I have a Speed Queen top load washer that is 8 years old. It has some issues and I am wondering if anyone here knows anything technical about how the machine works. The washer does not spin well, with a normal load if I have towels or jeans, anything not light weight they come out very heavy, not dripping wet but almost. The tub on the machine is also leaning to the right. Sometimes when washing the machine makes a squealing noise seems to be coming from the agitator, and sometimes a grinding sound, but not always. I HAD A REPAIR MAN come from the DEALER I BOUGHT the machine from. He tells me the machine is shot, it needs possibly transmission, seal between tub and transmission, and several other things I cannot remember. They told me the repair would cost between 400 and 500 dollars. MY QUESTION: If the machine is not spinning up to speed, is this really a transmission problem? We have been very careful with this machine and have tried to take care of it. I thought the issue was possibly a belt and maybe a spring since the tub leans to one side, I was dumbfounded when he told me his impression of what was wrong. I was thinking MAYBE they were telling me that just to get me to but a new one. I bought Speed Queen because it was supposed to have a long life span, however in the past I have owned other brands that lasted a lot longer than this. Speed Queen does not offer a dial machine with all the choices I have on this current model, so I would have to buy the most expensive electronic model to get the cycles and speed choices I have now, however I find it hard to justify paying 500 for a repair on a machine that is 8 1/2 years old. I had contemplated calling another repair to check it out, but at a cost of $100 just to come into the door, I hate to spend more to hear the same verdict. If anyone here has any experience with the mechanics of this machine, I would appreciate it if you think the symptoms justify what the repair guy told me. I would also like to hear about GE and MAYTAG top loader with agitator, if anyone knows do these have plastic gears in the transmission? If I have to replace the washer I may need to buy something cheaper than Speed Queen and I saw on youtube both the Maytag Centenial and the new GE both seem to wash well. Any information would be appreciated!!
Speed Queen top load washer need repair advice
- Thread starter ryanm
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Not spinning well usually indicates a worn belt. This design is noted for eating through belts faster than other brands. I would replace the belt first, and possibly the idler pulley that the belt rides on, and see if that improves spin speed.
More likely than not.....
The idler spring needs replacing. SQ will send you one if you call them. It is specifically for SQ washers with low rpm speeds. I had to do this on my mother's washer and it made a difference. I called Alliance and they sent me out the springs free of charge.
There are two washers under the brake wheel. When they rub together they will squeal during agitation.
White lithium grease can fix this.
Print out a parts model for your washer and you can see the two washers at the bottom that I'm talking about.
Half of these "repairmen" DO NOT know what the hell they are talking nabout.
Mike
The idler spring needs replacing. SQ will send you one if you call them. It is specifically for SQ washers with low rpm speeds. I had to do this on my mother's washer and it made a difference. I called Alliance and they sent me out the springs free of charge.
There are two washers under the brake wheel. When they rub together they will squeal during agitation.
White lithium grease can fix this.
Print out a parts model for your washer and you can see the two washers at the bottom that I'm talking about.
Half of these "repairmen" DO NOT know what the hell they are talking nabout.
Mike
brucelucenta
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Sounds like a very minor problem and also sounds as if the place you called to repair it are trying to get you to buy a new one. It's a shame that some of the dealers are unscrupulous about repairing the machines they sell. You are not the first who has experienced something like this.
Btw.
Tub leaning in a SQ top loader is NORMAL and is due to motor torque because the motor is bolted to the outer tub.
Mike
I GUARANTEE you your Transmission and tub seal are fine. If there was an issue with the seal you'd have leaks. Alliance explained to me the cause of low spin rpms is usually the idler spring which puts tension on the belt. The squeaking may also be the brakes keeping the tub from indexing.
The issue is many "techs" do not know how to repair a traditional washer like this.
There are no computer boards to tell them what's wrong. He sounds like an ignoramus and yes he's trying to either make you buy a new washer.
