This talent and lack of talent continued to adulthood. Just ask my parents, who inexplicably allowed me to disassemble a 1973 BMW 2002 in a carport designed for two, my project being the third car. It remained in pieces probably for a good five years, never completed. I think the back half of my parents' cars are sunfaded from hanging partways out the carport for so long.
Like anything in life with a fair amount of uncertainty, the secret to taking things apart is to have absolutely no fear of screwing up. Which brings me to the Maytag.
An odd clanking sound interrupted my regular laundry session. The rinse cycle wasnt working. Crap. Just what I needed. Another problem right after my car issue. Fiddling with the settings didnt help so it was time to get serious.
Armed with screwdrivers, wrenches and a socket set, the Maytag soon succumbed to my haphazard attack, to finally yield this:
Hey look! Solenoids!
More screws visible mean more to take apart, so I pressed on until every piece of the valve assembly lay on the floor. Nothing looked broken so back together it went. Yes you heard right, I actually got it back together! I started the wash cycle again and...rinse cycle still broken. Dang. Hmmm...the hot water works and the rinse cycle that doesnt work uses cold water... I switched the hot water and cold water hoses then switched the wires to the solenoids.
Bam. Papa. It works.
Proving (once again) I am smarter than a washing machine.
My girlfriend quickly orders a replacement valve assembly. Good idea. I agree. But it does work. Part of me wants to wait until the washer fails again, but I imagine walking into work, my clothes soiled and stinking, my boss stops me...
"Ralphie, what is going on? Why are you so filthy and smelly?"
Embarrassed, I answer in a voice barely above a whisper:
"It was...it was...the solenoid."
