Fisher & Paykel Aquasmart - help required!

[liberator1509]

Hi all, and especially F&P people in Australia, New Zealand and US.

Our much loved F&P Aquasmart has stopped working this morning. Fault Code 49, which is apparently a faulty water valve. This happened mid-cycle (spin-rinse section) and the machine stopped dead.

I checked the solenoids on the water valve - all four giving readings of 59/60 ohms, and I cleaned the filter screens. After transferring the laundry, and bailing the water to check for pump blockages (none to see), it is still not working.

In control mode, the fill selections don't register, and while the pump can be selected in both modes it doesn't run. On a spin cycle, the pump doesn't run (though the control mode shows the pump being called), and the machine runs through the wash to spin mode shift repeatedly without moving to spin.

Any ideas? Its going to be difficult finding any parts etc for this machine in Ireland, so before I go ordering parts from Australia or New Zealand, I wonder if anyone has any pointers.

Thanks

David

 

[DADoES]

 
What model?

Fault 49 is specifically the cold inlet valve.  It's an electrical-type problem, the control board isn't reading a proper voltage/signal from that circuit.  Could be a bad solenoid (they can be bad even if reading within spec on resistance), wire connection problem, or a board problem.

You're saying the hot and cold water both can't be activated via Diagnostic Mode? 

The machine won't spin if there's water in the tub but it should if the tub is empty regardless of whether the pump runs.

May be a bad board what with the cold valve circuit and the pump circuit both not functioning.

 

[liberator1509]

Hi DADoES

Phew - glad to have the help of the Aquasmart expert - much appreciated! This machine is a WL80T65C, originally an AU market model.
I think you might be right about the board - strange things happening with the tub drive. With power on, the tub feels 'locked' as though some or all magnets are charged. With power off, the tub spins, but not freely, instead clunking the agitator, like the shift from float to spin sound. There is no water left in the machine, so the tub is not floating.

I'll put up a couple of videos of the tub shortly.

Thanks

David

 

[liberator1509]

Can't seem to upload video clips!

 

[DADoES]

 
Videos can't be uploaded into posts. Most users place vids on YouTube and link them. AW's discussion board software recognizes pasted YouTube URLs and embeds the vid.

 

[liberator1509]

AH ok - I'll see what I can do!

I'm thinking I need to a new motor control module. Do you think I should replace the RPS too?

Thanks

David

 

[DADoES]

 
I found a service manual for the model (230v?).

It advises that Fault 49 can be manifested by a SmartPump failure ... which first records as Fault 249, then may change to 49 when machine power is disconnected and reconnected.

Check for 16.2 ohms across each pairing of the three pump windings.  Can check at the harness in the console which tests the harness down to the pump, and also directly at the pump to isolate the harness.

Says to replace both the control board and pump likely required if a pump failure is confirmed as the cause.

The RPS would/should throw a different code.

Do you have or want the service manual?

 

[liberator1509]

Hi again,
Yes it is a 230v model. That makes sense also in terms of the point in the cycle where the machine failed. A service manual would be greatly appreciated.

I'll need to find a source of parts from AU next for a new pump and control module. In fairness to F&P Ireland, they said the would source parts, however the shipping time could be well over a month!

Thanks again for all the advice

 

[gizmo]

Hi Liberator

If you need help with parts I'm happy to help. (I'm in Australia.)

for example if you can find the parts you need online and the supplier won't ship to you, maybe get the parts sent to me and I can ship to you? Suggest you get size and weight so I can get a quote on freight first. If you give me part numbers I can try some of my favourite suppliers for prices.

 

If you list the model number of your machine, maybe I can find a dead machine on gumtree to pinch parts from?

 

Is it a generic pump like other washers, or is it unique to FP?  Their older models that I'm familiar with had pretty "normal" pumps. Mention of 3 pump windings sounds like the pump is something special. like a smart drive motor as a pump? Same as a dishdrawer?

I know some models of Smart Drive used the pump in the power supply circuit for the main control board and pump faults would make machine appear dead. (which appears a remarkably stupid design to me...)

 

Shipping times are horrible at present. (Corona virus.) I ordered some headlight bulbs from UK and they took a couple of months. The supplier was getting worried and offered to send again, I said give it more time and sure enough they turned up. 1 month sounds reasonable to me...

 

[DADoES]

 
All AquaSmarts use the SmartPump, which is a sort-of mini SmartDrive motor.  3 phase 6 pole multi-speed reversing brushless DC motor with a wet rotor.  There is no powered diverter valve.  A flapper in the pump cavity moves in response to the water flow direction to close the opposite port for recirculation and drain.

 

[liberator1509]

Hi Gizmo

Thank you so much for the offer of help - I'll email to you tomorrow with details of what I'm after!

David

 

[liberator1509]

DADoES

Again thank you for all the advice! The Smartpump is a clever design, and it is very similar to the pump used years before by Hotpoint UK (AEI Hotpoint/AEI GALA for exports) for the entire production run of their top-loader from the 1960s, though in mechanical form of course. That machine design was of course based on the US Filter-flo, though I don't know if the US GE pump was the single chamber, flapper type used in the UK Hotpoint. Either way the UK-made top-loader was really popular in Ireland until they stopped making them.

The cute link is that F&P made a licensed version of the AEI Hotpoint machine for years (the rating plates credited AEI GALA for the design) until they introduced their own design in the mid-80s. So in a way the Aquasmart is the successor to the Hotpoint, or at least I like to think so!

 

[DADoES]

 
David, I need an email address that can take a ~4MB attachment to send the service manual.

Or you can try locating a download yourself.  The document number is 479615 and references WL80T65CW.  There's a typo on a subpage list of covered models, says WL80T56CW2 instead of 65, but the model reference on the cover page says 65 so it presumably is the correct document ... depends on your Product Code, which is considered a more accurate service reference for production variations than the model number.

 

[liberator1509]

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