AEG Lavamat 605, washing still wet after spinning

[Noel144]

I’ve got an AEG Lavamat 605 washing machine, it’s old but it’s never given any problems until now. Recently washing is still wet after the spin cycle and the clothes have detergent stains on them. I’m guessing there’s something wrong with the drain system, but there’s no sign of water sitting in the drum after the wash cycle.

I’ve checked the filter is clear and ran a spin cycle with the machine empty and the filter out and I could see the drain pump impeller spinning. When the spin cycle is running the machine steps up through the various speeds, but sometimes does not reach the top speed. It just sits with the drum stationary and makes a churning/pumping noise. I don’t think the load is unbalanced as there’s no vibration at lower speeds.

I’m going to dismantle it this weekend and check the drain pipes for blockages. Is there anything else I should check that could stop the drum reaching its top spin speed?

[Martin]

Re: AEG Lavamat 605, washing still wet after spinning

Check the motor brushes too!

[Noel144]

Re: AEG Lavamat 605, washing still wet after spinning

Thanks for the advice. I’d assumed the motor was OK because it runs at lower speeds, but I suppose different speeds will stress it in different ways. Since the machine is 19 years old, the brushes just might be a bit worn! 😆 They don’t make them like they used to!

[Noel144]

Re: AEG Lavamat 605, washing still wet after spinning

I’m back with some more information. First, the motor brushes are OK, there’s just over half an inch on each of them.

Also, when I checked for blockages, I found that the inch wide pipe that goes from the sump to a reservoir and then on to the pressure switch was full of gunge for the bottom two inches. I removed the pipe and cleaned it out thinking I’d found the problem, but it still doesn’t spin properly.

However I have found that if, before running the spin cycle, I use the drain pipe beside the filter on the machine’s front I can drain about a liter of water. The machine will then spin, not for the full cycle, but for longer than before. I can repeat this process and after about three goes it does a full spin and the washing comes out at the expected dryness.

It looks like it won’t spin because there’s too much water in the sump, but the pump can empty the water from the wash cycle OK. (I’ve run a wash with the drain hose going into a plastic bin to check this). I can hear the pump running during the spin cycle. Can a pump fail so that it can remove large volumes of water but not small ones?

[Martin]

Re: AEG Lavamat 605, washing still wet after spinning

Sounds like the pump is worn out. Check if the is any lateral movement of the pump Impellor, there shouldn’t be. If there is the pump needs replacing. Also check the sump to pump hose and the pump outlet to drain pipe hose. Coins stuck in the pipework can act as a valve, drain one minute and not the next sort of effect.

[Noel144]

Re: AEG Lavamat 605, washing still wet after spinning

I’m nearly ready to admit defeat and buy a new machine. We’ve been limping along with a washer that needs 2 or 3 attempts to spin a load. To answer your question, there was no lateral movement in the pump spindle. I removed every pipe and made sure they were clear. I now think that it working when I manually drained the sump was just a coincidence. Even with it drained and without anything in the drum it does not always complete a spin cycle.

I thought that it must be the brushes, since it stops seemingly randomly during the cycle and once stopped, it does not restart during the rest of that cycle. Sometimes it won’t turn even from the start of a spin cycle. So I ordered the ‘FHP Motor Carbon Brush Inserts’ from the UK Whitegoods website and fitted them, but with no improvement. I’m fairly certain I fitted the brushes correctly, they moved freely in the holders and the motor turns smoothly by hand. There are no raised segments on the motor commutator.

Just in case it’s relevant, the model is actually ‘605 Electronic’ not just ‘605’ as I said earlier.

To recap, the drum may, or may not, turn when starting a spin cycle. If it starts it will step up through the speeds and at some point (usually a few seconds after changing speed) it will stop and not turn for the rest of the cycle. This happens with or without a load in the drum, but it is more likely to complete the cycle when the drum is empty.

I can’t think what else to try, have you any ideas?

[Martin]

Re: AEG Lavamat 605, washing still wet after spinning

Hmmm? You’ve covered all bases now so I’m thinking there must be a problem with the timer/electronic circuit board. A connection issue or perhaps a leaky capacitor on the circuit board or some such? A vague guess from me right now, sorry. 🙁

[Noel144]

Re: AEG Lavamat 605, washing still wet after spinning

Success! I removed the timer module and noticed that the PCB around one of the terminals of a high wattage resistor was discoloured by heat. Since the other terminal was OK I guessed that there was a bad joint on the board. I re-soldered the joint and (just to be safe) all the ones near it.

The machine now spins up to full speed every time. 😀

Thanks for all your help.

[zoobie]

Re: AEG Lavamat 605, washing still wet after spinning

Hi. I have acquired a Lavamat 605 but didn’t get a manual. Can someone tell me what the numbers 1-13 refer to. Thanks in advance.
Lynley.

[Martin]

Re: AEG Lavamat 605, washing still wet after spinning

Please provide the PNC number as there’s various Lavamat 605’s

[Author]

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