Miele w1070/7XX Series Washers

[launderess]

Here's me last week late one night browsing through various U-Tube videos on European washing machines (researching Kochewash), and came upon an excellent series of posts such as the link below.

All apparently are from the same person who along with other EU Miele *fans* have quite a bit of experience in repairing, taking apart, putting together and having all manner of fun with Miele appliances.

Watching the video about replacing shock absorbers and another regarding replacing a motor got me thinking. In both vids the thing were done by access from the bottom of the machine. Now when I had my problems with our Miele not reaching final high spin speeds was told it *could* be the motor but the unit would have to be shipped out to Miele in NJ for repair. Well spending over one thousand just to move the thing plus another thousand and one half for the motor, and finally labour didn't seem like a viable option, so dropped the idea.

However after watching the video contacted Miele the next day to find out why German washers could have the motor swapped out on site whilst one was told the above. After going a few rounds with the tech he stated the query would have to go up the line to a supervisor, so had to wait for a reply.

Next day one received a telephone message that indeed yes the motor on my unit could be swapped out in house for the standard calling out charge plus parts.

Now my situation is what do do? Have had Miele out over the past five years or so several times (new pump, switches and most recently swapped out a bad cold fill valve), and while the motor seems fine (aside from not spinning at 1100rpms), it could also be that is a symptom of a larger problem that needs to be addressed.

Happily one has just received a new credit card with zero percent interest for the next two and one half years. So in theory one could finance this work without paying interest long as it's paid for within that period. Plus one gets cash back to boot! *LOL*

Or, simply purchase a new Miele and put on same enjoying the benefits that way.

 

[arbilab]

Wait a tick. I thought Miele was the ultra-premium brand? Can't be fixed without shipping to NJ unless you argue with them? 3 service calls in 5 years and it's broke again? BUY ANOTHER ONE??

Not that I'm Stephen Hawking--though I can do his voice--but I'm not following the math. If I'd bought the world's premier and most expensive machine and had that much trouble with it, I'd buy ANYthing else. My lowlife Frigiwhite still works after 13 years and ZERO service calls. At less than half the price.

Just bipolar luck?

 

[launderess]

My Miele

Is nearly if not over twenty years old.

Miele w1065 and w1070 were the second series of washing machines brought to North America before the 19XX series.

The unit was an eBay find from years ago now.

 

[foraloysius]

The young man in the video is our friend Wiljan. He is very talented in repairing washing machines. Lately he repairs washing machines as a side job besides his study.

BTW, the 'e' is in the wrong place in that word. It's Kochwäsche. You might get more results if you do a search on that word.

 

[launderess]

Merci, Louis

Just poor spelling in my post above. My original serach did use the proper "Kochwäsche".

Great thing about Google now is it will suggest searches even in differnet languages. This is good as one does not always wish nor have time to switch over to various other keyboards besides English. Really only know the French keyboard anyway.

Talented does not seem to describe the young man; and it is well he's set himself up in business. From his videos the lad certianly knows his way around many modern appliances. Mayhaps upon graduation he'll land a job with Miele, or Bosch?

Considering Miele's call out charges anyone could still make a decent living even if they only charged 3/4's of what they do. *LOL*

 

[foraloysius]

He had complete other plans for his future until he discovered his interest in washing machines. He is studying to be an electrical engineer. Who knows he might end up at one of the big companies.

It's not only Miele that charge an arm and a leg for coming over for a repair job. Not long ago I had the Bosch repairman over to put a new heating element in my oven. In dollars I had to pay 235.-! He was only 15 minutes there!

BTW, did they give you an estimate of the total price of the job?

It's a hard decision to make. Some Mieles last 40 years with hardly a problem and other Mieles need to be retired after 20 years.

 

[launderess]

Miele USA's

Standard call out charge is $175 USD. Motor is $1500 USD.

