CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK...

[mistereric]

I think mom and dads direct drive washing machine is on its last legs. The spin has been lethargic for a while, and mom has mentioned its been making strange noises of late. Today, she called me over to see what was happening... the basement lights were flickering in time to a loud clicking noise. I got downstairs and the beast was washing, but the action of the agitator was erratic and the clicking was quite loud. I got my camera and came back down and captured the end of the wash portion of the cycle, just as it stopped for the neutral drain. Once it shifted into spin, everything was okay until we got back to agitation in the rinse, and then the clicking again.

after the load was done I flipped the machine down and checked the motor coupler, which looked just fine to me. There was a little seepage of oil on the transmission, but no pool of oil on the floor. Spun the motor coupler with my fingers, everything seemed to be okay.

So i set it back up and ran a load at the lowest water level, and set it to gentle agitation. The lower portion of the agitator spasms and jumps erratically, causing almost no useful turnover in the washbasket.

They aren't too thrilled about the idea of paying big bucks for the machine to be repaired, and its their second direct drive machine in 10 years. If I could change out a simple part it might not be so bad to DIY, but if its something like a motor or transmission, its not really worth it for them.

Anyone have any ideas?

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[mistereric]

Weird...

imbedding issues... try this:

 

[funguy10]

Pretty interesting sound. It sounds like the machine is a Direct-Drive without a transmission. I could not see the lights flickering in the video. That repeated "click" sounds kind of like the click Whirlpool DDs make everytime the motor starts.

 

[queeny77]

the motor is turning on and off,does it only do this on slow speed before the spin cycle,if so it is more than likely the timer.

 

[DADoES]

That sounds like my KA 760 when I ran it on a too-small extension cord and it wasn't getting enough voltage. My A206 in that situation didn't click-click-click, but the motor couldn't get running up to full speed for even the pump to drain.

 

[Brent-Aucoin]

Wow....
Sounds like your plastic gears are missing a few plastic gears in the transmission.
Easy fix.......
These machines are a "plug and play" type of machine if you have any experience of taking something apart, and putting it back together with the "fixed" "fix".
Brent

 

[mistereric]

I think the machine has a transmission. The motor is mounted horizontally and there is a large metal gearcase of some sort at the bottom.

The machine is plugged right into the wall socket its always been plugged into, no extension cords.

The machine does this anytime its agitating. Changing the speed does nothing.

Brent - I don't exactly follow... you are saying you think the gears in the transmission are stripped and I should be able to open it and replace them? I'm surprised you can get gears individually as replacement parts.

thanks for the assistance, guys!

 

[gansky1]

Three Speed Machine?

Replace the speed selector switch. It has gone bad which causes the motor to try to run on two or more speeds at the same time. Common with these machines. The part is about $12. Open the control panel, remove the connector from the speed selector switch, lift on the locking tab and turn the switch to remove. Replace in reverse order. There is a part number on the switch body.

Easy fix for little money - and no new washer to buy.

 

[spinmon]

Mine TOO

Thank's,gansky!! My '96 KM '90' series (3spd) did this about a year ago & again just recently.I put it on 'drain' a few seconds both times & back to 'wash',it ran normally. I WILL purchase a speed control & maybe avoid a 'no-wash' situation.THANK'S again!

 

[toggleswitch]

....and in the mean-time perhaps give her you new Fake-Tag to use....and for you to admire....while you track down the parts and do the service-call!

 

[spinmon]

Yo Toggle

??? Are you refering to my post about the 'speed selection' control on a new TL Whirlpool??? I'ma SOOO confused.

 

[toggleswitch]

*LOL*

Hi William.

*WAVES* That was directed to Eric....sorry!
But thanks for the shout-out!

 

[mistereric]

Would but if I could!

I've set up the Fauxtag in the garage for temporary use. I don't have the time to get the machine into the basement - its very low-ceiling'd and packed to the rafters with assorted nonsense. I've ordered the switch, 2 days out. For now, it will be tepid washes out in the garage, thanks to my sad little 110volt mini-water-heater.

In other news, the Fauxtag performs nicely, even though its bashful about having its lid open. I dig the Finger Faucet thing - great if you have no laundry sink.

 

[mistereric]

drats!

'twas not the speed control switch. Crap.

Oh well. The new AWS44NW gets installed this evening. Never liked this thing anyway. Thanks for the advice, gents. Pics of the new kid are forthcoming.

 

[mistereric]

solution

thats better. $599 from Richmond Discount Appliance (seem to be very decent folks) and we're up and running. Mom is missing the warm rinse, but overall is thrilled to be able to catch up.

Please excuse the basement. The house is about 100 years old, so we make do. And yep, its level, my camera is the thing thats off kilter.

 

[speed_queen75]

Great Choice!!!!

That was a great choice you made there mistereric, I recently bought a new SQ set, and i absolutely LOVE IT!!!!! I am shure you mom will love it too...

 

[toggleswitch]

Would we (the royal we) be able to entice you into a *money shot*?

Congrats. It is a keeper!

 

[mistereric]

choices...

Thanks Lee!

Mom and I went to look at Sears first, on the off chance that they felt like selling us a washing machine. They weren't all that thrilled about it, even when we poked around the Cabrio machines. There was a window-lid Cab for $899 that we liked. Asked the lady if they had it in stock and if we could take it home today, and nearly before we finished asking she said "No" quite emphatically. Then she wandered over to her workspace, looked at a clipboard with lists of whatever on it and said something to the effect that they ~might~ have that machine, and that she could go look, if we really wanted her to. She seemed rather busy standing around not selling washing machines, and didn't really seemed thrilled about poking around in a dusty stockroom to see if she could find us what we wanted... so we thanked her very much and left.

I think maybe someday that Sears ought to invest in some manner of computer related inventory system. Something that could show them at a glance that they had such-and-such model in stock, or something like that. Computers really are a miracle!

/Sarcasm off.

So we went to RDA and started wandering around the little showroom. Maypools, Whirlpools, Roperools, and machines by the General. Told the salesman that we wanted a new washer and no front loaders. Immediately, without hesitation, he said "Speed Queen". After spending a little bit looking at the Whirlpools and derivitives, and with not much more than a passing glance at the GE stuff, we decided we would take the 2nd up model SQ as it was what was in stock. Salesman knocked off $50 from the top, and we picked it up last night.

I wouldn't have minded holding out for a few days to get a TOL model but mom was getting antsy with the laundry back-up and honestly, the additional featureset was soo small it didn't seem terribly important. I did ask if he had any of last years models in, machines with a warm rinse, but he said they were all gone.

One thing dad and I noticed is that this damned thing is HEAVY - much heavier than the Kenmore it replaced. We're pleased at that... the fit and finish seems to be much better on this machine. To me, this seems like the modern equivalent to a center dial Maytag. 700RPM spin is rock solid, even on our crumbly washer-island (there is a raised concrete pad for the machine to sit on to keep its feet dry - don't ask). Love the fact that its made in Wisconson, too.

Did a first load in there last night and the machine has performed wonderfully. Its going to take a little adjustment with this to get going. Already talked mom out of doing all loads as "Delicate". She's been conditioned to slow down the speeds with the shredmores and its going to take some convincing to show that this one isn't going to chew up her clothes like the old one did.

I'll try and get a money shot soon.

 

[jeffg]

If your washer lacks a warm water rinse, just make one of your own: stop the machine right before it fills for its rinse cycle, move the dial to a wash cycle (with warm water selected), let it fill, then move the dial back to the rinse position.

Most detergents rinse out much more thoroughly with warm water compared to cold.