In this video, Samurai Appliance Repair Man, shows you how to troubleshoot a problem with a newer Whirlpool front load washer (one of the new Alpha2 platform washers) that acts like it wants to start but won’t. Watch with shock and awe as the Samurai ruthlessly hunts down the miscreant part like a mad dog and guides you through the troubleshooting process both on the physical machine itself and the schematic diagram, illustrating a graceful but deadly use of the continuity test to pinpoint the problem.
Your Precious Words:
The machine squealed during the spin cycle on two separate occasions. I stopped and resettled the clothes and it was fine. Today it doesn’t spin at all. I have checked the belt and it looks fine. I have not yet investigated the pulley drive. I’m curious if it might be the timer. You mention the lid switch as a possibility. Which way should I investigate first (I’ll need to borrow tools). Thanks. I bow before to the Samurai Warrior of Appliance Repair. Cheers
The squealing noise is almost certainly the spin bearing, an inexpensive part and actually not hard at all to replace. And as long as you’ve got the machine torn down to replace the spin bearing, might as well replace the tub seal assembly while you’re at it because the leaking tub seal is probably what made the spin bearing go bad. Here are videos showing you how to replace these parts…
The no-spin condition is a little trickier because it could simply be the spin bearing is locked up, in which case, replacing it as shown above will take care of it. Or, it could be something else like a bad lid switch. You might want to go ahead and buy the lid switch at the some time you buy the spin bearing and tub seal so you’ll have it on hand. If it turns out you don’t need the lid switch, return it for a refund!
Replace the spin bearing and tub seal first because you definitely need to. If the washer still doesn’t spin, then go ahead and replace the lid switch, too. This video shows you how…
You had asked about the timer; there’s a very small possibility that the timer is bad but I think it’s very unlikely because I usually see the timers fail in a different way than what you’re describing. Lid switch, spin bearing, and tub seal are the most likely culprits. If you want to make sure, you can use you’re meter and see if you’re getting 120vac on the lid switch wire harness. We can give you details on how to do this in the Appliantology Appliance Repair Forums.
Your Precious Words:
Have been getting SD error followed by F-21 error. Manually drained washer and checked for anything in the drain pump filter, nothing there. Plugged back in and did drain/spin cycle and the washer would drain. After manually draining this time and starting drain/spin cycle, just heard a hum. The drain motor was previously very load. It didn’t drain and this time I got a F-33 error and noticed the drain pump was very warm to the touch.
All of the error codes and symptoms you’re describing, including the loud drain pump, are all classic signs of one thing: replace the drain pump.
One of the characteristics of these washers is that when the drain pump starts making loud buzzing or grinding noises while running, the bearings in it are shot and the pump is no longer moving water out fast enough. The control board senses this and throws the various error codes you’re seeing, as if screaming out, “Replace my drain pump now!”
Your Precious Words:
Machine won’t spin. Ran though the diagnostics and it said code e47 – board thinks PTC circuit is open. From reading forums, I think I need a new wax motor, but I’m not sure which part number that is or what it looks like. Can you help? Thanks
The rule of thumb on Frigidaire front loaders is that for any error code in the 40’s, replace the lock assembly. I replace so many of them that I make sure to keep at least two on the Guru Mobile at all times. Here’s the door latch assembly you need:
Your Precious Words:
did a load of laundry came back threw it in the dryer and went to start another load and I noticed the control lock button is on. Now my washer is basically frozen. I tried unplugging and holding down the start and cancel buttons.
Piece of pie, tovarish! Press and hold the End of Cycle Signal button for 3 seconds. On some models, you need to hold it down for 5 seconds.
To learn more about your washing machine, or to order parts, click here.
Your Precious Words:
My Amana NFW7200TW washer will not power on. I had loaded a small load, heard it start to fill, then walked away for an hour. When I returned NO power.
I have power at the receptical, but unpluged it overnight. Checked water lines, one filter was plugged, so I cleaned it. Still no power.
