Thread: Bah Humbug, who knows washing machines?

guess at this stage you're stuck with friends/rels/local laundromat (probably in that order )

if it's under warranty a replacement computer will take a week or two at present I guess

F&P have a 1300... or 1800... help line thatt I have had to use and parts are readily available ex-factory

not much immediate help I know but it's thta time of the year...

Originally Posted by moose

Ok, so I'm not normally a christmas type anyway, but when the blasted washing mashine packs it in on chrissy eve it makes it even worse!

Here's the issue, I have a fisher & paykel GW708U smart drive washer. It was washing fine up until a couple of hours ago. Now it won't turn on at all, near as i can figure it's the control computer, i've had the top control section off it, nothing looks suss, the power point's fine.

Any ideas to save me some hard-earned over christmas?
(apart from turning it into a generator)

There is a reed switch on the RHS of the cabinet that open circuits when the lid opens, this is a known fault in that they will stay open circuit and so the machine acts dead.
The out of balance micro switch is on RHS of the main board at the rear and can also be faulty. Be careful as it's held in by a couple of plastic tits and they break very easily.
It can also fail or the retainer breaks, the switch moves and again, the machine won't operate.
To see if it's either of these just use a meter or short them out.
If they are OK it's probably a board and F&P do a changeover service on them.

Have you turned it off at the powerpoint and pulled out the plug for a while?

Usually in these things it is a relay that dies. Pull the covers off the relays and spray them with contact cleaner.
I had one go in my dryer which was the one that changed direction. A clean lasted for a while , then I got a new board. However I think that sometimes it is another underlying problem that causes the relay to go like the motor dragging more current. In my case it only lasted a short time before it stopped changing direction again, but then sometimes it is OK.
Regards Philip A

I suspect you are right and its the control board. Its reasonably easy to unscrew the top panel and look at the boards. Make sure its unplugged and you will also find the circuit boards are probably enclosed in sealed plastic box behind the panel. Our last FP died this way and when I opened it up the board had a couple of scorch marks on it. It was 10 years old so we bought a new FP and its now 7 years old.

You can get new or refurbished boards, but I suspect being Christmas that may be a little difficult.

This is spooky- our washing machine ( LG front loader ) also packed up two days ago. And my sister in law's washing machine packed up yesterday.

We got a local guy in to look at ours yesterday morning ( very lucky to get someone) - it was the control computer. They are common machines so he had got one and came back fitted it same day. Cost $310 bucks all up. I priced new same model new at $600.

My sister in law's Maytag not so good - they need to wait three weeks for a part

Good luck I guess there's always the laundromat.

If your Smart Drive is too expensive to fix - the motor may be worth something on e bay ( they're sought after for wind generators )

Damn right it's spooky. Our new washing machine has failed - the inner drum has worn through the outer. The outer is some sort of plastic - maybe fibre-filled nylon. The inner must have rubbed and it's melted the outer.

Well, we have had it a week so I suppose that's good going.

Originally Posted by p38arover

Damn right it's spooky. Our new washing machine has failed - the inner drum has worn through the outer. The outer is some sort of plastic - maybe fibre-filled nylon. The inner must have rubbed and it's melted the outer.

Well, we have had it a week so I suppose that's good going.

that's what warranties are for Ron, so the customers can do the manufacturers' R&D and find out what the likely problems will occur

regards - Laurie

What's REALLY spooky is that Ron's disease appears to have become contagious !
Run for the hills !