The thought of an out-of-control Kenmore washer, one in which the Kenmore washer refuses to spin, seems to describe an appliance with a mechanical problem. Yet a good troubleshooter would shy away from making hasty assumptions. In fact mechanics may have nothing to do with the absence in your Kenmore washer of the desired spin.
Non-mechanical problems that might keep a Kenmore washer from spinning
Imbalance within a tub full of clothes: Such a problem normally develops in a top loading model. All the heavier clothes somehow collect on one side of the tub. The appliance senses the lack of balance, and thus shuts down. Fortunately, there is a no-cost way to get it spinning again. All that you have to do is open the lid and re-arrange the off-balance load. Once you close the lid, the Kenmore washer should start. If the cycle does not resume, then you should work on removing the tub’s excess water.
A clogged drain trap: Unlike the issue that concerns a lack-of-balance, this problem usually develops in front loading Kenmore washers. Lint and small items can collect in the drain trap. After an extended period of time, the trap gets clogged, and the Kenmore washer shuts down. At that point, the experienced troubleshooter should note the presence of a cap on the clogged trap. That same cap needs to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction. That action should initiate a draining of the tub’s standing water, if any debris in the formerly clogged trap has been removed.