If you confirmed that you have power at the receptacle (by using a meter or plugging in a lamp or something else) then it’s time to crawl into the belly of the beast. Actually, we’ll just be going into the control panel so it’s probably more accurate to say the “brain of the beast” but that just didn’t have the same rhythm and imagery that I was going for.
This is pretty easy to do. Just unplug the washer, remove the top panel, dispenser drawer, and a couple of screws in the front of the control panel, then tilt the control panel forward. These steps are demonstrated in this video.
Next, plug the washer back in and use your meter to check for 120vac at the control board in the locations listed in the image below in the “AC Power Check” section. Click the image for a larger view that opens in a new window.
If you’re getting 120vac up to the board and lights or anything on the control console, then you need to replace the control board. You can buy the replacement board here with a one year return guarantee.
If you’re not getting voltage to the control board, then you may have a bad connection somewhere and you’ll need to use your meter and the wiring diagram on the tech sheet (located in a pouch under the top cabinet panel that you removed to access the control board) to troubleshoot and find where you’re missing the voltage. I show you how to do this using real-world examples, including a front loading washer, in my seminal tome, “Using the Tech Sheet Schematic to Root Out Appliance Gremlins.”
Your Precious Words:
The motor will not do the final (fast) spin to get the majority of the water out. Although it does work in the agitation mode. I believe the error code is 43 ( control board)?
Error code 43 and no final spin both point to one and only one possibility: bad door lock assembly. Slam dunk. Buy it here with a one year return policy.
So David writes back:
Samurai,
Thanks for the quick reply
This may be a dumb question but how does the switch know what the motor speed is?
This reveals an complete misunderstanding of how these machines work and, I might add, a mistrust of my diagnosis. I’ve only seen this exact problem several hundred times and I keep three of these door lock assemblies on my service vehicle because I’m replacing them so often for this exact problem.
Nevertheless, because the Samurai is long-suffering and of great gootness, he shall reveal unto thee how it is that the door latch assembly is the root cause of this problem.
The door lock assembly is just a dumb switch– it has no idea about anything in the world except whether it’s open or closed. The control board, OTOH, is a smart sumbeech and is constantly going around the machine checking the motors and switches to see if things are where they’re supposed to be. One of the things it checks is the spin enable switch in the door latch assembly. If that switch is open, the control board will not allow the drum to go into spin mode. Without getting into a bunch of technical mumbo-jumbo, here’s a short cut method to check it:
But note as a point of comparison and contrast the situation where the drum NEVER moves– water comes in and pumps out but no tumble, no spin, no nuttin’. This is altogether a different problem from what we’ve discussed thus far– where the motor tumbles but won’t go into high speed spin.
In the case where the drum doesn’t move at all, ever, you need to break out your meter and the tech sheet from inside the washer and sing along with the Samurai in this video.
To learn more about your washing machine, or to order parts, click here.
In this thrilling excursion into Appliantological Excellence™, Samurai Appliance Repair Man takes you deep inside the belly of the beast to discover why the main motor on a Frigidaire front-load washer would not run in tumble or spin. The Samurai was running a service call as The Appliance Guru, his real-life appliance repair service bidness.
Your Precious Words:
We have a loud roaring noise as the washer goes through the spin cycle.
Well, Joe, I gotta tell ya, pilgrim: you gots what we professional appliantologists call “bad drum bearings.” The roaring noise in spin is a definite clue. Here’s how to confirm:
Generally not worth repairing unless a) it’s under warranty or b) you’re gonna do all the work yourself (and maybe get the $500 part from Whirlpool for free– no guarantees on that!).
To learn more about your washing machine, or to order parts, click here.
Your Precious Words:
when I put the clothes on a cold wash it does not work, but it will work on hot . I checked line for clogging it was clear and I checked the cold water from house it was working I am wondering maybe if it is a Sensor ? I hate maytag they really Sux . thank you so much
The Wisdom of Master Samurai and Appliantologist, Miyamoto Mushashi
One thing I’ve learned after years of being an appliance repair Samurai is how to pick your battles. You don’t want to engage in hand-to-appliance combat with an appliance that’s not worth repairing, such as with a front loading washer with a failure in either the inner basket or outer drum.
