Uh-Oh..Whirpool LA9800TX1 Washer Acting Up

[whirlcool]

A few months ago we had a problem with the control boards on our electronic Whirlpool washer. What happened was that the normal cycle would stop agitating at 5 minutes and would just sit there until the time reached 0, then it would complete the rest of the cycle.
I unplugged and reconnected the ribbon cable to the control boards. That worked and everything was fine again. Today we noticed the Wool/Knits cycle fills and doesn't do anything besides that. It just sits there. Doing the ribbon cable thing doesn't help, either.

Today a new problem showed up. While washing some bedding in HOT water with some FOCA I noticed when unloading from the washer one, and only one pillowcase had a speckling of black dots on it. Then in the next load a white pull over shirt that was washed on warm had black dots on the bottom portion of the front of the shirt only. No other items of clothing had the spots. Earlier today we washed a bunch of white microfiber cloths in the washer on HOT and they(25 of them) came out without any dots. But we washed those in Tide Ultra.

The washer is not leaking any water at all.

We really, really like this set. We bought it new in 1993 for $1850.00 for the set. It was Whirlpool's absolute TOL machine. Over the past year I have been acquiring parts for this washer with the intent of overhauling it one day. (That'll be an adventure!) New Clutch, New brake assy, new hoses, new pump, etc.

I know the first thing I'll probably have to do is to replace the control board if I can find one somewhere before doing anything else. Then maybe put in a new tranny?

What do you think is going on with the black spots?

 

[combo52]

WP ELECTRONIC DD WASHER

You may not have a control board problem, you may have just lost the low speed of the motor. It could be a separate relay or even a bad wire. If you want to email me your Ph# I could call you and also let you know what you are likely to need to keep these great machines running another 10 years or so. John.

 

[Jsneaker]

Such a nice machine!

Hi Allen! Your Whirlpool is beautiful! Do just about anything to keep it. The only thing I don't like about the actual Whirlpools like those DD models, is that they stop agitating fast for about 5 minutes before the wash cycle ends. I had a 1995 top-line Kenmore that held one continuous speed for the duration of the wash & rinse cycles. That was the main reason I got a Kenmore, it had 3 speeds and 6 combos! I so loved that machine and my old 1977 Frigidaire 1-18 that went after 17 years without a repair! The Kenmore lasted me 15 years, the coupler was going again!

Jason

 

[whirlcool]

When I bought this set(I have the matching dryer too)in 1993 I really wanted a 1-18 machine. I was heartbroken when I was told they were no longer being made (for quite a number of years too!)

But I have been happy with this set, pretty trouble free for 18 years. I hope to get at least another 10 out of them. I'm going to put in a new clutch kit and replace the motor some time this winter. The spin is not as fast as it once was.
We only use the slow cycle once or twice per week. But the machine doesn't have a slow cycle at all now. And instead of doing the slow agitation the last 5 minutes of the cycle it just sits there. But we just increase the total agitation time to compensate.

These used to look better in our last house, which had a proper laundry room. It had beautiful cabinets overhead with down lighting under the cabinets and over the machine. Now, our laundry room is just a closet in the kitchen.