Honestly no one is sure why the machine will not spin at 1100rpms. None of the service techs sent by Miele thus far wanted to go through the job of "digging" into the machine and tracing wires that entails finding out what is going on. All that is known for sure is that when the high speed is selected the washer will stop when the timer reaches that portion of the cycle. If the switch is set down to 900 it will continue.

One thing in my mind is that there are only a finite amount of parts for the 1065/1070 in Miele's warehouse and once they're gone that is that. Miele won't even order them special from Germany anymore. This is of course natural as the model series has gone past Miele's 20 year promise for stocking parts. Still whenever one speaks with a tech am told there are quite a few of the old girls out there chugging away.

Am sure some parts are generic to all Mieles or at least the 1900 series thus are still in stock and will be for awhile yet. Things such as shock absorbers, heating elements, belts, etc. However am not too sure about motherboards, pumps, motors et al.

 

[foraloysius]

Logical conclusion would be that there is something wrong with the spinspeed switch. But I'm not that good at repairing machines. This sounds like a question for Eddy1210's friend who repairs Miele's in the Vancouver, BC area. He is originally from Germany and knows a few things about Miele's. Perhaps he could give you a lead. Changing motors would be a big no no, that's not worth investing in an old machine, not even an old Miele. And it might not even solve your problem.

 

[tomturbomatic]

My 1065 lost the spin part of the huge cast iron motor. I loved the machine, but a new motor would cost half of a whole new machine. The tipping point in the repair/replace decision was that the new machines, the W1918 and the W1986 extracted to varying degrees between water changes while the 1065 did not and were thus more efficient so, while I would have kept it if it worked, it was replaced. It was a fortunate failure, however, because I was, at that specific time, able to replace it with the last and most improved machines of the 19 series which had more flexibility than the next generation of Mieles marketed in the US.

A new machine would be more water efficient.

 

[ronhic]

I'm not sure about the 1980's machines, but I was always certain that Miele machine were 'front' serviceable for the vast number of repairs....

 

[arbilab]

Ahh, 20 years. That's very different, nevermind. Considering water, electricity, bearings and seals don't really mix favorably.

Looks like Miele REALLY wants to sell you a whole new one rather than revive an old one. I could have bought 2 of those Frigiwhites for the price of ONE replacement motor. OTOH, if the motor was really worth $1500, it would never wear out.

 

[brisnat81]

Hi Ron, the 1000 series or anything from about 1984 onwards has the opening front. Undo a couple of screws and some bolts around the portal and the whole front of the machine swings open on a hinge.

They still arent easy to work on from the front, the older ones were more complicated and there is a lot of wiring and plumbing in the way compared to a new one.

Technically the big cast iron motor will come out without removing the tub, I've only done once that way and it was an absolute bear of a task. I can see why Miele's preference would be to remove the motor to the warehouse and just pull the tub.

I had to replace the pump on my 1978 W423 recently, The only cabinet opening on those is a small panel at the back and the top and bottom. It took a lot of fiddling to get the new pump back in place. Its getting noisey on spin after a few loads in a row these days, I dread to think what a bearing set will cost when the time comes.

 

[launderess]

Yet Those Euro Miele Guys On YouTube Make It Look So Easy!

*LOL*

Had the pump replaced on mine a few years or so back. While it was done from the front the tech had a hard time slotting it into place. It is a tight squeeze what with the wires and plumbing and all.

You can see from the YouTube video in the OP where the motor is; it's oppposite the pump and towards the back of the machine. If my 1070 is same as the 770 shown then yes can see how it would be a "bear of a task".

There are a few vids on YT showing bearing replacements for a Miele and other Euro washers as well. The nice young man from the OP vid seems to have every type and sort of tool at the ready for such jobs and IIRC does do a bearing replacement.

I dunno though.

Much as one admires the new 3000 and 4000 series from Miele am not that sure about them giving the same 20 odd year service as previous units. Also really do like the total easy user control from mechanical timed machines. There isn't anything the modern machines do one cannot do with the w1070, though it requires some babysitting.