Fisher & Paykel Washer problems

G’day

I haven’t got a problem anymore and I thought I would share the solutions.
We own a F&P 701 washer that gets a lot of work and being poor, I am the one to keep it going by the cheapest means possible.
Over the years I have replaced just about every component, including electronic components on the circuit boards.
I have seen many seemingly good washers sitting in scrap yards and tips and started scrounging them for spare parts. In my spare time I started repairing them and giving them to people more needy than me. I didn’t think that there any.
Most washers that I have scrounged have had simple faults such as:
The inlet to the pump blocked up with loose felt? or fabric. Taking the bowl out is the best way to clean it properly.
and
The washer will spin but won’t agitate. Bad connections on the plug to the position sensors on the motor. Roll the washer on its side and get at it from underneath. Unscrew the armature and you will see the position sensor.

By having a spare washer I have been able to swap parts to diagnose problems. Useful extras are a lid with a hole in it so that you can see whats going on in the bowl, and a piece of tubing to attach to the water level pressure switch to imitate a water level by blowing into it rather than filling it with water every time you want to test it.

I have had a couple of faulty circuit boards that I have been able to repair with the following faults:
Blown driver transistors. There are 6 Mosfet Transistors and usually 1 or 2 will fail. I have scrounged good ones out other boards.
The water temperature sensing tube leaks onto the circuit board causing the fuse to blow. Make sure that the board is dry and remove the tube from the circuit board and replace the O-ring in the end-cap. The board should be OK.

It is a pity about the lack of service and support from F&P as their washers are generally a very reliable machine and I don’t know what I will do when people stop throwing out good repairable F&P washers.

Regards
Chris