Power off, drag machine out onto the floor, remove the back cover and locate the motor. May help if the machine is tilted at an angle or laid on its side. 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.
There are generally 2 ways that motor brushes can be fitted
1) screwed onto the outside of the motor - undo the screw, remove the old brush, remove wire attached to brushes, screw the NEW ONE INTO PLACE and repeat for the remaining brush.When brushes are secure NOW is the time to RELEASE them free of the brush holders by bending back the tab on the side of the brush holder. Reattach both brush wires.
2) the brushes are fitted up a slot and held in with a plastic barb - Remove the brush wires with a short stubby screwdriver and a stiff piece of hooked wire. Insert the screwdriver up the slot and behind the plastic barb, press enough to make the barb clear the slot, holding it in this position hook the brush out. If stiff you can use a thin pair of long nosed pliers to pull out remove old brush. Insert the new brushes until the barb holds them in position. Free them from of the brush holders by bending back the tab on the side of the brush holder. Reattach both brush wires.
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.
Some machines are fitted with an induction motor - this type of motor doesnt have brushes. Its a much heavier and more reliable type of device, but needs a component called a start capacitor or sometimes a start relay to set it in motion. If the starter component is faulty the motor cant get the kick it needs to get going.Replace capacitor or start relay if motor is an induction type (no carbon brushes or copper segments).
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