An inner basket failure is a corroded or broken drum support spider assembly, like this one:
See this page for examples and further explanation.
The most common outer tub failure is a bad drum bearing, but it can take other, more subtle forms.
“But, wise and besotted Samurai,” you ask incredulously, “what is it about these particular failures that makes even you, a seasoned veteran of the Appliance Wars, slink away from these battles like a ninja in the night?”
Ahh, Grasshoppah, in the words of my venerable Master, Miyamoto Mushashi, “You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain [of Appliantology].”
The parts alone for these repairs can run well over $500 and can take several hours to repair, sometimes requiring a second man. And then there are other things that can fail in the washer at a later time: motors, motor control boards, door boots, etc. So I ask you, Grasshoppah, would you rather spend your precious time, blood, and money resurrecting a machine that has given up the will to live or would you rather spend about the same amount of money and far less time purchasing a new washing machine?
What appears to you as running away from a fight is in reality another path to the top of the mountain of Appliantology. And to get there, you must learn to, “Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye,” as my Master taught.
To help you “Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye,” I have assembled three videos from my various encounters with these types of catastrophic failures in front-load washers to help you discern the situation and make a wise decision. Watch and learn, Grasshoppah…
Diagnosing a Broken Drum Support Spider
In this first video, you’ll hear the noise that a broken drum support spider makes at low RPMs. The customer called in with the complaint that the drum would bind while running, stalling the cycle and causing the control to flash an error code. Watch and learn the distinctive noise this particular failure makes:
Diagnosing Bad Drum Bearings
Bad drum bearings in a front loading washer can manifest in a variety of ways. In this case, the customer called with the complaint that her Whirlpool Duet (Kenmore-labelled) washer was stopping during the cycle and, upon further questioning, also showing the F06 error code. The F06 error code is a tachometer error which, as it turns out in this case, was actually being caused by the drum bearings binding and interfering with the drum rotation. I could hear the bad drum bearings when I ran the washer in a spin cycle.
Bad bearings can make a variety of noises depending on exactly how they are failing; you could hear a roaring noise like a jet engine or a clanking noise like in this video. But they all have one thing in common: they originate from the back of the washer and manifest audibly during the spin cycle. Had she reported that the washer was making this noise during spin, I could have saved her a service call fee!
BTW, this particular washer is only 5 years old. Her daughter has the exact same washer, same age, and reports the same problem. An all-too common story with the Whirlpool Duet line of front loading washers.
Diagnosing Outer Tub Failure
This video is a great illustration of why it’s so important to properly identify cause and effect when troubleshooting. In this case, what the customer saw as the problem, a twisted door boot (or gasket), was actually an effect of an underlying, catastrophic cause: outer drum failure. You want to make sure you’re fixing the actual cause and not the effect.
Oh, Canada!
Finally, after years of travail and miles of paper work trails, we are now shipping parts to our cool neighbors in the Great White North! Same great prices, same awesome one-year, hassle-free return policy as we’ve always offered our customers here in the (once upon a time) Land of the Free! Come git you some using the Smart Parts Search Box at The Appliantology Academy:
Wisdom from The Oz Man
Heed the wisdom of The Oz Man and don’t let the beauty of this Autumn pass you by: get up off your duff, get outside and take a hike!
A long, long time ago, people did things like read books instead of surfing the Internet or had thoughtful discussions about complicated topics instead of yelling political slogans and sound bites at each other. Most folks also had at least a conceptual understanding of the process of troubleshooting: the logical, step-by-step progression of tracking down the cause of a problem.
To troubleshoot an appliance, you first need to have a basic understanding of how that appliance is supposed to work both from the operator’s standpoint and how the components inside are supposed to work together. In other words, to figure out what’s wrong, you first have to know what “right” is. Then begin troubleshooting right at the problem and step through, checking inputs and outputs, whether mechanical or electrical.
