkle Reduction are active. Such settings have an impact on its running. For example, Control Lock prevents it from starting, while Timed Dry only allows it to run at a predetermined time.
Other checks include an open door, a nonresponsive start switch, and a defective component such as the timer, control board, drive belt, and motor.
Whirlpool Cabrio Dryer Won’t Start Just Beeps
a beep is usually a fault code when the dryer is acting abnormally. In our case, if the Cabrio dryer beeps but won’t start, it’s most likely due to an interrupted cycle (due to opening the dryer door mid-cycle), laundry overload, or a clogged lint trap.
If not, the beeping could indicate a short motor or a defective control panel. Hence, you may need to inspect these two components and replace the defective one.
My Whirlpool Cabrio Dryer Lights Come On But Won’t Start
While you expect your dryer to start running once it turns on, sometimes the Whirlpool Cabrio dryer turns on but won’t start. Its lights will come on, but that’s about it – the dryer won’t run.
In that case, you’ve to look beyond the lack of power. Yes, something could be interfering with the dryer’s power supply, but it could still be more than that.
Overall, here are the reasons your Whirlpool Cabrio dryer won’t start but has power:
- Control Lock – If the Control Lock, a safety feature, is active, it’ll lock the control panel. So, while it doesn’t stop the dryer from turning on, it stops it from running.
- Open door – If the door is not shut, the dryer reads it as a fault and stops running. Sometimes it could be an honest mistake, but you cannot rule out the possibility of an obstruction or a defective lid switch.
- Non-effective start switch – Remember, you must hold down the start switch for a few seconds to enable it to activate the dryer into running. If you only tap it or if the start switch is defective, the dryer won’t start.
- Blown-up fuse – Sometimes, a blown-up fuse doesn’t stop the dryer from lighting up but prevents it from starting due to insufficient power
- Tripped breaker – A flipped breaker typically has the same effect as a blown-up fuse. Like the fuse, it won’t stop the dryer from lighting up but may prevent it from starting.
- Malfunctioning timer – A timer malfunction won’t stop the dryer from lighting up but will prevent it from running.
Whirlpool Cabrio Dryer Clicks But Won’t Start
It’s not often that a dryer clicks and fails to start. In our case, here are the reasons a Whirlpool Cabrio dryer won’t start just clicks:
- Open door – It could be that you haven’t firmly latched the door, something is impeding it, or the door switch is defective
- Blown-up fuse – The thermal fuse has exploded and therefore interferes with the dryer’s power supply
- Broken belt – The drive belt could be faulty, thus not allowing the dryer to run
- Malfunctioning timer – The timer could be defective, thus not relaying the correct signal to run the dryer
- Bad motor – If the drive motor won’t run, then the dryer will not start and may only click
Whirlpool Cabrio Dryer Won’t Start Sensing Light Is On
The sensing light comes on as a faulty cord. It means the dryer is trying to communicate something, and often, a Whirlpool Cabrio dryer won’t start says sensing due to a malfunctioning moisture sensor.
In such a case, the moisture sensor cannot sense the moisture level in the clothes. But just to be sure and rule out issues like a defective door switch or belt, low heat, or a loose plug, consider running diagnostics on your dryer.
You can use the earlier shared process to put your Cabrio dryer in diagnostic mode, giving you an error code that’ll tell you the most likely fault.
Closing Thought
Shared above are the five reasons your Whirlpool Cabrio dryer won’t start. Of course, it only takes one of the five to stop your dryer from running, and you should figure out which one and troubleshoot it.
If you can’t do it, run diagnostics to identify an error code that’ll point you toward the fault. That should, however, come after trying the reset. As mentioned, sometimes all it takes to get the dryer back running is a quick reset, and you’ve three ways to do it.