Maytag walks across floor during spin cycle

[tooconfused]

I bought a house with a Whirlpool WTW5000DW washer. Seller disclosed that the washer "is essentially brand new with less than 50 loads run but is a complete POS" (exact quote from SRPD form). They got tired of messing with it and just bought a cheap old one off CL to use instead. If possible, I would like to get this "new one" working.

The problem is that when the spin cycle starts the washer thumps and shakes so violently that it starts walking across the floor and banging into everything in it's path.

The legs have been adjusted so that the machine is perfectly level front to back and side to side.

Nothing appears out of the ordinary when looking inside the machine when empty. The drum is properly centered and if I press down on it it easily moves then returns to the center when I release pressure.

It was suggested that I look for a broken "suspension rod" so I did and there aren't any broken ones. I then removed all of them, inspected them, didn't see anything wrong, and reinstalled them in different locations. Same problem.

I was also asked if it makes any horrible noises, and it doesn't. Very quiet, no abnormal noises at all other than the drum banging into the outer shell. There were some factory foam pieces to quiet this but they have all been ripped off from the violent drum movements (which of course made the banging even louder).

The gearcase underneath looks absolutely brand new, no rust, no corrosion, no anything apparent to the naked eye.

I removed the lid lock so I can open it at any time (yes, I'm an adult and know this can be dangerous and will put it back when done), and when I open it during the spin cycle I don't see anything crazy with the clothes (meaning they aren't all in one spot or anything).

Any ideas how to fix this washer?

 

[rp2813]

Give our resident Maytag expert Dan some time to respond.  He should be able to diagnose the problem and provide instructions on how to resolve the problem.  It's probably something that's gone out of proper adjustment.  Vintage Maytags should remain rock solid during spin.

 

[DADoES]

 
TooConfused,

Your post title references Maytag but the message references Whirlpool WTW5000DW (definitely a WP model number), so that presumably is the machine of problem?

D in the model number indicates model-year 2014 although it was produced for several years longer.  There's a number 0, 1, 2, or 3 following the W that you didn't cite, which is the engineering revision.

You didn't reference how long ago it was that you bought the house with the washer included.

The serial number is coded for year and week of production, which is more accurate for age than the model number.  It may be a bit older than you were led to believe.

Anyway, excessive oscillation/bouncing of the tub during spin indicates the suspension rods may be bad even if they're not obviously broken.  Press down hard on the tub with both hands 180° apart and release, it shouldn't bounce excessively.

The hub that secures the basket to the drive shaft could also be the fault.  Or both the hub and the suspension rods.

 

[henene4]

Totally not sure, so someone correct me, but don't these use a liquid filled balance ring on the drum as well?
IF it uses one and it's been damaged (thus empty) that *could* cause problems with balancing even on very low OOB situations.

 

[tooconfused]

Oops, I'm sorry about the confusion. It's officially a Whirlpool but I was told by them that it's made by Maytag (or maybe the other way around, don't remember) because the technical manual they sent me (pdf file) is titled Whirlpool-Maytag-mvwc400. I asked why this was the case when I had a Whirlpool and that was their answer. Apparently my brain got all confused when I typed out the title but corrected itself once I started writing the narrative.

So again, it's a Whirlpool WTW5000DW and the engineering revision you speak of is 3. I bought the house last year, but they gave me the receipt for the washer and they bought it from Lowes in August of 2020. They said they had nothing but problems with it and chose to store it and use this other one. I believe that it has very little use because it's super clean and looks like it just came off the store floor, so to speak.

As for the serial number date coding, I looked that up (thanks for the tip) and it was made in the 51st week of 2019. This aligns perfectly with the August 2020 receipt I have for it.

If I press down on the drum with both hands and let go, it bounces back up and moves around a bit but it doesn't appear to be very excessive or anything (at least not to a layman like me).

If there is such a thing as a liquid filled balance ring that would certainly explain what's happening. If someone could kindly verify this and, if there is one, let me know where to look and I'll get on it.

Thanks to everyone for the assistance!

