I have an Amana washing machine that is about five years old. Last night after running a load I notced there was a light haze in the air and some sort of "stinky" smell. I am sure it is from the washing maching as I am currently running another load and the smell is instantly there. There is no smoke that I notice yet and everything seems to be working fine other than the smell. It is kind of hard to describe the smell but it is very distinct.

Shawn, May 2005

hi shawn, when you look inside dont put your hands inside coz its live and theres 230volts kicking about in it, and that will bite you ok! if theres no sparking that you can see, when the wash is over unplug the washer and test the tenshion of the drive belt, open the door and hold the inerbrum then try turning the moter pully if it slips tighten it up as this could be sliping and this could be that smell you were getting, it will slip on a full load even worse, take cear when doing this, you only get five fingers free on each hand ok! so take the plug out the wall first,

michael thorpe, May 2005

Thanks Michael -

Your suggestions are helpful. I will look into the brush end of the motor. We have run probably 10 loads since my initial posting and it seems to be running fine. The smell has lessoned almost to the point where there is no smell and there has been no smoke since the first incident.

Shawn Trask, May 2005

hi shawn, this is a hard one to anser, like i cant smell it?
but its not a nice smell "A" ???????
ok, lets try this one out, is it a burning smell? like some thing getting hot??? coz it could be the moter cooking up? or the brushes sparking out? or is it a rubber kinda smell? if so is it the belt sliping?? you say a slight haze in the air??? well this sounds like smoke to me, and this can only point to one thing,
smelly smoke is likely to be the moter is cooking up, or, an old sock stuck round the heater? not likly to be this! if you can have some one look at it, coz its likely to go out with a puff on you, in a big ball of smelly smoke? thats when the moter gives up? or if your brave, pop the lid off and without tuching things inside coz this needs to be done with the machine working under load, take a look at the brush end of the moter, if you see sparks comeing from it, its had it, DONT STICK YOUR HAND INSIDE when its runing, coz it hurts when it bites you! thats all i can say right now on this one?

michael thorpe, May 2005