One of the parts mustāve failed last. Iām guessing the last part that failed was the drain pump. Iām guessing the shift actuator would let the drum spin but not agitate.
As if all parts failed the same time it wouldnāt operate. Iām guessing the motor bearings were noisy which is unusual - usually itās the transmission bearings that fail on these. My own VMW now has worn bearings.
Mine is a 2014 model, WTW4900BW0. According to the S/N it was manufactured on the 9th week of 2014.
To get to the bearings, you can actually drill out the rivets in the transmissions to get to the bearings but thatās hard to do and these transmissions are not designed to be serviced. You can get transmissions for cheaper than they are on Whirlpoolās websites. Ducttape mechanic actually had a Whirlpool with bad bearings and he actually swapped the shaft from an Maytag and fixed it himself. And the washer he was working out was the same one that I have.
The newer VMWs seem more problematic but are also less prone to bearing issues. You donāt see nearly as many new VMWs with bad bearings as the older ones. Iām not a tech myself, but if you are a tech, thereās a chance youāll see a newer VMW with bad bearings occasionally. Most of the newer Whirlpools with bad bearings are the VMAX style.
The bearings rarely fail on the bigger drum VMW units - like the 4.2 and 4.3 cu ft models - but it can happen. This poster didnāt say it had bad bearings they just said it had worn splines which is more expected for this style.
Also, that VMW said in this post mustāve been abused or poorly maintained.
The pre-2018 washplate style VMWs with the 3.6 to 3.8 cu ft drums like mine seem especially prone to bad bearings - but it also seems common in the older porcelain tub agitator models too.
Before Whirlpool launched the Cabrio, VMW, front loaders, and VMAX style machines there werenāt many reports of bad bearings. You didnāt see it on belt drives or direct drives. For a while it was the Norge-built and Ananatag type Maytags and the GEās that were bearing failure prone.
GE has been prone to bad bearings for a LONG time, since the 1990s. Their model-Ts and HydroWaves were very prone to it, and their GE stackable units, but the newest GEās seem less prone. But you do occasionally get a newer GE with bad bearings, kind of like how you occasionally get a newer VMW with bad bearings.
As for suspension rods, Whirlpool agitator machines of all types seem very prone to suspension rod issues and thatās probably the most common failure with the porcelain tub models. The stainless models seem less prone. The older models especially have the tensity to shake violently during the spin cycle, eventually damaging the tub and putting a hole in your drywall. Most VMWs donāt explode, thatās mainly an issue with the newer GEās and the older Samsungs, these days itās mainly GE and LG that explodes because Samsung actually improved their suspension system so they donāt explode.
In fact, my brother has had his WTW4800XQ4 shake VIOLENTLY until he changed them, and now itās the bearings that are wearing out.
Also, I never had to do a washplate but some of these washplates are extremely hard to get off and sometimes it will break off the transmission shaft or the shaft of the washplate will come off. Sometimes you have to break them off.
The 4.2 to 4.3 cu ft VMWs are very prone to drive hub problems and issues with the center sleeve. Good thing Neu has introduced a basket bushing to finally fix this, before it was introduced you had to get a new tub.
The bigger drum VMWs are also known to shake and go off balance.
The newer VMWs have the continuous draining issue but I discussed that in a whole thread.
Whirlpool WTW5000DW3 washer (made on 14th week of 2021) with bad motor bearings, a bad drain pump, bad suspension rods, a stripped basket hub, worn gearcase splines, wallowed out center sleeve, and a bad shift actuator. also had dings and scratches.
