Big Bertha Back In Good Health (Miele W 1070)

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launderess

launderess

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Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage
Our independant Miele service guy has just left after spending an our or so with Big Bertha.

One shock was totally gone, the other not nearly so but he replaced both, and what an effort it was. Am now that glad one didn't try to attempt the job as it was allot of work fitting the new shocks in but our hero got the job done. He also found the cause of the other "noise" from our machine and it wasn't due to the shocks.
[this post was last edited: 12/31/2012-15:06]
 
Thanks Luv!

This repairman is such a treasure!

After replacing the shocks and starting the machine the "rattle" sound still continued and he went right to work at once to find out where the noise was coming from. Took the lad <5 minutes much of that time was spent opening up the front of the unit again to isolate the cause.

Whilst he was working (and in between moans and cursing about the shocks not going in easily as expected, *LOL*), we chatted about the new Miele models and he agreed one large problem is that customers fail to load them properly.

With the uber 48XX series so many problems with vibrations customers report can be traced back to underloading the machine. A washer designed to hold 18lbs of wash seems not to cope well with just several pounds, but that is common to many other *huge* machines as well.

Still have been put on notice Big Bertha won't last forever and should start considering my options. The only things left besides the electronics and timer that haven't been replaced are now the motor and rear drum bearings. Neither of which our lad recommends doing when the time comes.

Did question as to what the "problem" is with brush replacement for the 10XX series and to an extent the 700's as well and the reply went along the lines of design. Apparently Miele didn't think about how service persons would haul that huge cast iron motor out of machines in the field. Sadly to change the brushes that is just what must happen.

By the 19XX series Miele corrected this and those brushes can be swapped out easily from the front. The 11XX and 12XX model series have side panels that can be removed as well in order to service the machine.[this post was last edited: 12/31/2012-16:45]
 
Out of curiosity

What was the process of getting the shocks swapped out? Via the front or bottom of the machine?
 
Front

But the openings are a tight squeeze and if one or more of the shocks do not play nice things can get interesting.

Much of the problem is that quite abit of the job at least as far as one could see involves working "blind". An experienced repair person can feel his way around but a newbie like myself would have been lost.

The bottom mountings aren't *that* bad to get at, it is the tub mountings that are problems. There is allot of 'stuff" in the way so a clear view isn't possible. You *can* remove parts such as hoses and pump to get at the things, but then you've got to put everything back.

Big Bertha wasn't giving the lad an easy time of things with the upper mounts for the shocks. She just refused to allow them to slot into place (hence the aformentioned swearing, etc... *LOL*), imagine trying to fit/force something into something when you cannot see what you're doing. Again it is possible to get a clearer view, and IIRC some of the cutouts in the front of the machine are for access and such, but again you've got to remove certain other things for a totally unobstructed view.

For a job Miele USA swore required two persons and removal of the machine to their workshops in New Jersey our lad did by himself in in hour or so.[this post was last edited: 12/31/2012-16:49]
 
So glad to hear your Miele is up and running; what a great way to start the new year. Sounds like you've found a repairman who's a keeper. Here's to your Miele's continued good health. May the day you have to part ways with Big Bertha be far down the road. Your affection for her, despite the occasional fits that come with age (hers, dear, not yours) is obvious.

Aside: I'm surprised that the XXL Mieles have a difficult time with partial loads. I like having a very large capacity washer, as weekly loads of bath linens are huge in my house, and it's always nice to be able to wash queen-sized comforters without resorting to using one's foot to cram the thing into the machine.

Having said that, I regularly wash loads ranging from 2-8 pounds and the Frigidaire doesn't seem to mind being underloaded. Just yesterday I washed a small load of one pair of heavy sweat pants, one pair of gym shorts, and one short-sleeve flannel shirt. The balancing protocol took a little longer than usual due to the single heavy item in the tiny load, but it ramped up to 1300 rpm in the final spin without any issues. If my $900 hunk of white plastic can handle such loads, you'd expect no less from a Miele.
[this post was last edited: 1/1/2013-05:30]

frigilux++1-1-2013-05-17-47.jpg
 
I'm so glad Big Bertha is back in good health and ready for work. A wonderful start for the new year! Kudos to the tech for getting the job done, too. :-)

Our W4842 doesn't mind less-than-full loads of similar weight items. It generally complains if there is one heavy towel in the mix, which might even throw off the balance of an old-fashioned TL washer, too.
 
Glad to hear your machine was able to be fixed.  I started worrying when I heard that you might not find a fix for it.

I know things change but seems that there are compromises to be made with the new machines.  Even my washer a W1986 is not as flexible in settings as older models, but does employee a different type spin routine so it usually can get to the desired spin on the first or second try and if it doesn't it will add an additional rinse.  Still I am happy with it and plan to repair it until it cannot be fixed anymore.

 

I do have the larger 98XX gas dryer.  It works OK but performs most consistent when it is confronted with a load that fully matches it's capacity.  Any less and when using the normal setting some items will not get fully dried and require a few more minutes.  Using the Extra dry setting corrects this problem but to me I should not have to use extra dry and end up baking some items so everything gets dry.

