Kenwood A901 The knob to adjust speed and activate the blender is loose?

Hi, I have just fixed my wife's A901 speed control. The problem was not as described above the speed is controlled by raising and lowering, I suspect a coil winding of the motor. The control knob it attached to a white cam witch connects with the motor control winding by a small leaver. The leaver arm attached to the control winding that engages in a slot on the back face of the control cam. As the cam is rotated the leaver arm is raised and lowered to control the speed . It was because my control know was not firmly attached the leaver arm became disengaged with the cam. I hope this helps.

Dave Ho
December 2022

The answers above enabled me to overcome my problem BUT are incomplete. The two answers need to be combined and added to. The Kenwood label is attached to a small plastic carrier. It is the carrier that needs to be removed by gentle prising it's "prongs" from the rear. The Kenwood metal label can remain in place. Removal adds nothing. A spacer is not necessarily required. The spindle about the know rotates works it's way out of the decanting motor attachment. A gentle tap with a hammer and it returned to it's original position. However if it has come "loose" once the spacer option may be a more robust solution. Maybe the spindle had moved because I was applying considerable force to get the knob off since I could not see the circle which holds it all in place. Thanks to the previous contributors. Hypersonic UK Dec 2022

Hypersonic
December 2022

Thanks for the information which made sense. Once I read it a couple of times I was able to carry out the job and it works. Thanks again.

Roger
November 2020

Same problem - knob started springing too far out for the white lugs behind to engage in the slots on the back of the knob. Tried the tapping on the end of the spindle suggestion - just a few taps with a hammer and the spindle nudged it back into the motor housing - seems to be working fine now, with no fiddling with making spacers, so thanks for that!

E.J.
December 2019

Awesome instruction and still usable. Wife's 1987 Kenwood failed with the same magically disappearing spacer as described. I used a 2mm slice off the end of a Bic biro as a spacer. Back in business.

Affeke Nommu
June 2019

Neville is a hero.

Jack
June 2015

I had exactly the same problem with a Kenwood Chef A901. I was going to make a spacer as described above, but realised that neither the knob nor the white cam behind it were significantly worn. I could also tell from the marks on the knob that the spring clip had always been directly in contact with it - no spacer or washer. I decided that the only way the knob could have moved relative to the cam was for the shaft to have pulled out of the motor casting. With the knob off, a few hard taps with a screwdriver handle were enough to knock the shaft in the couple of millimeters necessary for the tabs on the cam to engage with the slots in the knob. Perhaps not a permanent solution, but it seems secure and should last quite a while.

Paul Massey
January 2015

Hello Erik, Just had the same problem and fixed it.

1. Turn mixer upside down and release the 2 screws holding the curved elevating hinge. This will release the black motor cover, pull down cover to access the rear face of the knob.

2. The knob carries a "Kenwood" label. The label has to be removed by releasing the two plastic latches you can see underneath the label ends on the rear face of the knob. Push each gently towards the spindle and towards the top of the knob, and the label will come out stuck to the plastic part. Be carefull - it is not a strong object.

3. Now you can see the knob spindle, a circlip and two slots, one bigger than the other, which when engaged into the two white "teeth" on the plastic cam will operate the ON/OFF switch and control the motor speed. What seems to have happened is that there must originally have been some sort of spacer or washer under the circlip, which has broken/disintegrated and fallen away - I could find no sign of one in my mixer. But that missing spacer/washer allows the knob to come out along the spindle so that the driving teeth do not engage in the two slots to operate the controls anymore.

4. Remove the circlip (don't lose it!) and pull off the knob. You will find a spring underneath - leave it in place.

5. Obtain a washer (I made mine out of nylon on my lathe) of outside diameter 9.5mm, central hole 6.5mm and thickness 2mm.

6. To reassemble, push knob onto spindle and engage the two teeth against the spring force. Test rotation of switch to ensure the ON/OFF position is correct.

7. Have someone help to hold the knob down in this position or use sticky tape to temporarily hold the switch down. Slip on the new washer and refit the circlip on top of it - a bit tricky, and needs fine pointed pliers. The knob should be operating correctly again now.

8. Re-insert the label carrier into the knob and screw the curved elevating hinge back in place.

All should now be well. Hope this gets your mixer to go again Erik. Best Wishes. Neville Beale, New Zealand

Neville Beale, New Zealand
January 2006