For example, an oven electric bake element isn’t getting hot and is not visibly damaged. The element needs 240 VAC to get hot, 120 VAC at each of its terminals. The voltage at the terminals is controlled and delivered by different circuits or components inside the oven. Many people would just immediately replace the element, not even considering how the element works or checking to see if it’s getting the voltage it needs to operate. Maybe they get lucky and fix the problem, but that’s not troubleshooting. That’s changing parts like a monkey.
Appliance repair servicers who practice their trade like that are not technicians or Professional Appliantologists; they are called “parts changing monkeys.”
Parts changing monkeys can cost you a lot of time, frustration, and money.
Beware the Parts Changing Monkey!
What’s a parts changing monkey, you ask?
He (or she) is someone who knows how to change out parts on your appliance, but doesn’t know how to actually troubleshoot the problem. Based on your problem description, he will change out the most obvious part involved and hope that fixes the problem. That works just often enough to get by in many repair situations, but there are other times it results in a major rip-off of the customer.
Here’s a repair saga where I followed up behind a parts changing monkey who never bothered to troubleshoot an overfilling complaint on a GE front-loading washer. He had replaced two parts without fixing the problem and was trying to convince the owner to replace a third. I was called in and quickly found the actual malfunctioning component that monkey-boy failed to even check. It’s not rocket science! You just need to have a basic understanding of how these machines work, and that information is readily available in posts like this:
Wisdom! Let Us Attend!
You can find whatever appliance part you need through the parts search box at The Appliantology Academy. No harm in buying and trying with our 365-day, no-hassle return policy, even on electrical parts that were installed!
I’m always uploading new videos to my YouTube channel of my real-life appliance repair adventures that I do in people’s homes. I film, produce, and upload all these videos completely from my iPhone so they’re not all professional and slick looking but they are enlightening. You can keep up with ’em by subscribing to my YouTube Channel.
Join Samurai Appliance Repair Man as he goes in batting cleanup behind a local parts changing monkey (PCM) who tried to fix a problem with a front loading washer that overfilled by blindly replacing parts, hoping to get lucky. Of course, he failed miserably but that didn’t stop him from charging the customer anyway. The customer called me out of frustration and desperation and, as usual, the Samurai delivers another appliance ass-whuppin’!
The other thing this video illustrates is the importance of understanding how the components inside an appliance are supposed to work together. How else can you troubleshoot? In this case, with the washer overfilling, starting troubleshooting at the water inlet valve is not a bad idea BUT what are you looking for? The PCM simply guessed and hoped to get lucky. But there’s no need to guess if you understand how the valve is supposed to work and can make a simple voltage measurement.
In this case, you would use your meter to see if the valve is still getting voltage when the drum was overfilling. If so, then the problem is NOT the valve, it lies in in the component that controls the valve. Here, the pressure switch controls the valve and this is the next thing the PCM replaced. But, again, there’s no need to guess because the switching function of the pressure switch can be tested using your ohm meter and gently blowing into the pressure tube to see if the pressure switch contacts change.
Actually, in the process of gaining access to the pressure tube to test the pressure switch, you would have discovered the chaffed pressure tube in the course of doing simple troubleshooting like a real technician and not just blindly thrashing about, throwing parts at the machine and ripping people off.
So, putting this all together, here’s a simple operational description of how these parts work together inside the washer:
As the water level in the drum rises, the pressure inside the pressure tube increases. This increased pressure is felt by the pressure switch which is calibrated to switch contacts at a specified pressure corresponding to a design fill level. The pressure switch, which was sending voltage to the water inlet valves during fill, then cuts voltage to the water inlet valves and the wash cycle begins.
Is that so hard to understand? How is it that someone who repairs appliances for a living does not understand this?
You can find whatever appliance part you need through the parts search box right here at Fixitnow.com. No harm in buying and trying with our 365-day, no-hassle return policy, even on electrical parts that were installed!
