F & P Pride MW511 -small but mysterious cause of malfunc

200802170118:25:35

Name: Manfred
Email: Manfred_v_R@lavabit.com

Brand: Fisher & Paykel
Type: Pride
Model Number: MW511
Serial Number: MRA799334
Size: 5.5 kg

First had this machine delivered to me, new, about October of 2003. All went very smoothly for about a 18 months, when I noticed the water would stop intermittently during initial fill up.

While “thinking something of this”, it still worked until…..the cycle would be interrupted, and would not continue – unless restarted. What would happen, it would started beeping incessantly with two of the lights showing – the Second from the left, green, the second from the right, Orange.

But this would only happen ‘mid cycle’. Then it has got to the stage, after numerous ‘sessions’ of having to ‘supervise’ the washing from beginning to end (in case of this), that this beeping will start immediately it’s turned on.

I found by having the water on prior to switching it on, would stop this phenomenon, and it was okay – for about 2 washes then the BS started again.

Thinking the hassle was to do with the water sensor, but, not being able to find anything by way of ‘specs’ for this machine, I’ve assumed the problem is electronic, so I’ve taken the button-board off by removing the screws on either side to look underneath.

For a little while, removing the attachment of the leads from the ‘works’ under this PCB to it (at the white ‘clasp’ part that attaches to the left side [looking down on it while it’s held upside down]) would somehow fix the ‘beeping’ phenomenon.

But then this crap would start again – irrespective of me doing that as often as it would not start (without beeping incessantly as described above).

So I tried something else: one day I moved, by chance, that tube to the right side when looking down, on the ‘works’ under the PCB button console (the one which has the little black wire [or whatever]) inside of it.

Moving that around seemed to fix the problem for a few washes.

I had several go right through from beginning to end without a hitch.

Although after about 15 minutes of it being left on after the whole cycle had finished, that beeping would start again – and keep going on, incessantly, until turned off at the power.

As per instructions from the start during 2003, I’d have every 5th wash or so, using warm water – as I’d prefer to wash cold.

I’ve noticed the pressure from the hot water when filling is much more than the cold water.

I urgently need to fix this machine, knowing that “it has to be something simple”, yet don’t want one of those ‘repairmen’ to show up, and spin some ‘PC crap’ as regards “The board is gone & you might as well by a new one” (as in a whole new washing machine) when I’m sure the anomaly is for a simple reason, for which there is a simple solution. Edt 18:41:04, 18:55:22

*18:42:26. However I’ve had other problems as well, which include
1. the water being pumped out, after the agitation has only being going a few minutes;
2. The cycle stopping after the agitation cycles and having to be manually moved (by a complete restart with adjustment of water level [to stop it overfilling]
a. From High to Low…
3. …to the Rinse/Spin part of the cycle.
4. The Agitation cycle would ‘attempt’ to start after insufficient time had lapsed during the water fill up stage, and there was too little water in the washing machine for washing to occur properly
5. The Agitation cycle would not start right away after filling up (irrespective of whether enough water had filled the bowl) but would be like a car that’s engine would not ‘fire up’ immediately but needed 5-7 starting attempts. 19:00:14, edt 200805080520:46:44

Once it would get into spin it would keep going until the process had completed. 18:45:58

*18:55:41. However, after the ‘adjustment’ by attaching & reattaching those components to which I referred above, that particular syndrome seemed to have been solved.

I’d also noticed I’d have a lot less trouble when using warm water (hot & cold) instead of just cold.

With me thinking that the pressure from the hot-water tape, via its own hose, being greater, compared to the water pressure from the cold water tap, via its hose, which is less, had something to do with it.

200805080520:48:58. I’ve not been able to use this machine for several months now, and have called no-one out. I’m confident the problem is the failure or mal-adjustment of ‘something small’. I hope that someone will be able to direct me to a solution.

I have corresponded with Fisher & Paykel maintenance personnel – they’ve purported that it’s “not possible” to diagnose a problem by pure description alone, notwithstanding my description of the operational anomaly was comprehensive. 200805080520:51:28