 

If you are thinking of a newer machine and want to remain Miele might consider the little giant.  I would love to have that machine right now......I don't love that price though.  Beyond that I  would  pick the 30xx series but even that is only 120V and there are posts around that suggest that it won't get to the desired temp unless you use the extended(long euro type time) option.

 

My hope is that in time Miele will provide options for the 30XX size machines so that we can choose a 120V or 220/240V model when buying.  The thing is using 220 inside by means of a transformer so just skip that part  and let me connect it to my 220 connection.  Also found out from my service man that my Miele Dw also has a transformer and is  220V+ inside too. My laundry is set up for 220V+ and I would have to run new electric  for a  120V washer connection.  I guess kind of the opposite of most.  Might help if we began  sending Miele DB some emails suggesting the 220V option for the USA.

 

Hope you get long continued use of your 1070 Miele.
 
loading large drums to capacity

I could put as much stuff in my Duet as I could in my KA KAWE860. The machine could balance the load for a spin, BUT the machine could not handle the water spun out of the load so it tripped the flood switch which stopped the spin while the pump caught up with the water. Then it would take several attempts to distribute the load again to enable a spin and this would happen after each drain period in the cycle. The SQ fl maintains a distribution speed between the surge spins and shuts off the pump during the surge spins to prevent the pump from airlocking and the machine from having to redistribute the load. So, while a large load might be a secret to balancing, the machine has to be able to handle the water extracted from a large load or it has to be able to gradually increase the spin speed so that the amount of water spun out does not overwhelm the pump which is the way that my Miele W1986 approaches the problem.
 
Thanks All For The Well Wishes!

Yes, am that happy was able to get my old Miele repairman to come and attend Big Bertha. Normally he does not like working on "older" units but...

To be clear the man didn't state there were "problems" purely with the design of the larger Miele 48XX series. Just that in hindsight and probably from his experience running around the area on service calls, some of them are user related.

Things such as mould growing inside (leaving door closed after laundry day), vibrations (usually but not always related to type of flooring, load size and consist,) and activation of the "WaterProof System" (can be so by over sudsing caused by improper detergent use), all have roles. Mind you there are legitimate gripes with those units, but the man did say many he has come in contact with love them. Indeed dealers in certain areas of my region are wailing and moaning over Miele's decision to discontinue the 48XX line, and are banging the trees to find them for customers.

Changing the shock absorbers on a front loading washing machine is bound to happen to them all sooner or later, and some are more easily dealt with than others.

Am still going to get Bertha a playmate to take some of the work load off her. My deepest worry is her rear tub bearings going. If or when that happens she's toast as even my Miele repairman won't touch that job for love nor money.
 
Count Me in With Matt

Is the rattle the beginning of bearing noise?
May I be so bold to inquire the source of excessive amounts of laundry requiring pressing and expect one would share? Maybe one operates an Inn, do one take in laundry or is one perhaps Martha Stewart lurking among our group? One is intrigued and one ponders the veil of allure and mystery surrouding ones presence here. Respectfully submitted.
Kelly
 
Source of Rattle

Was a plastic plate just behind the service door. Cannot remember what the thing is offically called but it is supposed act as some sort of protection to other parts of the machine should the door seal leak/rupture.

From the start one reported to Miele that after their service man came to change the motor brushes (which he did not/would not do), my washer developed at once this rattle sound. Told Miele also that the sound was coming from the front of the washer and sounded like something was "loose". Their response was to send yet another equally clueless repairman who despite not having opened the machine to investigate (forgot his tools) declared the shocks were bad and hence the noise.

While it tis true one of the shocks was bad and it's mate not far behind that did *NOT* solve the rattle. Again we repairman turned on Bertha after he finished (I threw in some towels) to test the spin we both heard the rattle still. First going to the back and then coming to the front our better repairman like a physican placed his hands there and there to source the cause of the rattle. He found at once the cause and addressed the matter.

It is apparent that during the furtive attempt to "find" where the motor brushes were the first Miele tech moved and or loosened the aforementioned object and failed to correct this. Everytime that man left the machine was missing odd screws to the service plates, which showed his lack of quality service and haste. Our Miele man pulled out his "box of tricks" and fitted back all the missing screws by the way.

Torrrow when MieleUSA opens one is going to make such a noise that it will make the settlements from using forced WWII labour seem like a holiday. Am quite fed up to the back teeth of MieleUSA's high handed treatment of me and they will have to answer for it. All along one has told them causes and suspicions as to what the problem is with my machine only to be ignored. Worse one's complaints are slighted as coming from a neurotic and hysterical nut case.

When we told our Miele repairman about the "brittle wiring" statement from MieleUSA's tech he almost disgraced himself from laughing. We wanted to know what was such a thing and had he seen it before. The response was "who said that? Upon relating the story and it's source were assured the wiring is no more deficient than could be found inside of any other machine of the same vintage.
 
I'm glad you've decided to pull out the big guns on MieleUSA. There's no reason a high-end company like that should treat the owner of one of their products in such a dismissive and shabby manner. Should I feel a slight tremor underfoot out here on the prairie I'll know you're on the phone with them.

: )
 

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