My wife restarted the rinse cycle to add fabric softener. Now the cycle timer isn't working. Washer will not drain OR spin. Everytime the timer gets to the spin cycle, it agitates instead. It is a hotpoint. I bought it new about 4 years ago.

Where are you putting the fabric softener and when do you put it in? If your washer has a fabric softener dispenser, use it at the start of your wash. Leave the lid closed until cycle is completed. No dispenser? Pour diluted fabric softener in the rinse cycle or the second time water fills the washer.

When you say you've cleaned both parts - have you poured hot water in and seen it actually drain out of the top peice while it was removed from the agitator? Have you poured hot water into the agitator with the top peice removed and seen it drain out of the holes? If not, repeated flushing (of the agitator) and soaking (of the top peice) with hot water as needed until is drains may be required. Until you can get water to drain out of both peices alone, it will work automatically. Once you have the water draining try again with a regular load of laundry and fabric softener. If it still doesn't work...

Since you've cleaned both parts (the non-removable and removeable top portion) of the agitator - it would suggest that the fabric softener dispenser's actuator inside the agitator is not functioning properly. The fabric softener isn't being released in the rinse (or at all really) and as a result of the centrifugal forces during the high speed spin cycle - it is causes the fabric softener to move up the sides of the dispenser and spray out of the top of the agitator onto the rim. This may be caused a mechanical or electrical failure in the washer or washer control. It will continue to work like this until it is fixed - so I suggest that you do not use the dispenser.

You will likely need to have the washer professionally serviced to have it begin working again. You can save the repair costs and either add the fabric softener yourself during the rinse cycle - or use "dryer sheets" in the dryer instead.

Good luck!

You have to do it manually. See below from manual:

Liquid Fabric Softener (Manually add during rinse cycle)
1. Turn OPTIONS knob to FABRIC SOFTENER
2. Measure liquid fabric softener carefully, following instructions on the bottle, and add during the rinse cycle.

OPTIONS (on some models)
Set this option when planning to manually add fabric softener during the rinse cycle or when you use extra detergent or bleach to clean hazily soiled items. It provides an enhanced rinse.

Check and see if there is a cup in the top of the agitator. Some machines have you put it there, turning back and forth during wash doesn't bother it, but the spin to empty the wash water causes the softener to go out through slots in the top of the cup and be held in the agitator. when it stops the softener drains into the tub, ready for the rinse cycle.

• Hi,

Try these:

1. Inspect the drain hose for kinks
   
2. Test the timer control
   
3. Test the lid switch (some models)
   
4. Inspect the water pump
   
5. Inspect the drive belt (belt drive only)
   
6. Inspect the motor coupler
   

please rate my suggestion

Remove the dispenser cup and clean it. Be sure to use He soap.

Thanks for using FixYa - a 4 THUMBS rating is appreciated for answering your FREE question.

Do your clothes smell funny? Does it take forever for a load to wash? That happened to me and there was a wire loose in the machine somewhere and it would quit mid cycle and never finished a rinse or spin cycle. My fabric softener never drained either!

I'm sure you heard a small motor running from time to time during a cycle. That moves an "arm" which sends water to the different chambers during a cycle. Fabric softener is dispensed when water goes to that chamber and dilutes the fabric softener. That chamber then empties by a siphoning action.
If you want to narrow down the problem a little to help trouble shoot -- put some wet rags in and run the Rinse and Spin cycle with some fabric softener. If the softener is not dispensed, then you know that the water isn't being sent to that chamber properly.
If you are intrepid enough to take the top off your washer, do that and see if the arm appears to be moving during a normal cycle. Maybe the arm got dislodged or broken during the move.
If water isn't being diverted properly, I think this calls for a real repair person.

check the water solenoid for open circuit, this is the water valve that supplies water to the compartment

Suggestion: Possible your inlets to the machine is blocked. Check out the inlet tubes to clear out any blockages. This shd be done after the machine is off and the inlet valve is turned off. Some softeners are thick; you can add warm water 1:1, but this is not the thing in your case....