Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

[JennyV]

Having had our previous Bosch for a number of years, we recently bought the above model. After 2 days and about 8 loads (I have 4 kids!) the drive belt broke. Because it was only 2 days old we were supplied with a replacement machine.
Now 6 weeks later the drive belt has broken again. I am not mistreating this machine – honest! – but this is beyond a joke. it’s under guarantee but we will have to wait so long for a Bosch engineer we think it would be quicker to repair it ourself – well DH will as he’s very handy.
I am thinking of getting a belt from http://www.bshappliancecare.com/
But it will be £18.45 + postage – does this sound reasonable?
And does anyone have any ideas why the belt has broken twice? Have I just been unlucky?

I am seriously considering buying another dryer so we have a spare. Should I buy the cheapest 6kg vented machine I can find or is there a dryer that isn’t powered by a drive belt?

Any advice very appreciated

From a desperate mum

[Martin]

Re: Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

JennyV,

I’ve never come across a dryer so new to have belt troubles like this? And for having 2 machines with the same fault suggests just 2 lines of thought here. 1). That you are seriously overloading the machine (the drum should only be 2 thirds full – maximum) or 2). You have hit upon a faulty batch of dryers from Bosch (in which case do not attempt any repairs, but get onto Bosch to sort it !)

Martin

[simon26r]

Re: Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

the machine is made by crossley and the insides have been made the same for years. I guess that it has been overloaded, we had the same problem with a customer once that took the very wet washing out of there washing machine and did not know that it did not do a full spin.
with the extra water and overloading it just that bit more it kept bracking the belts.

[JennyV]

Re: Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

Thanks for the replies. The machine has definitely not been overloaded – I’m very careful about this and will often separate one wash load into 2 drying loads. The load in this case was only 2 bath towels and one bath mat.
Thinking more, on both occasions the drive belt snapped I was drying a bath mat, you know the rubber backed sort. On the label (M&S) it says it can be tumble dried. But this time when I opened the door the edge seemed to be stuck inside the drum.

Is it possible that this is the cause because it is thick? It has been washed dozens of time in my previous Bosch. Perhaps it is a design fault in this model that items can get jammed which then lead to excess pressure on the belt?

Still baffled, lol.
Jenny

[gegsy]

Re: Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

hi
Ive had the belts go on these, they are so taught its unreal.
Please don’t repair this machine yourself as you have 2 years parts and labour and any tampering by a non authorised bosch engineer will mean your guarantee being void.

Greg

[Martin]

Re: Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

JennyV wrote: But this time when I opened the door the edge seemed to be stuck inside the drum.

Ooooops! that’s what did in the belts in for you JennyV on this machine (twice now!) Also those paper tissue things you can buy for tumble dryers (can’t remember what they’re called 😕 ) are magic for jamming the drums and burning the belt out. You can tell the drum has jammed because the motor pulley burns through the belt in just one small charcoaled spot!!!!

Paper hankies, trainer shoe laces, wired bra’s and girls’ hair ‘scrunchies’ are brilliantly problematical in any modern dryer in the way they construct the front drum support housing. The majority of dryers on todays market have huge doors and big loading drum appatures. That leaves little or no room to design a fully enclosed drum, instead they fit shallow fronted drums that are prone to ‘foreign bodies’ jamming them in this way.

It’s really just an evil plot to keep us service people in business fixing them for you :rotfl:

Martin

[Simon46]

Re: Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

For example went to one yesterday. Shredded tissue paper everywhere had ripped front support bearings out of drum housing.

Simon.

[gegsy]

Re: Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

I take it you washed the bath mats in the washing machine aswell??
Total abuse of both appliances. I can’t believe M&S suppoert this!

Greg

[JennyV]

Re: Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

Martin wrote:
Ooooops! that’s what did in the belts in for you JennyV on this machine (twice now!) Also those paper tissue things you can buy for tumble dryers (can’t remember what they’re called 😕 ) are magic for jamming the drums and burning the belt out. You can tell the drum has jammed because the motor pulley burns through the belt in just one small charcoaled spot!!!!

That’s exactly what the belt looks like.

Martin wrote:The majority of dryers on todays market have huge doors and big loading drum appatures. That leaves little or no room to design a fully enclosed drum, instead they fit shallow fronted drums that are prone to ‘foreign bodies’ jamming them in this way.

This would explain why I didn’t have this problem on my old Bosch with a small drum/aperture.

Thanks Martin. The Bosch man is coming on Thursday but at least I know what’s caused the probem.

Jenny

[JennyV]

Re: Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

gegsy wrote:I take it you washed the bath mats in the washing machine aswell??
Total abuse of both appliances. I can’t believe M&S suppoert this!

Greg

I have bath mats from M&S, Debenhams and BHS. All state that they can be machine washed and tumble dried. Do you do lots of handwashing, Greg? 😉

Jenny

[Martin]

Re: Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

JennyV wrote: Do you do lots of handwashing, Greg? 😉

I take your point Jenny and one goes by the wash label every time when purchasing these things. Unfortunately the ‘non slip’ backing of these mats are a problem (not in washing them) when likely to come into contact with hot, dry surfaces such as the tumble dryer drum.

Therefore whilst I agree the labelling is correct in stating “Machine washable”, no way should that apply to Tumble drying, and should read “DO NOT TUMBLE DRY!” instead.

Martin

[JennyV]

Re: Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

Quick update.

Bosch man came today, confirmed drive belt has broken (surprise, surprise) and will be back on 11th April to fit belt! Bosch knew the problem and the model number when I booked the service call so why bother coming without the part!!!

To be fair he was very apologetic and Bosch have offered to pay my drying costs at the local launderette while I’m waiting – but as my kids have chickenpox I’m going nowhere 🙁

My wonderful husband has just bought me a Hotpoint dryer – smaller door, 2/3 of the price of the Bosch so I can start tackling the laundry mountain and we are going to try and return the Bosch to our supplier. If not, I shall be charging Bosch for the drying costs using my new dryer instead of the launderette. They should almost come to the cost of the machine, lol.

All very sad as I have always loved my Bosch appliances until now.

Thanks to all for your help and advice.

Jenny

[sparkey]

Re: Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

JennyV wrote

will be back on 11th April to fit belt!

Just a suggestion but have you tried “repairs@” ( the big red toolbox) on this site.
You may find an independant Bosch service agent in your area who can help quicker. I carry that belt as van stock but unfortunately do not cover your area.

Regards
Sparkey

[gegsy]

Re: Bosch Dryer WTA3003GB/17 Drive Belt broken

Do you do lots of handwashing, Greg?

Erm NO
If I have large items to wash and dry I use Launderette, the machines are capable of dealing with that sort of load.

Greg

[Author]

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