# Washing Machine Repair Attempts: Success or Failure? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 8, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-machine-repair-attempts-success-or-failure/692673 "2014-07-08T23:06:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-machine-repair-attempts-success-or-failure/692673/21 "2014-07-09T19:23:41Z")
Put a belt on a fancy front loading Bosch. Piece of cake. Still working. ---
**Author:** ![Srsly\_Dad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Srsly\_Dad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Srsly_Dad)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-machine-repair-attempts-success-or-failure/692673/22 "2014-07-09T20:18:28Z")
I have done work on 2 front loaders. My first one was a switch and then a control unit on an Asko. When that one finally died (motor and bearing - too expensive to replace for it’s age) We got a new Whirlpool. Had a solenoid go bad on a water control valve not too long ago. Had to replace a whole module, but it was only $ 80 and fairly easy. Replacing the parts are usually easy, the hard part is figuring out what to replace. [Repairclinic.com](http://Repairclinic.com) sells parts, ships anywhere and has some good diagnostic videos. I use them all the time for various appliance repairs. The parts section at [Sears.com](http://Sears.com) also has a section that lets you open up manuals. That can be helpful in finding a particular part. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-machine-repair-attempts-success-or-failure/692673/23 "2014-07-09T20:20:39Z")
Ive replaced the dogs in the agitator on one, and the agitator motor on another. Both are pretty easy. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-machine-repair-attempts-success-or-failure/692673/24 "2014-07-09T20:25:57Z")
I’m an engineer. I like to take things apart and figure out how they work. I’ve had plenty of success repairing washing machines, dryers, and ovens (haven’t had our fridge break yet). In fact, what usually happens is that when these machines get old, I keep fixing them until my wife forbids me to fix them any more and makes me buy a new one. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-machine-repair-attempts-success-or-failure/692673/25 "2014-07-09T21:04:09Z")
Yesterday before I posted this thread my washing machine was moaning and groaning (or perhaps squealing) and finally quit. Today I decided to watch it throughout the entire process and see exactly where it stops. But it didn’t. When it doesn’t have any clothes in it, the machine works fine! Any thoughts? (yesterday it didn’t seem to be a case of an unbalanced load) Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-machine-repair-attempts-success-or-failure/692673/26 "2014-07-09T21:22:49Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Yesterday before I posted this thread my washing machine was moaning and groaning (or perhaps squealing) and finally quit. Today I decided to watch it throughout the entire process and see exactly where it stops. > > But it didn’t. When it doesn’t have any clothes in it, the machine works fine! > > Any thoughts? (yesterday it didn’t seem to be a case of an unbalanced load) > > Thanks. Squealing and stopping, especially accompanied by a burning smell would be a bad belt. Did it smell? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-machine-repair-attempts-success-or-failure/692673/27 "2014-07-09T21:40:06Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Squealing and stopping, especially accompanied by a burning smell would be a bad belt. Did it smell? Squealing makes me think the same thing, probably a bad belt. Sometimes it’s not the belt, though. Sometimes it’s a pulley or maybe the tub doesn’t spin freely due to some mechanical problem. The transmission binding up could also cause a problem like this, and an overheating motor with some bad windings might run with no load but might overheat and fail under a greater load. Maybe you should try to run it again, this time with a full load so you can see where it stops. You may find this helpful: > **[How to Repair a Washing Machine](https://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-repair-a-washing-machine.htm)** > > Because washing machines do so many things, they may be harder to diagnose than they are to repair. But diagnosis is possible: All it takes is some patience. Learn how to repair a washing machine. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2014, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-machine-repair-attempts-success-or-failure/692673/28 "2014-07-10T07:25:27Z")
Thanks, since a belt is cheap I’ve decided to order that first. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2014, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-machine-repair-attempts-success-or-failure/692673/29 "2014-07-10T11:25:30Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Thanks, since a belt is cheap I’ve decided to order that first. Now there’s a Hail Mary if I’ve ever seen one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washing-machine-repair-attempts-success-or-failure/692673.md?page=1)