Kenmore model 116.59812991 about 20 years old. Three position switch: Off, Floor, Carpet. In Floor position, canister motor runs like it should. In Carpet position, canister motor runs as it should but agitator motor does not run. But if I substitute a different hose with switch from a similar newer model vacuum, the old vacuum canister motor and agitator motor both work perfectly in both Floor and Carpet switch positions. Therefore, I assume it's a bad switch, but is there anything else it might be, like a broken wire somewhere in the hose? No wiring diagram available from Sears, so I can't figure out how to troubleshoot the wiring. Thanks for any help. Jake
Troubleshoot Kenmore Cannister Vacuum
- Thread starter jake
- Start date
Help Support VacuumLand:
oreck_xl
Well-known member
Jake, it sounds as if a wire disconnected. You need to pry off the collar cuff from the machine end of the hose. One of the wires probably came loose from pulling and tugging all those years. If that doesn't work, open the handle grip. The loose wire may be there. Hope this helps....
Opened handle, don't see any loose wires. Attached photo of the hose. Three parts to the plastic end connection - hose connection, elbow, canister connection. So any suggestion on the best joint to pry open: hose con to elbow, elbow to canister connection (which rotates 360 degrees). Thanks for your help!
oreck_xl
Well-known member
Hose connection to elbow. You'll have to put two flat bladed screwdrivers between the collar and the swivel elbow and pry up....
kirbylux77
Well-known member
I would be willing to bet the problem is with the hose handle switch, not the canister machine end pictured above. Put the switch into Carpet mode & try playing with it a little. You might find, assuming it's the switch, that just ever so slightly wiggling the switch will cause both motors to turn on. It's VERY common in the Kenmore hose handles for the switch to become misaligned in the hose handle housing so that the slide switch that rests on top of it & actually moves the switch makes bad contact, no longer moving the switch properly & causing grief getting the vacuum to run properly.
Take the hose handle apart, re-align the switch inside the housing & glue it into place. Then put your slide switch on top, make sure everything is aligned correctly & close the handle up. This should permanently fix your problem.
Rob
Take the hose handle apart, re-align the switch inside the housing & glue it into place. Then put your slide switch on top, make sure everything is aligned correctly & close the handle up. This should permanently fix your problem.
Rob
fan-of-fans
Well-known member
Could also be power nozzle receptacle on hose
I had this happen with a few Kenmores, but it was more of an intermittent problem than all the time. The power nozzle would run but when pushed to and fro, would turn off and on. The problem was the tab that holds the receptacle in place had broken so it was moving up in the handle and causing poor connection to power nozzle plug. I fixed it by supergluing the receptacle in proper position.
This sounds more like switch problem, but try pressing the plug up into the handle firmly and see if power nozzle motor runs. If so it is probably the receptacle.
I had this happen with a few Kenmores, but it was more of an intermittent problem than all the time. The power nozzle would run but when pushed to and fro, would turn off and on. The problem was the tab that holds the receptacle in place had broken so it was moving up in the handle and causing poor connection to power nozzle plug. I fixed it by supergluing the receptacle in proper position.
This sounds more like switch problem, but try pressing the plug up into the handle firmly and see if power nozzle motor runs. If so it is probably the receptacle.
Similar threads
