Check out the carbon brushes in the motor. Theyre graphite blocks which transfer mains power to the copper segments of the motor -Theyre possibly worn down. They're quite cheap parts and easy to replace. The brushes are at the other end of the motor from the drive pulley. The holders are plastic or bakelite and are generally held in with screws or plastic clips. Also, look at the copper segments they run on to check for burning or pitting. If the segments are burnt or damaged you need a replacement motor or a replacement armature (motor part) if you can source one. Check the tacho coil for breakages in the connections. The tacho coil is a small generator coil on the end of the motor which provides a voltage proportional to the speed of the motor. This voltage is fed back to the speed control module to enable the machine to check the rotation, direction and speed of the motor. Check all wires and connectors generally for internal breakages - caused by movement of the wiring loom attached to the drum. Over a long period of time the wire strands inside the insulator break through metal fatigue. Although the outside of the wire appears ok the internal is open circuit. Pull on each individual wire - if theyre ok internally, they shouldnt stretch. The timer can cause problems of this type, check for burnt connections or of course it could be an internal break in the motor itself, which would require replacement of the motor. Could also be a fault with the motor control board or "module". Replacement with a known good unit only real test unfortunately. Exercise extreme caution in this area - full mains voltage present at serveral places on the board. Power off and disconnect machine when replacing any motor component.
Other possible causes of spin problems: Faulty pressure switch - machine "thinks" the drum is still full of water so wont enter the spin cycle. Spin problems may also be caused if the machine reckons the load is out of balance, rearrange the load. If problem persists could possibly be a fault in the out of balance detector switch or the suspension and damping system.
Various methods are used to detect out-of-balance conditions. At the low end is a combination of mechanical switches that sense when the drum movement exceeds an established safety threshold. If excessive motion is generated, the drum itself will activate the switches and turn off the machine. A more sophisticated approach is that of monitoring variations in the machine’s electric motor torque, speed or the amount of power drawn. Most machines now electronically monitor the motor during the slow distribution section leading up to the spin. If the load is out of balance, the motor wont be allowed to spin. A modern washing machine will try to balance the load a certain amount of times but if it can't, it will either reach the end of the program without spinning, or it will fail to spin and turn off. Some washing machines may allow a slow spin if the clothes are reasonably balanced, but then unless they settle down, will not allow a higher spin, leaving the clothes much wetter than normal. Some machines will indicate that they haven't been able to balance the load and have aborted the spin - others dont and simply shut down with the clothes still wet.
Repair and service your own washing machine. Go to www.2ndwave.co.uk/manual.html
dannyboy, March 2009