Trust me it's a very very simple fix.
Mike
Tub leaning in a SQ top loader is NORMAL and is due to motor torque because the motor is bolted to the outer tub.
Mike
I GUARANTEE you your Transmission and tub seal are fine. If there was an issue with the seal you'd have leaks. Alliance explained to me the cause of low spin rpms is usually the idler spring which puts tension on the belt. The squeaking may also be the brakes keeping the tub from indexing.
The issue is many "techs" do not know how to repair a traditional washer like this.
There are no computer boards to tell them what's wrong. He sounds like an ignoramus and yes he's trying to either make you buy a new washer.
Trust me it's a very very simple fix.
Mike
THANK YOU EVERYONE who responded it is greatly appreciated! I did call Speed Queen as suggested on this thread, and I explained the issue and they said exactly the same thing as all of you here have told me! They have a KIT to repair this issue and gave me the part number. I have contacted a friend of mine who owns an appliance repair business in another county and they are going to send me a technician to check it out as all of you have suggested. I really love the machine and I believe it does a great job and is very gentle on my clothes as well. I am just disappointed that the ONLY authorized Speed Queen repair in my area is with the dealer who apparently tried to swindle me by telling me the machine was bad, I think they are very shady. This forum is a great place for information and that is why I love it and all that you guys post here. Let's hope this works for me.
angus
Well-known member
I concur with the advice you received. I had the exact same issue when my SQ was at the five year mark (it is now 12 yrs). And I had a horrible service experience with a local company that sells SQ. They not only didn't diagnose something as simple as a worn belt, but told me nothing was wrong with the machine and it was all on me- overloading, oversudsing, etc... Their recommended fix was a full tub of hot water, four cups of bleach and two rinses to remove all detergent residue from my "chronic overdosing".
After I threw the serviceman out of the house and complained to the owner, demanding that the machine be fixed properly, they refused to come back since I insulted their son (one of the issues of dealing with a family owned business). However, they did return my check for the service call. I complained to Alliance and they sent me a new belt and whatever was needed to repair the machine. And I found another servicer who was terrific (Jeff's Appliance in Shelton, CT). The poor guy though had to clean up the mess that Ted's Appliances of Huntington, CT made when they sprayed the entire underside of the machine with WD-40 to "loosen the stuck idler pulley".
Point of story - you need to be careful even with a local outfit. I was a little annoyed at Alliance though. I thought given their concern with quality, they wouldn't want someone like Ted's selling and servicing their products. Apparently, my words fell on deaf ears since I still see local ads from Ted's offering SQ for sale. That kind of shakes my faith a bit...
After I threw the serviceman out of the house and complained to the owner, demanding that the machine be fixed properly, they refused to come back since I insulted their son (one of the issues of dealing with a family owned business). However, they did return my check for the service call. I complained to Alliance and they sent me a new belt and whatever was needed to repair the machine. And I found another servicer who was terrific (Jeff's Appliance in Shelton, CT). The poor guy though had to clean up the mess that Ted's Appliances of Huntington, CT made when they sprayed the entire underside of the machine with WD-40 to "loosen the stuck idler pulley".
Point of story - you need to be careful even with a local outfit. I was a little annoyed at Alliance though. I thought given their concern with quality, they wouldn't want someone like Ted's selling and servicing their products. Apparently, my words fell on deaf ears since I still see local ads from Ted's offering SQ for sale. That kind of shakes my faith a bit...
brucelucenta
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And the moral of this story is: There are sales people and then there are service people. Sometimes the same company can do both, but NOT all the time. Salesmen seldom know very much about the servicing end of things. It's great when the same place that sells will take care of servicing too, but that seems kind of rare these days. And it is much easier and more profitable for them to just sell you a new machine if they can convince you.
Once you have it fixed and running well again, I'd call back that service company and ask for a manager. They need to be called out on the incorrect diagnosis. It is possible that the tech was just really clueless, or they could be trying to get a sale. Either way they should hear from a customer that they were discovered for what they did.