Subscribe to our FREE, award-winning newsletter, Appliantology: The Oracle of Appliance Enlightenment ==> http://newsletter.fixitnow.com and download your free report on appliance brand recommendations! Every issue is jam-packed with appliance repair tips and inside information direct from the Samurai’s fingertips to your engorged and tingling eyeballs.
The Appliance Guru provides prompt, convenient service in the following towns in New Hampshire: New London, Elkins, Wilmot, Springfield, Georges Mills, Sunapee, Mt. Sunapee, Newbury, Sutton, Bradford, Warner, Grantham, and the Eastman Community. Visit our website for more info and a discount coupon on your next service call: ==> http://applianceguru.com
… and I mean that in the most gender-inclusive way… Let us open our Appliantology Hymnals to the Seventh Law of the Prophecy, wherein it is written, on whatever they use to write prophecies with, that, “All leaks are visual.” Yea verily, greater truth hath never been uttered. Can I hear an, “Amen?” Well, how about a “Hello, Newman?”
This issue of the Appliantology epistle will show you in living color just how self-evident we hold these truths to be. The Samurai will reveal unto thee two example cases where this sacred Appliantological precept was applied to successfully locate and repair unusual, uncommon, even weird leak sources in washing machines. One case will be a front-loader and the other a top-loader. In both cases, the Seventh Law of the Prophecy is applied to successfully vanquish the leak.
Locating and Repairing a Mystery Leak in a Front-loading Washer
Watch with shock and awe as Samurai Appliance Repair Man ruthlessly ferrets out the source of a leak in a front-loading washing machine and then mercilessly repairs it.
Locating and Repairing a Leak in a Maytag Bravo / Whirlpool Cabrio / Kenmore Oasis Washer
In this excursion into appliance repair excellence, the Samurai shows you how to locate the source of a leak in a Maytag Bravo washing machine and how to fix it. In case you didn’t figure it out from the title of this post, the Maytag Bravo, Whirlpool Cabrio, and Kenmore Oasis washers are all the same machine so this sublime repair kata applies to all three.
Addendum to the Last Issue, “Get the Apprentice Advantage”
If you have ever contributed any amount to the United Samurai Beer Fund prior to July 30, 2012, you are eligible for a complimentary promotion to Merit Apprentice Appliantologist together with all the rights and privileges thereof. Just Contact the Samurai and tell him the email address associated with your Paypal account from which you would have made the donation and he will promote you. This is our way of saying “Mucho Domos!” for your love-offering of support in the past.
In this excursion into appliance repair excellence, the Samurai shows you how to locate the source of a leak in a Maytag Bravo washing machine and how to fix it. In case you didn’t figure it out from the title of this post, the Maytag Bravo, Whirlpool Cabrio, and Kenmore Oasis washers are all the same machine, so this sublime repair kata applies to all three.
In these machines, the first thing to check for leaks is the pump. The other leak source is the tub seal. But leaking pumps are fairly common and also much easier to repair. Observe the technique of the Master:
And this video has more detailed replacement procedures:
You can find whatever appliance part you need through the parts search box right here at Fixitnow.com. No harm in buying and trying with our 365-day, no-hassle return policy, even on electrical parts that were installed!
Subscribe to our FREE, award-winning newsletter, Appliantology: The Oracle of Appliance Enlightenment ==> http://newsletter.fixitnow.com and download your free report on appliance brand recommendations! Every issue is jam-packed with appliance repair tips and inside information direct from the Samurai’s fingertips to your engorged and tingling eyeballs.
The Appliance Guru provides prompt, convenient service in the following towns in New Hampshire: New London, Elkins, Wilmot, Springfield, Georges Mills, Sunapee, Mt. Sunapee, Newbury, Sutton, Bradford, Warner, Grantham, and the Eastman Community. Visit our website for more info and a discount coupon on your next service call: ==> http://applianceguru.com
