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Hello UK Whitegoods forum,
I’m hoping someone out there might be able to help me fix our 15 year old Siemens Washer/Drier which has started freezing its programme today. It’s been more or less faultless over its life….and I’ve managed to fix the few issues which have arisen…..and since internally is built like a tank, I’m hoping this time it will be something which is easily fixable. However it has me stumped!
The issue arose during a wash cycle when it froze with some fault lights. This model has a row of status LEDs, and the third one came on, with the eighth blinking. This is not shown in the user manual as a fault, so is presumably something they don’t expect the average user to fix.
On playing a little more with it, I can put it onto the pump programme, which empties the machine. It then happily pumps the water out….but it stops partway with water still in the drum, thinking it has finished. Pump again and it empties some more….but again stops prematurely. A third go empties the drum, and pumps air for a while before coming up with a “bad pump” fault code (that one is in the book!).
So, with a limited knowledge of this kind of thing I was wondering if the machine is getting erroneous information about the amount of water in the machine. The fault during the wash cycle is quite early (like it is full but doesn’t know it’s full and is timing out?). And then the pumping which stops before it is empty.
Being an older machine I can’t find much about it on the web, so any guidance on the fault code or more generally what might have gone wrong, would be much appreciated.
All the best
GraemeRe: Siemens SIWAMAT Plus 5410 Washer/Drier freezing/fault co
Obvious one, check the filter. Secondly, if you can get it drained, see if it will go into spin only.
This machine uses a carbon brush drive motor; given it’s age, these will almost certainly be finished and need replacing. If the motor will not run, this is a fault. Good info HERE.
Stay safe, power off first.
Penguin45.
Re: Siemens SIWAMAT Plus 5410 Washer/Drier freezing/fault co
Hi Penguin45,
Thanks for the rapid response! I followed the instructions in the manual to clear any debris in the pump chamber (and it was seriously full of gunk!). I hoped that was the problem, but it actually had no effect. So, when you say check the filter, is there more I should be doing in that department? I had the top off the machine and could see nothing else which fitted that description (I’m a very hand guy but no expert in washing machines).
As far as the spinning is concerned, it does revolve the drum for a few goes before hitting the fault code during the wash cycle. The spin did not seem to work earlier though I can try again (maybe tomorrow now as the rest of the house are asleep!). What would be the symptom of worn out brushes? Would we see no motor response? Would this screw up the pump out too?
Thanks again for your help so far.
Graeme
Re: Siemens SIWAMAT Plus 5410 Washer/Drier freezing/fault co
Erratic motor action, crackling noises, no spin…….. Pull the motor and have a look at the brushes. If they’re under 1/2″, they’re finished.
Penguin45.
Re: Siemens SIWAMAT Plus 5410 Washer/Drier freezing/fault co
Many thanks for this….I’ll take a proper look at it tonight when I get home from work. If it’s the brushes, I’ll be happy!
All the best
GraemeRe: Siemens SIWAMAT Plus 5410 Washer/Drier freezing/fault co
Hello again,
I’ve just been playing with the washer after previous suggestions, and I don’t think it is the motor brushes, as the spin seems to work fine (it was my wife who had said it didn’t but must have been mistaken).
My theory is that the machine is getting told the wrong water level. Thw symptoms are as follows;
1). When a wash is selected, the machine fills up to a reasonable level and then cuts off before the drum starts moving, with an error code (one which is not in the book).
2). When I select the pump out setting to get rid of the water, this works fine but only removes less than half the water before thinking it has finished. I have to select the pump setting again twice to completely empty the drum (and the second time it is pumping air and ends with a fault indication (pump error).
3). Spin seems to work fine, though my wife said the clothes were very wet…..maybe it wasn’t pumping the waste water out?
I’m thinking that if the machine thinks there is less water in there than there really is, it would try to keep filling for too long (and hit a timeout fault) when I select a wash. When I pump out, it would think it had removed all the water, when it hadn’t….hence I have to pump again.
Can someone explain how the machine senses the water level? I thought it was a pressure switch of some kind, but have no idea beyond that!
Is what I am suggesting making any sense? or am I being naive!?
Thanks in advance for any light you guys can shine on this.
Cheers
GraemeRe: Siemens SIWAMAT Plus 5410 Washer/Drier freezing/fault co
Hmm…… Water level is controlled by a pressure or “diaphragm” switch. This is connected to an air bell on the back of the drum (6 o’clock, below the pulley). It can gradually accumulate muck and goo internally, causing the pressure switch to be fed false information. If particularly badly choked, the machine can pump out fully and the system not de-pressurise – and vice versa. Definitely worth cleaning out….. The pressure switch itself is a large, round plastic device up at the top, with a skinny rubber hose coming off it. From memory, it’s a three level one. If the switch is pressurised gently, you should hear three distinct clicks, then three clicks as it depressurises.
Power off first………
Penguin45.
Re: Siemens SIWAMAT Plus 5410 Washer/Drier freezing/fault co
Thanks very much for the pointers….this is exactly what I needed! I had discovered the three level switch in my investigations yesterday, and wondered if that was what I was looking for. I pulled off the skinny pipe and blew into the switch and it clicked three times! What I didn’t do is investigate the other end of the pipe….which you are suggesting might be the cause of the problems. I’ll need to take the back off for that….tonight’s job I think!
Cheers
GraemeRe: Siemens SIWAMAT Plus 5410 Washer/Drier freezing/fault co
Thanks Penguin45….job done!
I found the white plastic chamber fitted to the bottom of the drum as you described, pulled it off, and found it was full of crud. A careful clean out and reassembly left my machine running as it should be.
Now I’m feeling very satisfied with myself, as I’ve once again staved off the need to buy another washer/dryer….at least until the next time!
So, cheers Penguin45…..I seriously appreciated your help in locating the problem, and couldn’t have managed without your input.
All the best
Graeme
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