 

[combo52]

Five-year-old whirlpool top load washer walks

Yes, check the balance ring. It should be half filled with liquid. You might be able to confirm this by spinning the tub back-and-forth by hand you should hear the liquids, swooshing around at the top of the inner wash basket.

Run the machine on the spin cycle with nothing in it, it should be pretty silent. If it isn’t there something mechanically wrong.

The legs should not be extended any further than necessary to level it even though you might have it perfectly level if all the legs are out inch and a half to 2 inches it’s going to be less stable.

It can have something to do with what you’re putting in the machine towels and sheets should not generally be mixed together, for example, are you having any trouble with things seeming to ball up and be all on one side of the tub?

Something is definitely going on. This is an unusual complaint for this machine out of the hundreds we’ve worked on. I’ve never had one that walked unless it had a lot of hard use and then usually we change the four strut spring assemblies and they work fine again.

John L

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>It's officially a Whirlpool but I was told by them that it's made by Maytag (or maybe the other way around, don't remember) because the technical manual they sent me (pdf file) is titled Whirlpool-Maytag-mvwc400.</blockquote> Whirlpool bought Maytag in 2006.  Maytag factories were shut down shortly after, Maytag-branded laundry appliances then became Whirlpool mechanisms.

 

[tooconfused]

Combo52 wrote in quotes:

"Yes, check the balance ring. It should be half filled with liquid. You might be able to confirm this by spinning the tub back-and-forth by hand you should hear the liquids, swooshing around at the top of the inner wash basket."
-Can't hear any liquids swooshing around, but as I get older my hearing gets worse and worse.

"The legs should not be extended any further than necessary to level it even though you might have it perfectly level if all the legs are out inch and a half to 2 inches it’s going to be less stable."
-This makes sense to me. The legs are only about half an inch to maybe 3/4 of an inch. I don't think this is an issue, but I'll go ahead and screw them all the way in and re-level it using only as much as needed just to be sure it's as low as possible.

"Run the machine on the spin cycle with nothing in it, it should be pretty silent. If it isn’t there something mechanically wrong."
-Pretty darn silent, BTW, is there a way I can just start only the spin cycle? There is a 'drain and spin' selection, but for some dumb reason it adds water (twice) in between spinning. Note there is also a 'rinse and spin' but I'm NOT choosing that option.

"It can have something to do with what you’re putting in the machine towels and sheets should not generally be mixed together"
-Understood, definitely NOT mixing various items. If anything, my wife goes crazy with breaking everything down to their exact compliments. Personally, I believe this means running more loads that necessary, but happy wife, happy life so I let her do what she prefers, lol. Also, this problem seems to be worse with lighter/smaller loads! I would think it the other way around, but the more non-bulky clothes put in the less the thrashing (still thrashes around though). Also, might be worth mentioning that we are limited to only using the 'Delicate' and 'Casual' wash cycles because they are the only ones with 'low speed spin cycles' (so I was told). If we try to use 'Normal' or one of the others with a high speed spin cycle it's like the washer is going to rip the cord and hoses from the wall. It dented the dryer next to it so badly that I had to pull the shell and hammer it back out (then re-position the washing machine for much more clearance).

"This is an unusual complaint for this machine out of the hundreds we’ve worked on. I’ve never had one that walked unless it had a lot of hard use and then usually we change the four strut spring assemblies and they work fine again."
-I believe the previous owners that there was not much use and no hard use, there is something seriously wrong. Also, when you say "four strut spring assemblies" you are referring to the suspension rods, correct?

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>There is a 'drain and spin' selection, but for some dumb reason it adds water (twice) in between spinning.</blockquote> Drain and Spin is correct for the purpose.  The brief water sprays aren't an issue, the point is to run it on spin with no clothes (if you haven't thus far) to confirm the walking problem occurs.

"four strut spring assemblies" does refer to the suspension rods.  They not only support the tub, they have a dampening function to control bouncing and oscillation.  The dampening function is what fails to cause excess oscillation/tub impacts/walking.