Thanks to all who posted to my issue here, just a follow up note here to say I had another service company come in to check my washer and after they checked it out they told me the same as the original service company that the machine is basically shot and needs to be replaced, since it has multiple major issues including tub seal, transmission and motor issue. I know it was not good news, but at least I know now the original service company from the place I bought the machine 8 years ago was not pulling a fast one on me to get me to buy a new one. I am not sure why so much is worn out as we have always taken care of the machine and not overloaded etc., just did laundry as we always did with other machines we had. I still consider it's performance good and may go for another one to replace this after reviewing all other brands on the market with all their computerized sensors and such which require service contracts because there is so many failures.. This Speed Queen design is simple and services well, does a great job at cleaning, so in spite of my current experience I am still considering another. Again thanks to all who replied trying to help.
brucelucenta
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If a top loader is what you are going for, they are the ONLY choice now.
stricklybojack
Well-known member
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8 years, holy crap!
That blows...
I thought the TL's were much better than that.
One of the guys I dealt with over my SQ repair told of a TL SQ being completely shot after only a year...
BUT it was used roughly 30 times as much as a standard home machine ever would be. In my book that's a win for SQ.[this post was last edited: 2/7/2017-17:28]
8 years, holy crap!
That blows...
I thought the TL's were much better than that.
One of the guys I dealt with over my SQ repair told of a TL SQ being completely shot after only a year...
BUT it was used roughly 30 times as much as a standard home machine ever would be. In my book that's a win for SQ.[this post was last edited: 2/7/2017-17:28]
blackstone
Well-known member
My favorite Speed Queen story: Walking into a local appliance parts warehouse, asking for a part for a Speed Queen appliance, and having the person behind the counter being dumbfounded. He never heard of the name "Speed Queen" and it was not listed in his computer. So much for hiring experienced help.
For buying parts, the internet seems to be the way to go, since I am not a dealer anymore. Of course, buying parts online requires you to know what you are doing beforehand.
With the prices for service calls (which apparently do not always give correct diagnoses), sometimes it is just cheaper to buy parts, throw them against the wall, and see what fixes your problem.
For buying parts, the internet seems to be the way to go, since I am not a dealer anymore. Of course, buying parts online requires you to know what you are doing beforehand.
With the prices for service calls (which apparently do not always give correct diagnoses), sometimes it is just cheaper to buy parts, throw them against the wall, and see what fixes your problem.
Did you actually Change the belt? The simple way to test is to disconnect the belt and turn the trans pulley by hand. If the pulley turns freely then it's just needs a belt. If it's hard to turn you may have a sock stuck between the inner and outer tub.
The sq trans has nothing to do with spin, it only handles the agitation part. It would be hard for me to believe that a tub seal would cause enough friction (and not leak) to slow the tub down like that.
The sq trans has nothing to do with spin, it only handles the agitation part. It would be hard for me to believe that a tub seal would cause enough friction (and not leak) to slow the tub down like that.
Right
Just because a second person said the same as the first doesn't mean he's just as misinformed and wrong like number one. You said yourself that Alliance stated the same issue was causing the problem like others had already explained here. And that hey had a kit to correct the issue. Did you get and install the kit? I've never worked on a SQ but would a bad tub seal cause water to leak directly into the transmission or would you see water?
Just because a second person said the same as the first doesn't mean he's just as misinformed and wrong like number one. You said yourself that Alliance stated the same issue was causing the problem like others had already explained here. And that hey had a kit to correct the issue. Did you get and install the kit? I've never worked on a SQ but would a bad tub seal cause water to leak directly into the transmission or would you see water?
The trans is pretty well sealed. Although I'm sure some water would infiltrate, most would leak out and run down the side of trans. Most seal replacements under warranty would include a new trans also. Speed queen manufacturer insists that they both be changed.