 

[jamiel]

^{one suggestion (that I cannot believe you haven't done)---has the shipping strap and the associated brackets/cotter pins/etc been removed? Could the strap have been removed broken leaving the brackets etc still in? IDK if this is even a thing any more.}

 

[DADoES]

 
A direct-drive type of shipping strap is not involved on the machine of question.

 

[tooconfused]

DADoES wrote "The brief water sprays aren't an issue, the point is to run it on spin with no clothes (if you haven't thus far) to confirm the walking problem occurs.
"

I have run it on 'drain & spin' without clothes and it thumps and bangs around for about 2 seconds and then smooths out and is fine. I'm not sure if this cycle is low or high speed spinning. Looks pretty fast to me but I haven't compared it to the spinning during the 'delicate' or 'casual' cycles.

So, I guess where I'm at is I'll need to inspect the balance ring. Can someone provide me with instructions to get to it, or at least a diagram of its location?

The other thing is the suspension rods aren't ridiculously expensive so I guess I'll order a set and see if that changes things.

Thanks again to everyone for the help and advice!

 

[william8]

It's odd the previous owner didn't get a refund, or a warranty repair. Really, if it did that since new, he would just get a refund/exchange from Lowes.

If he really only did 50 loads, it would be less than a year old (under warranty). I have feeling he used it more than he thought he did, or used it for a couple years.

 

[qsd-dan]

"It's odd the previous owner didn't get a refund, or a warranty repair."

Probably got the never ending run around which is typical with ALL big box stores manufactures these days, especially Whirlpool. Everybody is quick to take your money but not fix or replace a legitimate problem.

 

[DADoES]

 
The balance ring comprises the rim of the spin basket.  It's not a separate part and there's no reasonable way to refill the liquid if it develops a leak, the entire basket is replaced.  [There may (or may not) also be a balance ring integral to the basket base if it's plastic.]

 

[tooconfused]

"Probably got the never ending run around which is typical with ALL big box stores manufactures these days, especially Whirlpool. Everybody is quick to take your money but not fix or replace a legitimate problem."

-Exactly what he said when I questioned it. I'm more the kind of person who doesn't stop till it's taken care of, but I'm retired now and have the time. He bought a "cheap junker" (his words) to use during the warranty repairs but it wasn't ever fixed and they just became used to one they bought off CL as time flew by. In all honesty, I can't stand all the supposed "automatic" functions of this new one, but the wife would like it in place so again the happy wife, happy life principal applies.

"The balance ring comprises the rim of the spin basket. It's not a separate part and there's no reasonable way to refill the liquid if it develops a leak, the entire basket is replaced. [There may (or may not) also be a balance ring integral to the basket base if it's plastic.]"

-Ok thanks, I'll look into this once I'm installing the new suspension rods. If anyone has anything else I can do while waiting, please let me know.

Dumb question, but the editing bar that would let me change font colors, etc, is grayed out. Is this because I don't have access, or am I doing something wrong?

 

[whirlpool862]

Bad tub bushing. Very common failure on these machines. Neu has an appliance part for this but it can be tedious to put in.

Unfortunately, this is a VERY common failure mode and it causes these machines to shake violently on the spin cycle. This is caused by friction, out of balance loads, and overloading.

 

[whirlpool862]

You can try the suspension rods first as those can also fail, but on these bigger VMWs (like the WTW5000DW), it’s often the tub that fails.

 

[tooconfused]

"Bad tub bushing. Very common failure on these machines. Neu has an appliance part for this but it can be tedious to put in.

Unfortunately, this is a VERY common failure mode and it causes these machines to shake violently on the spin cycle. This is caused by friction, out of balance loads, and overloading.

You can try the suspension rods first as those can also fail, but on these bigger VMWs (like the WTW5000DW), it’s often the tub that fails."

Now this makes PERFECT sense! Spinning violently is exactly what's happening and The suspension rods seem to be in very good (if not perfect) condition. I've ordered replacement rods and will give them a whirl. However, after reading your response, I'm doubtful they will make a difference.

Any chance you can provide a link to the tub bushing you spoke of? I got lost in the tons of available parts for the unit.